牧師ブログ
牧師ブログ · 2024/12/12
【なぜ２５日ではなく２４日なの？】 なぜ日本のキリスト教会では２５日にクリスマス礼拝を行わないで、 ２４日にクリスマスイブ礼拝を行うのが主流になっているのでしょうか。 イブは前夜の意味です。イブの語源は、英語のイブニングを略です。 キリスト教会のほとんどの教派はイエスの誕生を１２月２５日と定め祝日...
牧師ブログ · 2024/12/12
Why 24th and not 25th? Why is it that Japanese Christian churches hold Christmas Eve services on the 24th instead of Christmas services on the 25th? Eve means the night before. The word eve is an abbreviation of the English word evening. Most denominations of Christian churches have made December 25th the day of Jesus' birth and made it a national holiday. The Greek Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas on January 7th. (I write about the origin of December 25th as the day of Jesus' birth on...
牧師ブログ · 2024/12/05
The First Christmas in Japan The first Christmas in Japan took place on December 25, 1552. It may have taken place before that, but it's not recorded in the records. Francis Xavier arrived in Japan in 1549 so it was three years later. He died in China on December 3, 1552. On this Christmas day, a mass was held under Ouchi Yoshitaka, the feudal lord of Suo Yamaguchi (present-day eastern Yamaguchi Prefecture). After the mass, meal was provided and gave alms to the poor. At Funai Church in Bungo...
牧師ブログ · 2024/11/28
1 out of 365 Christmas is a famous Christian festival. The city is filled with Christmas lights, Christmas trees, Christmas songs, and sales of Christmas goods to liven up the Christmas season. This year, Advent starts from next Sunday (December 1st) until Christmas. Advent is translated as "Advent" and refers to the four weeks before Christmas. Advent means "coming" in Latin, and expresses the promise and expectation of Christ's coming (birth) as well as the second coming of Christ. Some...
牧師ブログ · 2024/11/21
World Baptist Week of Prayer What is World Baptist Week of Prayer? It was started in 1931 by the Women's Association (origin of the Women's Union) who inherited the faith of Lottie Moon Christmas Donation. This was started by the Southern Baptist women in the United States to support Lottie Moon's mission in China. It has been inherited as a central activity of Baptist women ever since. The period is from the last Sunday in November to the first Sunday in December, and the donation target...
牧師ブログ · 2024/10/26
Upcoming Schedule Time flies and in about 10 days there will only be two months left this year. There are many church events in November and December. December is Christmas and the service is on December 22nd. We will have a Christmas celebration (lunch) that afternoon. On Christmas Eve, the 24th, we will have a Christmas Eve candlelight service from 7:30 pm. Please mark your schedule now. Please invite your family and friends. We will hold a children's blessing ceremony during the service on...