Pastor James & Carol Sack Jonathan, Bethany, & Emily Their address is: 3-10-20 Osawa Mitaka-shi Tokyo 181-0015 JAPAN jsack@luther.ac.jp |
Carol is a music thanatologist, a person who offers palliative care to those in transition from this life to the next. She uses harp and voice at the beside of the dying, going weekly to a hospice for the homeless in Tokyo. The Sacks are also involved with other church members in providing food, clothing, and toiletries to the homeless in central Tokyo.
Faith Lutheran is one of about 25 churches, mainly in MN, WI, and IL, but a few others here and there, that support Jim & Carol Sack in their ministry work.
Click the arrow located in front of Missionaries, to find earlier newsletters from the Sacks.
March 1, 2019
One-to-One, Yet more than One
Every now and then one is awed to happen to witness a moment of – what is the word?—“redemption,” should I say? I was privy to just such a moment recently. Allow me to share the story with you.
The story begins with the earthquake-tsunami-Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011. At that time, Jim and I received about 200 prayer shawls that we were able to share with families in a remote fishing village that had been decimated by the tsunami. A non-Christian woman named Chieko was the unexpected catalyst for this ministry event. Somewhat to my surprise, Chieko told me sometime last year that she felt the desire and need to visit some of the Minnesota churches that had sent the shawls, to express her thanks face-to-face. So she and I made a kind of gratitude pilgrimage, visiting several churches and sharing her non-verbal appreciation to them through offering the Japanese Tea Ceremony. Everyone loved meeting Chieko. They could not communicate through words, but once again I was reminded of how little we actually need “words” to say what needs to be said.
One morning, we were attending a worship service in a large ELCA congregation. Chieko couldn’t understand a word, but I could tell she was nevertheless drinking in the music, the space and the spirit of Worship. After the service, one woman came up and introduced herself as Jill. She then took both of Chieko’s hands, and looked her in the eyes, her own eyes brimming with tears. She said, “I am here to greet you on behalf of my father. He fought your people in World War II. He is now in heaven, but I am sure he would want to ask your forgiveness for any suffering he might have contributed to your people.” Chieko was floored, and immediately responded, “Oh, our country did so many things for which we must ask forgiveness…” and the two women, one clad in silk kimono, the other in Midwestern wool, hugged and cried upon each other’s shoulders. Then Jill said, “Wait a minute!” In a few moments, she had brought a beautiful prayer shawl from her office in the church, and wrapped Chieko up in it. Chieko wore that shawl her entire time in Minnesota. Before leaving Minnesota, Chieko told me, “I know that Jill’s words carried the weight of decades. I cannot get it out of my mind. I cannot leave before giving back something to express my own heart to ask for and receive forgiveness. “ Chieko looked in her suitcase for the most valuable gift she could find. It was a decorative Japanese fan, depicting the beauty of the seasons. After our departure friends from that church delivered Chieko’s gift to Jill.
As I witnessed this gesture between the two women that Sunday morning, I was aware in some deep place that this was more than two women connecting. It was something huge, like “Peace and Reconciliation” personified. I don’t know how to explain what I felt. But somehow, though it involved two women, it felt like the earth had shifted. Lord, make us instruments and bridges of Your Peace. Amen.
September 1, 2018
Dear Supporting Congregations:
We would like to share a story about a good Japanese friend by the name of Chie who
is a member of the Mitaka Lutheran Church which meets on the campus of the Japan
Lutheran College. She is a graduate of Carol’s Lyra Precaria program and was
baptized 4 years ago while a student. Chie uses the harp and her voice to play for
others who are dying or needing comfort. She is a devoted Christian but is struggling
with how to be a good witness as a Christian to others. Through an experience she
recently had, she has come up with a meaningful and interesting way to witness.
Before sharing about what she did, we think it is important to explain the use of
“business cards” (or name cards) in Japan. The exchange of business cards is almost a
ritual here. Proper handling of these cards can either help to establish respect for the
bearer or have the opposite effect. These cards tell you the title of the person offering
it and help to guide you to understand the relationship you have with that person.
Depending on your relationship to another, the use of honorifics and the modes of
speech used will change. Therefore, the business card plays an important role in
Japanese society. Even people not in business will often make their own personal card
to share contact information and help the other remember your name. Usually the
bearer’s name is in the most prominent place and has the largest letters on the card.
Here is a picture of Chie:
Now we want to share the contents of a letter she recently wrote:
“Please allow me to send you my first name card. I happened to see a husband
humiliate his wife when I was traveling on a long-distance train. Their daughter had
thrown up and he blamed his wife for not controlling their daughter’s health the night
before. His shouting was so loud and abnormal that everyone around him felt so bad,
but he did not seem to notice. Hearing his violent voice, I kept praying ‘Lord have
mercy.’ When she left her seat to take her daughter to the washroom, I caught up with
her and said, ‘You are not wrong at all. I know you are a good mother to take care of
your daughter so gently.’ Suddenly she began to cry and said ‘He always calls me
names.’ All I could do was to stroke her back.”
“Since then, I’ve been thinking what to do in such a case. What can I do for such a
violent man? What can I do for such a humiliated lady? It forced me to make this
name card. If I see someone in ‘Dis-orientation’ I’ll hand it to her (or him) next time. I
am not good at using name cards but I’ll do it with THIS card because it is not my
word but the WORD from Jesus, from God.”
Here is the business (name) card that Chie created:
At the top it says “Through the harp and voice I pray you will know that:
You are Loved ”
To the left of the heart is her name, address, phone number and email address.
We are so impressed by Chie’s attitude and her desire to have the love of God as the
center of her life and “name card.” She is striving to be an “instrument of God’s peace
and love each and every day. Please pray for her and her family. Her husband and two
children are not Christian, but we observe how since she has become a follower of
Christ that her life is a witness to them as well.
Also please continue to pray for the Lyra Precaria program and for the Japan Lutheran
College, and the Japan Lutheran Theological Seminary.
May you all know the deep love of God through Christ in each of your live.
In Christ,
Jim and Carol Sack, Tokyo
June 2017 Sack Newsletter from Japan
Dear Friends in Christ:
We would like to share with you about a seminary open lecture class that we started three years ago. “Open lecture” means that it is a class open to the public as well as seminary and undergraduate students. We will be starting the class once again in September for 14 weeks.
If the class had an English title it would be “Sensible Christian Spirituality,” as the course is based on how we use our 5 senses to interact with God, exploring new ways to express our spiritually on a daily basis. Each week we transform the classroom to create a different environment in which to engage in another facet of spirituality. Most weeks are based on the “Pearls of Life,” using a bracelet with 18 different colored beads, each having it’s own meaning. This bracelet facilitates an inner conversation with God about our dreams, longings and prayers. At the beginning of the course each participant makes his or her own bracelet that will be used in each session. A Lutheran Bishop from Sweden came up with the idea of the bracelet in 1995.
January 9, 2017
Dear Sponsoring Congregations:
It is time for a long overdue newsletter from the Sacks. This summer we had the opportunity to be back in the States for home leave. We were able to visit 11 of our sponsoring congregations and were reminded once again how grateful we are for our family in Christ all over the world, especially you congregations who pray for and support us so faithfully. At many of the churches we talked about the severe persecution of the Japanese Christians for a couple of centuries. Just now a powerful movie entitled “Silence” is starting to be shown in theaters. This is a movie directed by Martin Scorsese and is based upon the 1966 novel written by Shusaku Endo, a Japanese Catholic Christian. We encourage you to see this movie as it will give some insight into the deep struggles that many Japanese Christians had to come to grips with about their faith. This story is a novel but does give an accurate portrayal of the trials many believers faced during this period of Christianity being outlawed in Japan.
There is a temple that is not so far from our house in Tokyo which has a hidden Christian tombstone. When you look at the picture (see below) you will notice that the top of the stone flairs out and there is a circle in the middle of that. This represents a cross and for the family members of their dead loved one, they could come to pay homage to that person and still worship the Lord Jesus Christ and not have the authorities know about their faith. A similar way of hiding the Mother Mary and child was to create statues that looked like the Goddess of Mercy called Kannon ( see below). This is representative of the many Christians who went underground in order to survive the severe persecutions and still practice their faith. The majority of these persecutions took place in the southern most part of Japan, especially in the Nagasaki area. Since there was a great expulsion of the Catholic clergy, the hidden Christian communities relied on lay leaders to lead the services. In 1873 when religious freedom was re-established, the hidden Christians emerged and started to display their faith in the open once again.
One last picture shows a “fumie,” which is a wooden or copper relief of the image of Christ or the Virgin Mary (see below). The government used these images to find out who were either practicing Christians or at least sympathizers. People who would hesitate to step on the image were considered to be Christian and were taken to the Nagasaki area. If they refused to renounce their faith in Christ, they were tortured and/or killed on the spot. In the context of Japan’s past history, it brings great joy each year when students come to faith in Christ and are baptized. This Christmas saw a male student by the name of Chisaka proclaim his faith and be baptized. We give thanks to God for that new member in the faith.
As a family we continue to do very well, and are kept quite busy with the many opportunities we have been given to train, teach and offer witness to the living Christ here in Japan. Carol is currently working with the sixth set of students taking the Lyra Precaria course, where they learn to use the harp and voice at the bedside of the dying. There have been 32 graduates from the first five classes that have completed this two-year study. Most of them are active in providing care to those who are dying and their families in various hospices and hospital throughout Japan. For this academic year Jim was asked to be head of the Christianity Department which means he has a number of new committee meetings to attend to each week, but provides him with numerous opportunities to deal with students in the department. He continues his teaching at the graduate school in clinical psychology as well as teaching pastoral counseling in the seminary. Jim also trains staff at a large Lutheran nursing home to do active listening with the patients who live in the facility.
We are also fortunate to have two of our three grown children coming back and living in Tokyo. This provides many chances to be with our two granddaughters since they live just a 10 minute ride from our home. We will also include a picture of our entire family taken in the summer of 2016. We hope to have the chance for all of us to reunite again when we return to the States. Each occasion to be together is cause for thanksgiving!
We ask for your prayers. Please pray for:
1) The four seminary graduates who will become pastors in March, as they begin their ministry for the Lord.
2) Mr. Chisaka as he starts his new life of faith as a Christian.
3) The rapidly ageing society of Japan and the decrease in population of younger people.
4) The Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church, that the Word of the Lord would be powerfully preached each week and that others would come to know Christ as their Savior.
5) The seminary as it struggles to deal with the loss of important faculty members through retirement.
6) For ourselves that we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be clear witnesses for Christ in our assignments.
We give thanks for all of you and your support through prayers and financial offerings on out behalf. May 2017 be a year filled with joy, meaning and the Peace of God.
In Christ,
Jim and Carol Sack
Tokyo, Japan
Mary and child
Sent: Monday, March 07, 2016 1:15 AM
March 2016 Sack Newsletter from Japan
Dear Sponsoring Congregations:
We wanted to fill you in a little about our current ministries in Japan. We have mentioned before how our academic year begins in April. Beginning in April Jim will become the Department Head of the Theology department as well as head of one of five courses called “Christian Studies.” He will continue his teaching and responsibilities for the seminary as well as working with graduate students in the Clinical Psychology Department. Carol remains director of Lyra Precaria, the 2 year training program for using voice and harp at the bedside of the dying. April will mark the beginning of the 6th group of students taking this program. They just had their graduation of the 5th group of seven students in March. 35 individuals have now finished completed training.
Please pray for:
1) our ministries in Japan.
2) Jun Akihisa, the newest graduate of the seminary
3) the schools and organizations for which we work, including The Japan Evangelical Luther Church, Japan Lutheran College, Japan Lutheran Theological Seminary, Japan Evangelical Lutheran Association
4) the Japanese pastors who faithfully minister to the members of their churches
5) the four new seminary students who will start at the seminary in April
Please note the three pictures at the end of the email:
1) The labyrinth used for our class on Christian Spirituality in the chapel.
2) The sign language club at the college singing in sign language.
3) Jim and Carol after the celebration of graduation for the Lyra Precaria program
We give thanks to God for all of our sponsoring congregations.
In Christ,
Jim and Carol Sack
An experience from Carol:
Filling the Hole
Jim and I both visit one of Japan‘s largest prisons once a month to offer a listening ear to prisoners. Though our normal involvement is done on a one-to-one basis, twice I have been asked to bring my harp to a rehabilitation group for sexual offenders. Although the prison atmosphere appears extremely harsh for the most part, I have been impressed with this program, which meets for 90 minutes, a total of 70 times with the same four or five men. Some people have criticized me for offering prayerful presence in voice and harp for such offenders of society, but my own conviction is that there has been for these individuals some fundamental injury of identity, some tragic demolition of dignity which leads to societal harm, and if that foundational hole can be filled, the source of the violence can be touched and transformed. I realize that my conviction may be naïve and simplistic, but only God knows that, and I feel there is nothing to lose by trying. Thus I accepted these invitations with honor.
As last year, I was told that these men are generally afraid of people they do not know, especially women. Four staff persons and four inmates were present. I introduced myself and briefly explained what I do, visiting patients one-on-one, offering voice and harp at the bedside. I invited all to close their eyes. Without explanation I began to play our simple music, a combination of Gregorian chant, Latin Taize chants and lullabies in various languages. I purposely use unfamiliar music sung in non-vernacular, so as to offer the listener freedom to take whatever heart-journey is necessary. I sense the presence of the Holy Spirit leading them wherever they need to go. In this instance, I particularly felt the effect of the lullabies, and prayed that whatever might have been bereft in their maternal relationships might be offered through God’s grace in these moments. After about 30 minutes, the music came to a quiet close and the leader asked staff and inmates alike to share their thoughts.
I was awed by God’s movement in their hearts. Our music is so simple, it is clear that this is not a result of musical prowess, rather the sheer grace of God at work. Let me share the response of one of the inmates. Please recall that these were all Japanese men, and that Japan is a country where the Christian population is less than 1%. Also please note that I had explained nothing, and sang in foreign tongues.
The gentleman to my right said, “Before I committed crimes, I used to go into churches from time to time and listen to the music. This music reminded me of those times. I felt like I was back in a church pew. I realized that I need to be in that kind of place. I need to return there. If I were listening to this kind of music and were in the church, I could not commit crimes. I want to start reading my Bible again. We need the love of Christ….”
I sat back, stunned. He went on an on, proclaiming that the church, the Bible and the love of Christ was not only his, but their hope. I felt I was in the presence of an authentic missionary, one who had earned a right to speak with power and with the word of authority. Fortunately I had the restraint not to add my two-cents’ worth, but just to let this man, one of them, be my spokesperson.
I was thankful that this man confirmed my original conviction ~ that there is transformative power not only to an individual but to society, when Christ’s love is offered right into the hole of any human condition. At least it seemed to be true for this one man. If Jesus leaves the 99 for just the one, it is enough.
Some recent pictures:
Labyrinth in the chapel
Sign language club concert
Jim and Carol