Planets/Days of the Week
Jackson(ville)
Winds
Religious Convictions
Religious Traditions
"Christian"
Sermon Feedback
French
A Round Trip

Planets/Days of the Week
05/08/05

     The English word "plane" is derived from a Latin word meaning "flat." It may denote a flat surface or a carpenter's tool used for smoothing wood, making it more flat. It is also used as a shortened form of "airplane." When a "t" is added, it becomes "planet," which is rooted in a Greek word meaning "wanderer" and originally denoted a celestial body that seemed to move. In modern English, a "planet" is a heavenly body which revolves around a star, such as the sun. In the solar system, there are nine known major planets which revolve around the sun, one of which is the earth. In ancient astronomy, however, all heavenly bodies that seemed to move were considered "planets." The five "planets" other than the sun and the moon were given names of Roman gods: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Saturn. From the names of these gods/planets, the names of the days of the week were derived. In Japanese as well as in European languages, this relationship may be recognized, but in English, Anglo-Saxon or Scandinavian names of the deities were used. Thus, English names of the days of the week between the days of the Sun and Moon and Saturn originally looked more like Tiw's Day, Woden's Day, Thor's Day and Frigg's Day. One theory regarding why a week consists of seven days is related to the mistaken concept that there were seven planets that revolved around the earth, but the Jewish/Christian tradition is based on the Biblical account of creation, which ends as follows: "By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from the work of creating that he had done" (Genesis 2:2-3). (879)

Jackson(ville)
05/08/07

     The retirement community in which I live is in the northeastern area of the southeastern state of Florida. It is less than an hour's drive from the city of Jacksonville, the largest city in the state. Before the present name was given to that community, it was called Cowford, but the influence of Andrew Jackson is seen in the change of names. It was under Jackson's leadership that Native American tribes were defeated and the area was finally purchased from Spain and Jackson was appointed the provisional governor of the territory in 1821. Checking my atlas, I was surprised to find the number of towns, cities and counties named after this seventh president of the United States of America. There are 14 cities or towns named Jackson, 24 counties with that name and seven cities named Jacksonville. Andrew Jackson was a well-known, controversial political and military figure, particularly in the state of Tennessee and surrounding area, at the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. It was under the command of this major general, also known as "Old Hickory," that the U. S. Army defeated the British troops in the last battle in the War of 1812, known as the Battle of New Orleans. Subsequently, Jackson was elected to the U. S. Senate in 1823 and received the highest number of both popular and electoral college votes for the presidency in 1824 but did not receive the necessary majority of votes in the electoral college, so John Quincy Adams became president instead. Jackson resigned from the Senate in 1825 and began a campaign for the presidential election of 1828, which he won and served for two terms. (880)

Winds
05/08/09

     The four-letter word spelled w-i-n-d has two different pronunciations with very different meanings. As a verb, to "wind" means to turn in a series of circular motions. But as a noun, "wind" denotes moving air and there are many different kinds of winds. Some winds are comfortable and useful but others can be very destructive. Both my wife and I were born and raised in towns near the Illinois city of Chicago, which is known as the "windy city," because winds often come off of Lake Michigan. Now we reside in the state of Florida, where hurricanes often occur at this time of year. In Japan, we experienced typhoons and I was interested to know the difference between these windstorms. According to one dictionary, a "typhoon" is a "severe tropical hurricane occurring in the western Pacific or the China Sea," while a "hurricane" is a "severe tropical cyclone originating in the Atlantic Ocean or the Caribbean Sea." So the difference in meaning is related to the place of origin. A "cyclone" is a "violent, rotating windstorm" and one definition of a "tornado" is "a whirlwind or hurricane." An ancient poet wrote that the Lord "brings out the wind from his storehouses" (Psalm 135:7) and Jesus spoke of the mysterious nature of the wind in his talk with Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He said it was necessary to be born of the Spirit in order to enter the kingdom of God and then explained the mystery of being "born of the Spirit" as follows: "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit" (John 3:8). (881)

Religious Convictions
05/08/11

     My wife and I are members of the Penney Memorial Church which has occupied a central place in this Penney Retirement Community since it was built in 1926.  Since there are almost a hundred ordained ministers who reside here, many of them regularly participate in the religious services and take turns preaching on Sunday mornings.  At the August 7 worship service, it was my turn to preach and, once again, I chose my wife to serve as the liturgist, or worship service leader.    The title of my sermon was “Following the Leader.”  The stimulus for that sermon occurred while I was listening to a tape recording of a lecture in Japanese I had given at a Buddhist University in the Japanese city of Nagoya in 1994. The Ministry of Education had recently approved the university’s request to change the names of certain courses that had wider, international implications.  Because I had done research on Japanese religions and had engaged in interreligious dialogue, I was asked to give a lecture on “Buddhist Culture and Christian Culture.”  In that lecture, I expressed my perception that few Japanese had thoughtfully chosen their religion but were simply following the traditions and rituals of their community and homes without thinking deeply about their meanings and thus were without the firm religious convictions that are emphasized in Christian cultures.  Now, viewing American society and the “Christian culture” in this country following my retirement, I question whether the contrast I made in that lecture was correct.  Recognizing Christ as our “leader,” I posed the question, “Are we really following our Leader?” (882)

Religious Traditions
05/08/16

      In my sermon on August 7th, I noted that, from my perspective, most Japanese follow the traditions of both Shinto and Mahayana Buddhism.  All residents in a community are considered parishioners of the local Shinto shrine; many of them make periodic visits to the shrine and perform the rituals there.  Most homes are connected to a certain Buddhist temple, a priest from which comes to the home to conduct funeral or memorial services.  In many homes there are sacred places representing both religions, even though their doctrines are quite different.  Even most of the priests of the shrines and temples are simply following in the profession of their fathers rather than having made the choice themselves.  I mentioned a Shinto priest I knew who was the second son of a Shinto priest.  Following Japanese custom, his elder brother became the priest at that shrine and this man became a priest at a Buddhist temple.  When his elder brother died, however, he immediately changed and became the priest at the Shinto shrine.  I could not imagine a Christian minister changing so easily to a different religion with very different doctrine.  I also related the experience I had at a different Buddhist university in Japan where I spoke with four students, one of whom was already a Buddhist priest and the other three were preparing for the priesthood.  I asked them to tell me their idea or concept of “Buddha,” what that word meant to them.  Not one of them was able to express their faith related to the founder and central figure of their religion.  And my experience in interreligious dialogue strengthened my observation that few Japanese have a firm religious conviction or understanding of their religion.  (883)

      Those people who can communicate in more than one language are aware of the difference between a “translation” and a “transliteration.” “Translation” is related to meaning and “transliteration” is related to pronunciation.  In my recent sermon, I included a section related to how the English word “Christian” has been translated or transliterated into Japanese.  Following the arrival of the first Christian missionary, a Roman Catholic priest from Portugal, to Japan in 1549, Chinese characters with a positive meaning were used to transliterate the word “ki-ri-shi-tan.” After the policy of the ruling powers changed and Christianity was forbidden, however, different Chinese characters with a negative meaning were chosen.  Over two centuries later, when the first Protestant missionary came from America, the Japanese syllabary for foreign words was used to transliterate the word as “ku-ri-su-chan,” which has been the common term used since then.  However, a more recent translation of the Bible makes use of a more suitable term, using both the Japanese syllabary for foreign words for the title “Christ” (“ki-ri-su-to’) and a Chinese character meaning “person.”  Thus a “Christian” (“ki-ri-su-to-sha”) is, literally, a “Christ person.”  This is by far the best translation or transliteration, for a “Christian” should be a “Christ person,” not simply a person who believes in Christ, is baptized and follows Christian rituals, but a person who manifests the spirit of Christ in daily life.  For me, creeds and rituals are not as important as the humble, loving spirit seen in Jesus’ ministry which should also be evident in the lives of his followers, the true “Christians.” (884)

Sermon Feedback
05/08/25

        In some mechanical systems, both “input” and “output” are needed to keep the system functioning in an acceptable way.  Even among some human beings, it is well to have both “input” and “output” to maintain a healthy, balanced relationship.  In most Protestant churches, it is common for a preacher to preach a sermon at the Sunday morning worship service.  Ordinarily, this is a kind of “monologue” with only the preacher speaking and the congregation listening.  There are sermons, however, that raise questions in listener’s minds or that stimulate other reactions.  In such cases, some people would like to participate in a “dialogue” to clarify or elucidate points raised.  When I am given the opportunity to preach, it is my aim to faithfully expound a Bible passage, according to my interpretation, and apply it to our present day in a way that will stimulate thinking or reacting on the part of listeners.  For the benefit of both the preacher and the listener, it is my custom to schedule a “sermon feedback” session following the sermon.  In this retirement community, such a session is held in the Church Lecture Room on the following morning.  Because I am on the Cemetery Committee, which works for two hours in the cemetery on Monday mornings, cutting grass, trimming bushes and trees and caring for the gravestones, it is after an abbreviated time in the cemetery that I return to the Church Lecture Room to attend the “sermon feedback” session, where a number of listeners to the Sunday sermon gather for a meaningful time of discussion.  This is always a very helpful time for both the preacher and the listeners.  (885)

French
05/08/27

    There are a number of words in an English language dictionary that begin with a word denoting a European country, including “French,” “Irish,” “Scotch” and “Dutch.”  Today’s message will consider words beginning with “French.”  Not all of them are related to the country of France.  In fact, as a verb, “french” means to cut into strips before cooking, so “French fries” are strips of potatoes fried in deep fat.  Along with the “French fries,” we may be served “French dressing,” which includes both seasoned oil and vinegar, to put on a salad.  “French toast” denotes a slice of bread soaked in a milk and egg barter and lightly fried.  A “French horn” is a valved brass wind instrument with a circular shape, tapering from a narrow mouthpiece to a flaring bell at the other end and producing a mellow tone.  A “French cuff” is a wide cuff on a man’s shirt that is folded back and fastened with a cuff link.  Years ago, I wore shirts with French cuffs at times, but I have not used cuff links in recent years.  Certain homes or buildings may have “French doors” or “French windows.”  Usually such doors or windows are in pairs having glass panes which extend the full length of the doors or windows.  Finally, the term “French leave,” when used in the armed forces, has the same meaning as AWOL, or “absent without leave,” meaning the serviceman has absented himself from his post without permission.  This is derived from an old French custom of leaving a party early without bidding a formal farewell to the host and hostess—which was frowned upon by the British.

A Round Trip
05/08/30

    A trip to a place and back to the starting point is called a “round trip” even though the trip may be a straight line forward and back.  Recently, my wife and I took a trip by car that was literally a “round trip” because we circled through 13 different states before returning home.  According to our odometer, we traveled 2836 miles in those 10 days.  My brother and his wife, who live near the University of Illinois where my brother taught mechanical engineering for many years, had invited us to visit them and tell them about our recent trip to Japan.  Looking at the map, we decided to make stops along the way to visit friends we knew in Japan, who we were able to inform of our coming beforehand.  We made two stops in Alabama to visit friends, one couple we had not seen for forty years.  We then made three stops in Illinois—one at the home of a former missionary family that was related to Nagoya International School and two at the homes of my brother and sister.  We also drove through the hometown of my wife, which she had not visited for many years.  In the state of Indiana, we visited another former missionary couple that had lived up the street from us in Nagoya.  And in West Virginia, we visited a former missionary who was also involved in the establishment of Nagoya International School.  We enjoyed meeting all of these old friends and informing them of our Japan trip.  On the way home, we stopped to take a tour through an old coal mine and surrounding homes that reflected the situation in the late 1800s.  It was a most enjoyable “round trip” in which we were able to share experiences and memories with others, to continue to learn from one another and to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us and beneath us.  We thank God for his protection and guidance.  (887)