A sale! Japanese style

Good intentions are often misplaced as in the above photo. A young ad man proudly showed off his language skill and used this popular English phrase as an eye-catching slogan. It was a great success among foreigners who came in droves with their cameras. Surely the store owner was pleased.

Similarly a Vietnamese restaurant near my Tokyo apartment was beleaguered by foreigners having their photo taken in front. The owner never understood why they didn’t enter his lovely restaurant, My Dung.

Likewise, Americans with their poor language skills provide foreigners with many a laugh. Chinese characters are particularly enjoyable when seen upside down, backwards or just plain crazy.

Despite the tattoo artist’s assurance that it means “women liberation” or “biggest and best,” it might really translate “women flower church” and “number one pumpkin.”

Last month my partner and I spotted a muscular gym bunny proudly sporting a giant tattoo on his neck. I said it meant “power;” my partner disagreed and a slight hissy fit ensued. He then slowly (as to a four-year-old) wrote two characters. Microscopic examination revealed a millimeter difference in the length of one stroke making one of them “chikara: power.” The young stud was proudly displaying the other one pronounced “ka” meaning “mosquito.”

Finding topics for the past year

Finding topics for Bill’s Briefs with humor and an occasional naughty angle has been fun, but challenging. At first I wrote about returning to live in the USA after 40 years in Tokyo and getting used to confusing new slang words, TV references and political issues. Even now I talk about Republican tea-baggers and fail to see what is so funny. SNL always befuddled me until I realized the letters had nothing to do with the National Soccer League. A major nightmare was/is getting used to politically correct language. What is wrong with “actress” and “waitress?”

With the passing months it got a little harder to come up with topics, but I managed.

Often I think of a brilliant idea, but it is gone before I can write it down. This happens usually at night when trying to sleep, so now I keep pen and paper on the night stand. Unfortunately, later I can’t always read what I wrote half-asleep and in the dark. For example: “munks the hnng,” “maturation contests,” “my favorite bykes” or “glory ploes.” If I could unravel these scrawled mysteries, I know I’d find some topic gems.

Any suggestions? Drop me a line.

In dealing with difficulties and trials in life, it helps to know you’re not alone. Difficulties come into everyone’s life.

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

There’s that word when – not if. Whenever you face trials, remember, you’re not alone.

Second, our attitude helps determine our outcome. Our attitude is critical. In the midst of your trials – you have options. You can be miserable and angry and frustrated … or you can look for the lessons to be learned – or the way you’re being stretched and growing. You could look at your problems as a stumbling block or a stepping stone.

Third, you can be certain God has a purpose. The Scriptures say, “… knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (patience). But let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Rev. J. Hamby says that knowing that trials have a purpose can make a big difference in how you face the hard time that you’re going through. God has not abandoned you, no matter how you may “feel.”

Peter also reflects on the purpose of suffering when he says in 1 Peter 1:6-9, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen, you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.”

According to James, enduring these tests produces certain characteristics in the people being tested. First, they become “mature” – not perfect, but spiritually mature. Second, they become “entire” – meaning whole and complete, fully developed, mature. Third, they are “lacking in nothing” meaning that God will provide everything they need to remain obedient in their lives of faith. “Strength for today … and bright hope for tomorrow.”

What good is faith unless it is tested and proved? And yet, we try to avoid being tested, don’t we? We don’t like it when we are tested, not even in school. Testing is a completely negative idea in our heads. But, James says, change your thinking.

James says that we consider the facing of our trials a joy. The NRSV translates the word (hegesasthe) as “consider.” Some scholars believe that is actually a little weak and doesn’t really get at the force of the word.

I “consider” what flavor of ice cream I want, or I “consider” which shirt I’m going to wear. There really isn’t a whole lot of thought that goes into it. James isn’t just asking us to take this idea lightly, but rather he’s stretching us to allow this way of thinking to completely rule or control our minds and our actions. “Trials = joy” must transform our minds and control our perception of everything we face.

If I said, “Raise your hand into the air.” That’s something that you can actually do. You can will your hand to rise up into the air. However, if I said, “Jump up and touch the moon.” That’s something you can’t do … no matter how much you may want to. James is asking us to change the way we think about our problems – to make the effort on our own – no one else can do it for us. It has to be a conscious decision we make in our mind.

Fourth, we were not intended to go through trials alone.

We don’t go through trials alone. We have God’s wisdom at our disposal. Verse five says, “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”

This wisdom is not just philosophical insight about how to handle life, but spiritual wisdom divinely given to you … wisdom that is beyond your own understanding – who doesn’t want that?

Many of us have heard this principle that suffering comes to perfect us (trials come to only make us strong). But how do we put that knowledge into practice in a specific situation of testing? What do we do? Do we stay where we are, or do we move elsewhere, do we look for release or do we expect God to fulfill us where we are? What do we do? James says, in a situation like that, ask God!

Fifth, God ultimately intends our trials to be a blessing.

James ends this section on trials by saying in verse twelve, “Blessed is anyone who endures (trials) temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who believe in God.”

You endured the test – bless you. “Blessed” means happy. Better yet, it means satisfied. Better yet, it means fulfilled with inner joy.

We all experience trials, but God has something great in mind, and James is calling us to see it.

Let me close by sharing this thought from Charles Spurgeon (the great preacher and theologian of the 1800s). “I have always looked back to times of trial with a kind of longing, not to have them return, but to feel the strength of God as I felt it then, to feel the power of faith as I felt it then, to hang on to God’s powerful arm as I hung on to it then, and to see God at work as I saw it then.”

What an attitude! Let that be your attitude as you count it all joy.

Rev. Dan Koeshall is the Senior Pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met) in San Diego, California, themetchurch.org.

Bad things happen to everyone – it’s true. Including me. I remember a particular morning in the office it seemed like there was one problem after another – and they began to add up. It was time to go to lunch and yet another crisis came to my attention and before I knew it, it was going on 2 p.m. I had to get to lunch. So, I’m in my car and I hear sirens. I’m at the intersection in front of our church and I turned left to get out of the way, as the fire trucks usually go up the hill. Not this one, it turns my direction and I pull over as it speeds by; I am finally able to continue to get on the 5 north to the next exit. I’m not even on the freeway, but stay in the exit lane that is just 1,000 feet in front of me … and I notice a car going by me on the freeway with a sticker that says, “I love my Pastor.” Aww … I had to laugh and say, thank you! It helped me know God has a bigger picture and I can laugh at my “problems.”

As long as we’re living and breathing, stuff happens; suffering happens; problems will occur. The book of James, found toward the end of the New Testament, is not a book known for its deep doctrine. It’s not a theological treatise; it’s a practical book.

It’s called “the little big book”, and is, at times, referred to as the proverbs of the New Testament. There are two key words that we will see in James: works and faith.

They’re not contradictory but they are complementary. However, the theme of James is not just faith and works; it is faith that works!

James begins his letter in verse one by identifying himself as “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” Now, James is the brother of Jesus! Jesus wasn’t the only child born to Mary and Joseph. James was one of several sons and daughters. If they are listed in birth order in Matthew 13, James is the oldest after Jesus and so the closest in age to Jesus.

As anyone with siblings will tell you, comparison is inevitable. Most of us have heard the statement, “Why can’t you be like your brother/sister?” How do you think it must have felt to literally have a perfect brother? I wonder if James heard, “James why can’t you be more like Jesus?”

After Jesus’ resurrection, not only did James believe, he went on to be considered an apostle and became the pastor of the church at Jerusalem. He was noted for his deep faith and his profound life of prayer.

James, in this letter, is writing to people who are going through severe hardship. They were hated, rejected and considered outcasts. But rather than console them he challenges them. He challenges them to rethink their difficulties. And he challenges them to trust God in the midst of their difficulties.

James would have laughed at the idea that believing in God will make all your problems disappear, and that you will “live happily ever-after.” In fact, James is saying that it is our response to our trials that prove the reality of our faith. Someone has said, “People are like teabags, you don’t know what’s in them until you put them in hot water.”

When you experienced times of trial in your life you may have asked, “Why? Why am I experiencing these troubles?” Or “What purpose could this possibly serve?” I know I have.

Have you ever really looked for the answer? Or did you just throw your arms up in disgust, blame God, and turn bitter. Think back to a recent trial, big or small. How did you feel about it? How did you react to it? What kind of thoughts went through your head? What was your attitude? Anger? Frustration? Disappointment? Failure?

I don’t think we are to passively endure a time of testing, but we do have the opportunity to learn from the experience. It’s our attitude that determines outcome. Bad things happen to good people all the time. What’s your attitude?

Rev. Dan Koeshall is the Senior Pastor at The Metropolitan Community Church (The Met) in San Diego, California, themetchurch.org.