Reflections of a Sansei: Cultural Barriers to Church Renewal in the Japanese American Community
by Arlene Inouye

In the last several decades there has come an increasing awareness of the movement of the Holy Spirit in the world. The rapid growth of the church in such places as Africa, Korea and other parts of Asia have made Westerners take notice. It has made American evangelicals like myself question the state of the church in this country today. And more specifically, it has made me question why the Japanese American community of which I am a part, is not experiencing similar large-scale evangelization and church renewal. I ask, "Where is the renewed sense of the church of the New Testament, the whole-hearted worship, the manifestation of the fullness and power of the Spirit, the unity, the spiritual gifts, the evangelism which is a natural outcome of love overflowing?"

Instead, the opposite seems to hold true. Many local congregations are shrinking in size and faith. The individuals who choose to remain appear disillusioned with the church. And as far as change goes, the future looks bleak.

Statistics indicate that in the United States, only five percent of those of Japanese ancestry claim to be Christian, even after over one hundred years of Protestant missionary endeavor. For Japan, the figure is about one percent. For Brazil, it's about six percent. Regardless of where large concentrations of Japanese are found in the world, they seem to be resistant to Christ.

These aforementioned statistics and personal experience have led me to believe that culture has an effect on the receptivity of Japanese nonbelievers to the gospel, and on the spiritual growth of those who so come to believe. I think that certain cultural characteristics act as barriers to the Holy Spirit, stifling his power and work in the Japanese American church. By reflecting on this apparent lack of renewal, I have come to identify some of the cultural and experiential characteristics which may contribute to the situation we find today.

Firstly, achievement orientation is a well-known characteristic of Japanese culture. The Japanese believe that with hard work, one can do anything. This attitude, for example, undergirds their determined attempts to excel in educational endeavors, almost regardless of ability. By their own efforts, they strive with an intense drive to achieve their goals.

I believe that this achievement orientation hinders not only nonbelievers from understanding that one cannot earn salvation, but it hinders the process of renewal in the Japanese American church. A common attitude is that one's spirituality is related to doing good works. Degree of commitment to Christ is often measured by what and how much one does for the local body.

As a result, one's identity is found in achievement, not in Christ alone. Such a situation limits the work of the Holy Spirit. Achievement emphasizes outward behavior, but spiritual renewal comes from within, solely as a gift of grace. It is received, not earned. Any efforts to make ourselves better do not foster complete dependency on the power of God. Instead, they thwart personal and corporate renewal. And many Japanese remain experientially unfamiliar with the true meaning of grace.

Secondly, the emphasis on achievement probably has been exacerbated and perpetuated by the Japanese American experience of World War II. After the war, when they were released from their internment in relocation camps, there was a strong push for assimilation. They worked hard at becoming model citizens, proving loyalty to the United States.

In the case of religion, I suspect that some put aside their Buddhist beliefs as part of their effort to "melt" into the mainstream. They began to attend Christian churches. My guess is that at that time, a number of "conversions" were motivated by politics, not repentance. Also, in deference to their immigrant parents, many second-generation children remained in the church, more out of family loyalty than personal conviction. Such family loyalty and avoidance of shameful behavior (e.g. denouncing the religion of one's parents), had a powerful effect on their decisions.

Many of those same people are in the churches today. They have yet to truly experience the fellowship of the Holy Spirit and know Jesus as Lord. And the churches to which they belong reflect that spiritual condition.

Thirdly, the Japanese are known to possess a high tolerance for ambiguity. Sociologists and psychologists have documented how they can hold conflicting views without any cognitive dissonance. In Japan, in particular, one of the problems missionaries have faced is the lack of understanding on the part of nonbelievers that one cannot be a Buddhist, Shintoist and Christian all at the same time.

One can surmise how such a syncretistic perspective can affect the life of a church. Boldness to speak the truth with authority is hindered, as is total confidence in the gospel. Tolerance for ambiguity leads to a relativist position. Doctrine can become wishy-washy. So can response to the Word of God.

A fourth important cultural value that perhaps has hindered Japanese from experiencing the fullness of Christ (e.g. Col 2:10), is materialism. Wherever Japanese are found, extreme importance is place on material wealth and the status it brings. More extreme than even the United States, one's worth is determined by how much he owns. And sadly, the love of money the Japanese have has hardened their hearts. They bear testimony to Jesus' words: "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matt. 19:24). And those who have become Christians, are still plagued by the temptation to accumulate riches on earth. That value runs so deep that many try to keep one foot in both worlds. By not "losing their life to find it," the Spirit cannot be poured out upon them.

A fifth problem is the "other" orientation of the Japanese. We are group- rather than individual-oriented. We derive much of our identity from the people with whom we have relationships. Fear of rejection or offending inhibits us from being innovative, risking, becoming vulnerable to others. Conformity rather than creativity marks the culture. Japan is known not for its inventions, but for its imitations.

Hence we shy away from the nonconventional. Status quo is comfortable. We are afraid to give God complete freedom to reign. We want to remain in control. As much as we may desire to "let go and let God," we settle for less than what God desires to give, lest anyone think we're odd, strange or overly fanatical. And as a result, with the Holy Spirit kept at a distance, there is little sense of a community of Spirit-filled believers modeling for us the "abundant" life.

With the Spirit in the background, the spiritual gifts in all their variety cannot be given. And I suspect that some of us as believers even may be content with that. For the thought of receiving one or more of a host of gifts can be threatening to those of us who always want to be followers, never leaders as God may intend. Giving the Spirit full control means that individuals would be set apart for particular ministries. Unity in diversity is far more uncomfortable to Japanese than unity through conformity, as unbiblical as that is.

A sixth cultural characteristic that I believe interferes with the work of the Holy Spirit is the need the Japanese have to be controlled emotionally, particularly in public. The tendency is to be very reserved, and this is seen in the Christian context as well. Sunday worship is usually very orderly and quiet. The singing may even be called soft-spoken. No one seems to "shout" their praises for fear of calling attention to themselves. Even though we are called to worship with our entire being (e.g. Deut. 6:4,5), our reserved nature can inhibit both us and the Spirit of God. In such a controlled atmosphere, I believe that the Spirit is quenched.

There are other cultural characteristics that I could mention which create stumbling blocks to us as Japanese and our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and his Spirit. What I have presented here give just a glimpse of some of the significant issues that the Japanese American church must address if personal and corporate renewal, effective evangelism and numerical growth are to occur. We need to free ourselves from whatever hinders us from experiencing fullness of life as his children and from becoming acceptable living sacrifices to God (Romans 12:1,2).

However, thanks be to Him that he is a God of change and transformation. I believe that there are things which we can participate in to encourage a church with which our Lord is pleased. A focus on prayer, worship, education, modeling, and community life, will help much toward creating a body of believers among whom the Spirit is able to minister and manifest himself.

Over and over again, through books I have recently read and in my own devotional life, I have been impressed by the necessity for prayer. Jesus, better than anyone else, has shown us its importance. He claimed no power of his own. Everything he did and had was given to him by his Father. He continually stressed upon his disciples that "the Son can do nothing of his own accord" (John 5:19), and "the Father who dwells in me does his works" (John 14:10).

Unlike so many of us today, Jesus did not see prayer as an act of self-discipline or duty. Rather, his prayer life rose out of an overwhelming sense of need. As Ray Stedman put it, "He simply faced up to the fact that without this relationship, what he did was a waste of time." Unless we who desire renewal to come to the Japanese American church are in constant prayer, and efforts on our part will be a waste of time. Only as the Spirit is poured out and we receive him, will things begin to change

A look at Acts makes this clear. Acts 4:31 is only one example: "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God boldly." Notice that it was after they prayed that they were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes in answer to prayer. As we ask God in faith for what is necessary to fulfill our ministry, he clearly responds.

And our prayers must be specific. We must lift up those in our congregation by name. We must earnestly desire "the greater gifts," and ask the Holy Spirit to release a variety of gifts for the glory of God and the edification of the body. We must pray for the people he has given us a burden to reach for Christ. We must pray for boldness on our part and receptivity on theirs. We must pray that God will take away our fears and build our trust, that the cultural barriers keeping us from experiencing fullness in Christ will crumble in our midst.

Related to prayer, it might be helpful to introduce simple movement into our prayer life, both at a personal level and on a corporate basis. As Liz Attwood and Joy Potter, two liturgical dancers, have stated, "Our bodies are also important as a vehicle with which to express our love of God. Regardless of personality, culture or background, we all need to change our attitude towards our humanity as we are transformed by the Spirit."

Scripture is replete with examples of how the people of God used their bodies before him (e.g. Psalms 47:1, 95:6, 134:2, 149:3, 150). Even King David "danced before the Lord with all his might" (2 Sam. 6:14). From the Hebrew perspective there is no rigid distinction between the physical and the spiritual because the body and soul are seen as intimately united. The Israelites regarded the body as the outward form of the soul. To worship with one's entire being meant to also use the body.

I believe that fostering the integration of mind, body and spirit, will lead to increased faith and freedom to worship wholeheartedly. That has been my experience and the experience of some of my Japanese American friends as they have engaged in such movement. No matter how awkward and self-conscious we felt at first, we knew it was a sacrifice of praise that cost us something, and was pleasing to God. The more we continued, the freer and more joyful we felt. The more it became an outcome of something from within, as Christ's Spirit touched our spirit.

I believe that if other Japanese American Christians were more open to it, they might also experience a new and refreshing dimension to worship and prayer. I am not saying that physical movement by itself will lead to more Spirit-filled worship. It must be an authentic outcome of transformation from within. However, the first step is to be open to the Holy Spirit, willing to risk and to change. To be Spirit-filled means to change.

Secondly, I think that church leaders need to experience renewal on a personal level so that as they lead, the Holy Spirit is the one who is directing and guiding. In the Japanese culture, the title of "Sensei" (teacher) is given to those in positions of authority. Such people, pastors included, are well-respected, and what they say holds tremendous weight. Japanese will tend to believe something, not because they come to a logical deduction of the truth, but because "Sensei" said it was true. The pastor and recognized leaders, full of the Holy Spirit, can be used mightily by God to bring renewal to a dying church.

As part of that, the congregation must be nurtured. The formation of small groups would help to build more intimate relationship, and provide places for learning, fellowship and worship. That's the model Jesus used with his disciples.

Opportunities for small risks must be made and taken so that members can try out gifts, and explore new ideas. As trust grows, deeper heartfelt thoughts, feelings and struggles will hopefully be expressed. Vulnerability will increase. Among the brethren, harmony over honesty will be replaced with harmony with honesty.

Those of us whom God has given the opportunity to experience personal renewal and the Spirit falling afresh upon us, must be willing to model and share what we have learned. We must use the gifts the Holy Spirit has given to us to the glory of God and for the edification of the body. We need to personally encourage others to be as committed to one another as they are to Christ. Our personal renewal must bring hope to those in our midst.

Someone has said, "A concept enfleshed makes it teachable." That's why God sent Jesus to us. Any transmission of information must go hand-in-hand with its practical application in the life of the body. A right balance in the church between knowledge learned and the personal experience of it, will do much to foster growth and wholeness in the people of God.

In responding to the other cultural characteristics that act as barriers to Christian formation and the work of the Holy Spirit in corporate life, I think development of a true sense of community must be a focus. People need to find their identity in Christ and with the body, not outside of it, which is now so often the case. Because family generally has such a strong hold on a Japanese person, as long as the family of God does not rival the security and love we experience in our natural families, Christian community will not win our allegiance. However, on the positive side, if the church truly does become a family, with Jesus as the Head, and God as our loving Father, then the relational nature of the Japanese will serve as an advantage. And out of it will come genuine love, maturity, commitment and accountability (Eph. 4:1-16).

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, there must be an emphasis on worship. It is not only a command (Mark 12:29-31), but a means to hear God (Acts 13:2). It pleases him (Heb. 13:15,16). Part of the problem in many churches is that there is little body life or worship as a sacrifice of praise (Heb. 13:15). Worship is usually confined to Sunday service and is not participatory in nature. We quietly sit in our pews, mumble through our hymns and less than expectantly wait for the voice of God and the confirmation of his presence.

In recognition of that type of situation which characterizes many Japanese American churches, we need to explore different avenues to worship, those which will lead us most effectively into the Lord's presence. Since truth can be experienced in a variety of ways, we must be open to less traditional forms of worship, including dance, mime. drama and unfamiliar kinds of music. We need to find authentic expressions which allow us to worship the Lord most freely, individually and corporately.

Worship is vital in releasing the Spirit. In worship we come before God acknowledging who he is and offering thanksgiving to him for his love and mercy toward us through his Son. In that act, we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, apart from whose power we can do nothing. And through the personal and corporate renewal he brings, genuine unity is possible. We can begin to practice what we preach.

We need to recognize that only by developing this unity through the Spirit, can we go out and make disciples (John 17:20-23). Only in the life of the church can believers be equipped for mission. As it has been said, "Mission without renewal is hypocrisy."

Much of what I have stated applies to any church setting. Peoples of the world are far more similar than their differences seem to indicate. However, by thinking through some of the issues within the context of the Japanese culture and the Japanese American church, we can bring clarity to our particular situation. Awareness of and sensitivity to cultural patterns and behaviors can be very helpful in ministry.

I wish I could give more concrete answers to the problems I have identified here. But there seem to few simple solutions to bringing about individual and corporate renewal in the Japanese American community. There are few practical guidelines for us to follow. Many questions remain unanswered.

However, I do know that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. He will work as he chooses in the life of our churches. And only he can integrate who we are as Christian and cultural beings. Our primary responsibility is to be receptive to the changes he wants to make in us and to pray for a fresh outpouring of his Spirit. To the extent that we are open to him at all costs, I believe we will find ourselves and our churches growing, evangelizing and experiencing complete renewal.

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