Ash Wednesday

The year of 2013 Ash Wednesday fell on February 13.  It came very early, so that Easter will be coming very early.  There is a saying “The Spring will come early if the Easter comes early.”  However, the 2012 Easter came very late, April 8, but the Spring came very early.  All the flowers that usually bloom in May were crazily bloomed in March.  (See those flowers’ photos in Hiroko’s article posted in this blog on March 26, 2012, titled “Chicago’s Crazy Weather 2012 March.”)

On the Ash Wednesday Service, we first praised the Lord and gave thanks for His amazing characters, and confessed our sins and asked forgiveness, and committed our lives to the Lord to live with love for one another in the Lord who made us known for His love on the cross.  Everyone received the cross with ashes on our foreheads as the symbol of our repentance.

Putting the mark of cross with ashes on the attendees’ forehead, both Pastors put the cross with ashes on their forehead of each other.

The cross with ashes on Dan-san’s forehead.  His forehead is very wide, so you can see it better, doesn’t it?

In the Bible, the act of covering the ashes which is the symbol of our repentance are mentioned in many places.  One, Hiroko likes to quote, Job 2:7-13, bellows:

Hiroko read these verses before she became a Christian, and thought she wanted to have the faith like Job had when she became a Christian.  Hiroko wants to say I have the faith like Job right now, but one thing Hiroko can surely say, “I love Jesus very much.”

Job 2:7-13

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.

⁹ His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”

¹⁰ He replied, “You are talking like a foolish^[b] woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”

In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

¹¹ When Job’s three friends, Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite, heard about all the troubles that had come upon him, they set out from their homes and met together by agreement to go and sympathize with him and comfort him. ¹² When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. ¹³ Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.

Mitsuwa and Yaki-Soba, Sautéed Noodle

Dan-san and Hiroko went to the Mitsuwa Japanese Market. 

Hakoniwa-san told Hiroko about the delicious Yaki-Soba brand.  Hiroko was very anxious to see what kind of the Yaki-Soba in the Mitsuwa.  It was very disappointing.  None of the brands Hakoniwa-san suggested was at the Mitsuwa.

There are different kinds of fresh Yaki-Soba and the dried Yaki-Soba in Mitsuwa, and also Yaki-Soba sauce made by “Maruchan” was sold.

Hiroko made Yaki-Soba dinner with Maruchan.

Sautéing lots of vegetable, and then sauté 3 bags of Soba. 

Done.  Too much vegetable, so it is hard to see Soba, but very delicious Yaki-Soba was done.

The product of Yamagata natto was on sale.  Of course Hiroko bought it.

Hakoniwa-san posted about Nameko/Tofu miso-soup in her blog.  Hiroko loves Nameko.  There are so many different types of the instant soup at Mitsuwa.  Hiroko bought one instant Nameko/Tofu miso soup, but it was not so good.

Hiroko bought canned and bottled Nameko.  The bottled Nameko was very tasty as it is on the rice.  Hiroko can’t wait for making Nameko/Tofu miso soup with canned Nameko

As usual, Dan-san and Hiroko ate San-To-Ka Ramen for their lunch at Mitsuwa that day.

Chicago's Newspaper, called "Chicago Shimpo" in Japanese and English

Please read the following article to find out why Hiroko has sudden interest for Yaki-Soba, and Peter’s important teaching.

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Hiroko’s church invited a person, Peter, who has been speaking to the many old churches how to re-build.  He sees that many old churches are dying, but the newly planted churches are growing.  He has studied why it is happening and found out many reasons.  Among this many reasons, Hiroko wants to discuss one interesting thing.

Before that, this is the story Hiroko started to look for delicious Yaki-Soba.  Peter’s wife was growing up in Japan as a missionary’s child.  Peter visited Japan with his wife, and found many fascinating things.  One of them is Yaki-Soba sold in the out-side garden in a temple.  He said he has never have tested such tasty noodle before or after.  Hiroko told him that none of the Japanese restaurants in Chicago can make similar taste of Yaki-Soba sold in the outside garden or streets of Japan.  Hiroko doesn’t know any delicious instant Yaki-Soba

Well, going back to Peter’s teaching.  Peter was speaking about old churches are dying, and one of the reason is people do not talk honesty and telling the truth among the church or any groups.  Peter mentioned couple of churches as example of not telling the truth: 

Some churches, there were several people did not like their pastor, but they had never talked about true feeling, so no one, even the Pastor, couldn’t know or discuss their feeling toward the Pastor.  However, at one occasion one person mentioned in public that their Pastor should be changed from “A” to “B,” and then, several others suddenly joined the opinion/criticisms.  The result of that talk was spread and they left the church. 

Some other churches, one talked secretly about the person A.  The one expressed not wanting to attend the church Worship Service because of the person A.  Couple others joined the one, and left the church.

It is very sad to hear about those churches and people just existed.

If there is church filled with love, peace, and joy among the church attendees and Pastor, anyone who even do not know Christ or Christian will attend that kind of churches willingly.

Peter’s session will be continued two more times.  The church Hiroko is attending can be changed like the first century church mentioned in the Bible, Acts 2:40-47.

“⁴⁰With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” ⁴¹Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

The Fellowship of the Believers

⁴²They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.⁴³Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.  ⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common.  ⁴⁵They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.  ⁴⁶Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.  They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, ⁴⁷praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.  And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.