Month: June 2026

2026-06-29 C-WIT・静まり・観想

Sacred Ordinary Days: What God Taught Me on a Snowy Morning：C-WIT Testimony

Psalm 51:7 “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

Hello, everyone. My name is Jason Kurata, and I am the husband of Megumi Kurata, who serves as JCFN North America Associate Staff. Since 2011, our family has lived in Novi, Michigan, a city that is home to approximately 2,500 Japanese residents. God has blessed us with three wonderful children—our oldest son is in high school, our second son is in middle school, and our daughter is in elementary school. As a family of five, we are grateful for God’s faithful care and enjoy the life He has given us together.

I would also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone in the JCFN family and to all our brothers and sisters in Christ who have loved and supported our family over the years. Your friendship has been an incredible blessing to us.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my testimony about what I call “the sacredness of ordinary days.”

To be honest, my everyday life is anything but quiet. Between work, family, and all the responsibilities that come with both, my days are often busy and noisy. By nature, I’m not exactly a calm or reserved person. If you wanted to put it positively, you might call me energetic. More realistically, though, I’m probably a little loud and sometimes rather rough around the edges.

At the same time, I’m also an introvert at heart. I genuinely enjoy being alone and often find myself seeking moments of solitude. Perhaps that’s why I gradually became interested in spiritual formation, something Megumi had been studying for many years. About two years ago, I began participating in C-WIT, and since last October I’ve also joined Sachi’s seminar on Companionship in Stillness (Group Spiritual Direction).

As I mentioned, I have always enjoyed spending time alone. Looking back, I realize I had been practicing “being still” long before I knew anything about spiritual formation—although, to be honest, much of that time was spent dozing off!

However, through my experiences in C-WIT and Group Spiritual Direction, God helped me see something I had never recognized before. My quiet moments had been centered mostly on myself. They were moments of solitude, but not necessarily moments of communion with God.

Little by little, through these experiences, my stillness has been transformed—from self-centered solitude into a place where I intentionally encounter God’s presence.

Today, I would like to share one ordinary event from daily life through which God gently opened my eyes to His work.

 

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It happened in early January of this year. The heavy snowstorm from the night before had finally passed, leaving behind a quiet winter morning with fresh snow covering everything.

For the past fifteen years, clearing the snow from our driveway has been my job as the father of the family.

As usual, I was out shoveling snow—not only because it needed to be done, but also because it serves as good exercise during the winter months. That morning, however, the snowfall was far heavier than usual. As I worked, I found myself muttering, “I don’t think I can finish this by myself. I wish the kids would come help.”

Just then, Megumi stepped outside to check on me. Feeling a little frustrated, I blurted out, “Could you wake up the boys and tell them to come help?”

A few minutes later, both of my sons came outside, rubbing the sleep from their eyes. Rather reluctantly, they picked up their shovels and joined me. Their work wasn’t exactly meticulous, but with three of us shoveling together, we finished much more quickly than I could have on my own.

When we were done, I thanked both of them. Wanting to acknowledge how hard the work had been, I asked my oldest son, “Are you doing okay?”

Without missing a beat, he shot back, “I am not OK. You woke me up!”

Normally, words like that would have irritated me. I probably would have reacted immediately and scolded him for his attitude. But for some reason, that morning was different. Instead of becoming angry, I found myself quietly wondering, Why did he say that? Then another thought came to me: Well… of course he’s still sleepy.

To my own surprise, I was able to receive his words calmly and with understanding.

After my son went back inside, I remained in the driveway for a while, gathering the last piles of snow. As I worked, I prayerfully reflected on our conversation.

It became a moment of stillness.

Later that afternoon, while I was quietly reading a book, my oldest son suddenly appeared.

“Dad,” he said, “I’m sorry about this morning.”

His apology caught me completely by surprise. By then, the incident had already disappeared from my mind. Yet just as I had that morning in the driveway, I found myself receiving his words with the same quiet peace.

I simply replied,

“It’s okay. No problem. I love you.”

He smiled, turned around, and went back to his room.

I remained on the couch, slowly turning the pages of the book I had been reading, once again prayerfully reflecting on our conversation.

It, too, became a moment of stillness.

 

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Through these two moments of stillness—one in the morning and one in the afternoon—God illuminated three important truths for me.

First, I realized that God Himself had entered into the conversation between my son and me. Without either of us being aware of it, He enabled us to truly listen to one another. Instead of reacting in anger, He gave me the grace to receive my son’s harsh words with a calm heart. At the same time, He worked in my son’s heart, leading him to reflect on what he had said and giving him the humility to apologize.

Second, I saw how God protected our relationship as father and son. Had I reacted the way I normally would—becoming offended and scolding him—my son would most likely have become defensive, and a small disagreement could easily have created distance between us. Looking back, I can clearly see God’s gentle hand preserving our relationship.

Third, God reminded me that parents can learn from their children. Long after I had forgotten about what had happened that morning, my son quietly came to me and sincerely apologized. His simple words touched my heart.

When I think back to my own childhood, I remember complaining to my parents and often responding with a rebellious attitude. Whenever I was scolded, I would repeatedly say, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” only to escape the situation—not because my heart had truly changed. Yet I cannot remember ever looking my own father in the eye and personally saying, “Dad, I’m sorry.”

Through my son’s example, God taught me once again the beauty of a humble and sincere heart.

As I looked out the window, I noticed that snow had quietly begun to fall again. Without making a sound, it gently covered the ground in fresh white once more.

That was one small story of what I have come to call “the sacredness of ordinary days”—a winter day on which God quietly wove His grace into the ordinary moments of family life.

I believe it was through the spiritual formation I have experienced in C-WIT and Group Spiritual Direction that God opened my eyes to see His light shining through such an ordinary moment.

Throughout this journey, I have encountered many new concepts, but one expression has become especially meaningful to me: spiritual exercises. At first glance, the Japanese word can sound unusual, almost as if it means “controlling the spirit.” But I have learned that just as physical exercise strengthens our bodies, spiritual exercises cultivate and shape our souls. They are practices through which God gradually purifies us and leads us into a deeper relationship with Him as we learn to live according to His will each day.

Looking back, I can see that God has been transforming my moments of self-centered solitude into moments of genuine communion with Him. I believe this transformation doesn’t happen all at once. Rather, it is nurtured slowly over time through ordinary moments like the one I have shared today, as God faithfully works in the everyday experiences of our lives.

My hope is to continue practicing these spiritual exercises together with all of you, encouraging one another as we walk with Christ. And above all, I pray that Jesus will continue to wash my heart whiter than snow, transforming me little by little into His likeness.

Thank you very much for listening.

Jason Kurata
June 2026

2026-06-23 地域集会, Returning/Testimony

My Experience at Central Conference 2026

Ryutoku Ishinaga (Michigan)

I had heard about CC here and there before, but I never quite took that first step to join. This time, though, when I learned that Pastor Umakoshi would be invited as the main speaker, I felt a strong prompting—“As a member of Hikari City Church (Michigan), I really shouldn’t miss this!”—and decided to attend.

I had heard from a friend who attended a few years ago that “the schedule is packed from morning to night,” so I went in feeling a little nervous and bracing myself. At the same time, I was just as excited. Once I arrived, I saw many familiar faces already there, and even someone like me—who tends to be shy—was able to relax and feel at ease right away.

The theme of this year’s messages and small groups was, “How do we live as disciples of Jesus Christ?” As Christians, there are times when we are called to carry burdens. At times, we may be asked to make sacrifices, to lay down our own desires, and perhaps even face persecution. And yet, I was reminded once again that we are called to carry those burdens with joy and continue walking in following Jesus Christ. All of it is for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It’s easy to say these things, but in reality, we are weak, and living this out in our daily lives is not always simple.

Even so, through CC, I had the opportunity to meet and connect with brothers and sisters who came from various places, especially across the Midwest. As we spent time together and shared words of encouragement, I was deeply inspired and filled with renewed energy. I truly hope to cherish the connections we were given here and look forward to seeing everyone again.

Above all, I give heartfelt thanks to God for providing such a wonderful and grace-filled opportunity.

2026-06-15 Returning/Testimony

A New Beginning

Emi Yoshinaga （Returnee in Chiba, Japan)

This was my first time attending Coco this year. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but once it began, I found myself deeply moved by every part of it—worship, testimonies, and the message. Before I knew it, I was in tears, quietly crying and listening, even feeling grateful that the lighting was dim. Through Coco, I truly felt that God was speaking to me personally.

Through Coco, I received three great blessings from God.

The first was the testimonies of four speakers. Each person shared experiences and feelings that, although different in circumstances and expression, were very familiar to me personally. Because of that, my heart was deeply moved and even felt a sense of pain. However, as I listened to how God had worked in their lives—how He had changed them and loved them so faithfully—my heart was then filled with love and healing, and I found myself in tears once again.

The second was the workshop. I participated in the session titled “Preparing for Return to Japan: ‘As a Returnee’ ‘As One Who Sends.’” One of the valleys that returnees must inevitably face is reverse culture shock. I asked, “Is there any way to avoid going through this valley?” Unfortunately, the answer was that whether someone is a Christian or not, anyone who has spent a significant period away from their home country will likely experience reverse culture shock upon returning.

To be honest, I wished there were a way to avoid it. However, there is a huge difference between returning home knowing this in advance and returning without any awareness at all. Without this understanding, people may end up blaming themselves, thinking something is wrong with them, or struggling alone without being understood by others.

God is the God of all nations. The God we encounter in other countries is the same God who is also present in Japan. In fact, the Almighty God who created all things was already in Japan before the nation itself came into being, and He has seen every step of its history. He loves us deeply. In God’s eyes, nationality does not define us; He loves all people equally. As we come to know and continually remember this love, I believe that even valleys like reverse culture shock can be walked through together with Him.

The third blessing was being able to connect with friends who believe in Jesus. I was baptized in a small church in Kagoshima City, and just three days later, I moved to the UK. Because of that, this was the first time I had ever been in a gathering with over 100 Japanese Christians at once. Through small groups and meals together, I was able to share deep conversations, pray with others, exchange contact information, and I am truly grateful to have gained lifelong prayer partners.

Finally, among those I met at Coco were many people serving as missionaries both in Japan and overseas. Being able to encourage and pray for one another was truly a precious opportunity.

As for myself, I have completed two years of ministry in Canterbury, UK, through Friends International, and I am currently preparing for future ministry with OMF Returnee Focus in Northern Ireland and Ireland.

Having left Japan, been led by God in service abroad, and now returned to my home country, I am in a season of waiting for a new beginning. Even if the road ahead is not easy, I believe firmly that God will always make a way. Coco 2026 was a powerful reminder of that promise in my life.

Finally, I would like to share a verse:

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

1 Corinthians 10:13

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