2026 10 25 花櫚（かりん）

 

教会の敷地内にある「其枝会館」の床の間

この床柱は唐木

そう、今回紹介する

花櫚（かりん）です。

マメ科の樹木で、学名は Pterocarpus indicus とされています。

東南アジアからニューギニアにかけて分布する、高く大きく育つ木です。

花櫚の大きな魅力は、木材の美しさです。

心材は赤褐色から暗い赤褐色を帯び、木目には濃淡のある模様が現れます。

磨くと光沢が出ることも特徴です。

比較的硬く、重みのある木材で、古くから高級木材として扱われてきました。

その用途には、

家具や和家具,  床柱などの建築装飾,  彫刻や細工物, 三味線などの楽器

などがあります。ただし、木材として流通する「花櫚」には、同じ属の複数の樹種が含まれることもあり、木材名と植物の種名が必ずしも一対一で対応するわけではない。とのことでした。

さて「かりん」と聞くと思い浮かべるのはこちらではないでしょうか？

秋に黄色い実をつけるカリンは、花梨と書き、花櫚とは別の植物です。

この果物のかりんも教会にありますが、今回は建物を支える柱や家具として家の中で重要な役割を持つ花櫚の紹介でした。

ちなみに旧会堂のヒノキの床と2階にあったステンドグラスの名残も、其枝会館で見つけることができます！

この25日の日曜日午後に行われた教会メンテナンスのための講演会

「大切な建物を長く使い続けるために」

皆がこれからも安心して礼拝することができるために、どう建物を守っていくべきなのか

とても良い学びの時となりました！

In the alcove of the meeting hall known as 【Sonoeda Kaikan】, at the church , stands a beautiful pillar made of [karin],

 a type of fine imported hardwood known in Japan as [karaki] (唐木).

Yes, this is the wood we are introducing today: Karin [花櫚]

It belongs to the legume family (Fabaceae), and its scientific name is Pterocarpus indicus. It is a large tree native to Southeast Asia and extending to New Guinea.

One of its greatest attractions is the beauty of its wood.

The heartwood ranges in color from reddish brown to dark reddish brown, with beautiful patterns created by variations in the grain. When polished, it can develop a lovely natural sheen.

It is a relatively hard and heavy wood, and has long been valued as a high-quality timber.

It has traditionally been used for furniture, decorative pillars and other architectural details, wood carvings and crafts, as well as musical instruments such as the shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument.

Interestingly, the name  karin  used in the timber trade does not always refer to just one botanical species. It can include several related tree species, so the commercial wood name and the scientific name do not necessarily correspond one-to-one.

Now, when you hear the word   karin  , isn't this the fruit that comes to mind?

The yellow fruit that ripens in autumn is also called [karin] in Japanese, but it is written with different kanji characters (花梨). It is a completely different plant from the timber known as 花櫚.

There is also a fruit-bearing karin tree on our church grounds!

This time, however, we have focused on the beautiful timber used in the pillars and furniture that play an important role in our buildings and daily lives.

By the way, you can also discover traces of our former church building in Sonoed Kaikan, including the original cypress flooring and remnants of the stained-glass windows that once adorned the second floor.

On Sunday afternoon, the 25th, our church held a lecture on building maintenance entitled:

"How to Care for Our Buildings and Keep Them in Good Condition for Years to Come."

It was a valuable opportunity to learn how we can care for and preserve our church buildings so that everyone can continue to worship here safely and comfortably for many years to come!

2026 10 18 水引(みずひき）

 

水引（ミズヒキ）

教会の「棕櫚の大通り」と名付けられている駐車場に続く道、そのわきに咲く小さな花。

細い茎を伸ばし、その先に赤い小さな花をまばらにつけています。

この植物は、　水引（ミズヒキ）　です。

ミズヒキは、タデ科の多年草。

学名は Persicaria filiformis (Thunb.) Nakai ex W.T.Lee です。

日本では北海道から九州にかけて分布し、人里近くの林や藪、木陰などに生育しています。

草丈はおよそ40〜80cm。夏から秋にかけて、細長い花穂を伸ばします。

ミズヒキの花は、とても小さく、花びらはありません。

花びらのように見える部分は、花被（かひ）と呼ばれる部分です。

この花被は4つに分かれ、上側が赤く、下側が白く見えます。

その紅白の姿が、贈り物などに使われる水引に似ていることから、ミズヒキという名前がついたとされています。

贈り物に水引を添えて「感謝」を表す日本の習慣と同じように、この花自体が「感謝の気持ち」という花言葉を持っています。

秋の訪れを知らせる草花です。

そしてもうすぐ感謝祭の時期でもあるな～

主が与えてくださる様々な恵みの実りを感謝する時です。

感謝することを今一度、心に留めたいと思わされました。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Along the path leading to the church parking lot, which is named “Palm Tree Avenue,” a small flower is blooming at the side of the road.

It has slender stems, with tiny red flowers scattered along the tips.

This plant is called Mizuhiki (Water Pepper).

Mizuhiki is a perennial plant in the buckwheat family (Polygonaceae).

Its scientific name is Persicaria filiformis (Thunb.) Nakai ex W.T.Lee.

It is native to Japan, where it grows from Hokkaido to Kyushu, often in woodlands, thickets, and shady places near human settlements.

It typically grows about 40–80 cm tall and produces slender flower spikes from summer to autumn.

The flowers of Mizuhiki are very small and have no petals.

What looks like petals is actually a part called the perianth.

The perianth is divided into four parts, with red coloring on the upper half and white on the lower half.

This red-and-white appearance is said to resemble mizuhiki, the traditional decorative cord used to tie gifts in Japan, which is how the plant got its name.

Just as the Japanese custom of adding mizuhiki to gifts expresses gratitude, this flower itself is also said to symbolize “gratitude.”

It is a little flower that reminds us of the arrival of autumn.

And soon, it will be the season of Thanksgiving.

It is a time to give thanks for the many blessings and abundant gifts that the Lord provides.

As I look at this little flower, I am reminded once again to keep a grateful heart and to remember all the blessings we receive from the Lord.

2026 10 11 欅（けやき）

 

教会の幼稚園園庭の、真ん中に立つ大きな木。

子どもたちを見守るように、枝を大きく広げています。

この木は、欅（ケヤキ）Zelkova serrata　ニレ科ケヤキ属の落葉高木です。

春には新しい葉を広げ、夏には豊かな緑の木陰をつくり、秋が深まると葉を黄色や赤褐色に染め、やがてたくさんの葉を地面に落とします。

毎年、秋になると、子どもたちが落ち葉を集めます。

集めた葉っぱは、みんなが大好きな「落ち葉プール」に変身！

ふかふかの落ち葉に飛び込んだり、葉っぱを舞い上げたり。園庭の真ん中の欅は、秋の恵みを子どもたちに届けてくれる、楽しい遊び場にもなっています。

実はこの欅、5年ほど前に、枝葉の約3分の1を剪定したことがありました。いつも見慣れていた姿が変わり、少し寂しく感じたこともありましたが、年月とともに枝葉は再び伸び、今ではまた、美しい樹形が戻ってきました。

木もまた、変化を経ながら、少しずつその姿を取り戻していくのですね。

先日行われた運動会でも、子どもたちは元気いっぱいに走り、自分だけの技にも取り組みました。そして、みんなで聖書の言葉を暗唱する姿もありました。

子どもたちの一生懸命な姿と、心に響く聖句の言葉。ご家族や先生方、たくさんの方々に見守られながら、みんなで喜びを分かち合う、恵まれた運動会となりました。

園庭の真ん中に立つ欅も、そんな子どもたちの成長を、ここに植えられた時からずっと寄り添い生きています。

春に芽吹き、夏に葉を茂らせ、秋には葉を落とす。毎年同じように季節を重ねる欅の姿は、目には見えなくても、一人ひとりを支え、成長へと導いてくださる神様の恵みを思い起こさせてくれるのではないでしょうか。

「わたしはぶどうの木、あなたがたはその枝である。」（ヨハネによる福音書 15章5節）

「その枝」の子どもたちも神様につながり、愛に支えられながら、それぞれの歩みを豊かに育んでいくことができますように。

A magnificent tree stands at the very center of the kindergarten playground on the church .

With its broad, spreading branches, it seems to watch over the children as they play.

This tree is a Japanese zelkova (Zelkova serrata), a deciduous tree in the elm family (Ulmaceae).

In spring, it unfurls fresh new leaves. In summer, its lush green canopy provides welcome shade. As autumn deepens, the leaves turn shades of yellow and reddish brown before eventually falling to the ground.

Every autumn, the children gather the fallen leaves.

And what do they become? A wonderful “leaf pool” that the children love!

They jump into the soft, fluffy leaves and toss them into the air. The zelkova at the heart of the playground becomes a special place where the children can enjoy the gifts of autumn.

About five years ago, roughly one-third of the tree’s branches and foliage were pruned. Its familiar shape changed, and it was a little sad to see it looking so different. But over the years, new branches and leaves have grown back, and its beautiful form has gradually returned.

Trees, too, find their way back to their former beauty, little by little, through times of change.

At the kindergarten’s recent sports day, the children ran with all their might and eagerly took part in activities that allowed each of them to show their own special skills. They also recited words from the Bible together.

Watching the children give their very best and hearing the Bible verses spoken aloud was deeply moving. Surrounded by the love and support of their families, teachers, and many others, everyone shared in the joy of a truly blessed sports day.

The zelkova standing at the center of the playground has been growing alongside the children, sharing their journey ever since it was planted here.

Each year, it follows the same gentle rhythm: budding in spring, spreading its leafy canopy in summer, and shedding its leaves in autumn. As we watch this tree move through the seasons, perhaps we are reminded of God's grace, which sustains each one of us and guides us as we grow, even when we cannot see it.

“I am the vine; you are the branches.” (John 15:5)

May these children, too, remain connected to God, the source of their life, growing in love and being nurtured by His grace as each follows their own unique path.

2026 10 04 山菅（やますげ）

 

山菅（やますげ）

教会の前庭やあちらこちらに咲く、小さな花。

細長い緑の葉の間から、淡い紫色の花が顔をのぞかせています。向こうの窓には礼拝堂の虹が映っていますね（笑）

この植物は、ヤブラン（藪蘭）。キジカクシ科ヤブラン属の常緑多年草で、夏から秋にかけて、小さな紫色の花を穂のようにつけます。

このヤブランは、古くは「山菅（やますげ）」とも呼ばれてきました。

「山菅」という名前は、『万葉集』にも登場しています

「山菅」はヤブランの古名とされる一方、山に生えるスゲ類やジャノヒゲを指すという説もあり、『万葉集』に詠まれた山菅が、具体的にどの植物だったのかは、はっきりとはわかっていませんが、

例えば

「妹待つと　御笠の山の　山菅の　やまずや恋ひむ　命死なずは」

この歌では「山菅（やますげ）」の音に「やまず（止まず）」を重ね、絶えることのない恋心を表現していたりします

植物の名前に響きを重ねて、目には見えない想いを言葉に託す。

そんな豊かな感性、遠い昔の人々が植物の名前に言葉の響きを重ね、深い想いを表現していたことに、思いを馳せます。

教会には止まない祈りと賛美、絶えることのない信仰がしかと根付いています。

ここに咲く小さな紫色の花。その姿を眺めながら、絶えることのない想いに心を巡らせて歌を詠んでみるのも、また趣深そうです。

Small flowers bloom here and there in the church’s front garden.

Pale purple blossoms peek out from between slender green leaves. And look—the rainbow in the chapel is reflected in the window behind them! (笑)

This plant is Liriope muscari, commonly known in Japanese as yaburan. It is an evergreen perennial in the asparagus family, and from summer through autumn, it produces spikes of tiny purple flowers.

In ancient Japan, this plant was also known as 「yamasuge 」(山菅).

The name 「yamasuge」 appears in the『 Man’yōshū』 Japan’s oldest surviving anthology of poetry.

The exact plant referred to as 「yamasuge 」in ancient poems is uncertain. The name has been associated with yaburan, but it may also have referred to wild sedges or jyanohige, a related-looking plant.

For example, one poem in the Man’yōshū reads:

「妹待つと　御笠の山の　山菅の　やまずや恋ひむ　命死なずは」

【Imomatuto  Mikasanoyamano  yamasugeno  yamazuyakoimu  inochishinazuwa】

（While I wait for my beloved,like the yamasuge on Mount Mikasa,will I go on loving without end,as long as I remain alive?）

In this poem, the sound of yamazuge is linked to yamazu (止まず), meaning “without ceasing” or “never-ending.” Through this play on words, the poet expresses a love that will never fade.

The ancient poets found ways to weave the sounds of plant names into their words, giving voice to feelings that could not be seen.

It is moving to imagine how deeply they reflected on the natural world and how creatively they used its names to express what was in their hearts.

Here at our church, prayers and praises continue without ceasing, and faith has taken deep root.

As we look at these little purple flowers, perhaps we, too, can reflect on the things that endure and find inspiration to compose a few words of our own.

20260927 ひがん花

草刈りを終えたばかりの教会の境内。

きれいになった地面には、まだ何もないように見えましたが…

鮮やかな赤い花が、すっと伸びた茎の先に咲いています。

彼岸花です。

彼岸花は、ヒガンバナ科ヒガンバナ属の多年草で、学名は Lycoris radiata。

秋の彼岸の頃に咲くことから、「彼岸花」と呼ばれ、日本では古くから各地で親しまれてきた花ですが、中国原産といわれています。

まず地面から花茎が伸びて花を咲かせ、花が終わったあとに葉を出します。葉は秋から冬にかけて茂り、春になる頃には枯れて、次の秋まで地上からは姿を消し、見えない土の中で時を過ごします。土の中に球根があることは、花が咲くまで気づきません。

だから、草刈りを終えた境内の「何もない」と思っていた場所から、突然一本の緑の茎がにょきっと出てきて、あっという間に鮮やかな赤い花が現れたのはまるでマジックのようでした。そのひときわ鮮やかな赤はその名の通り「お彼岸(季節の変わり)」を、誰よりも早く知らせてくれました。

鮮やかな赤い花を咲かせる一方で、球根には毒があり「怖い花」「縁起の悪い花」と言われることもある彼岸花ですが、

田んぼのあぜや土手、お墓の周りなどに植えられ、動物に土を荒らされるのを防ぐためなどに利用されたり、また食べ物が不足したときには、球根を水にさらして毒を取り除き、デンプンを利用した地域もありました。

「毒のある花」と聞くと、私たちはその一面だけを見てしまいますが、その花には、人の暮らしを支え、役立てられてきた、もう一つの姿もありました。

目に見えないところで時を重ね、ふさわしい時に花を咲かせる命の不思議を感じますね。

さて教会の中にも、目には見えにくいけれど、大切な働きがたくさんあることを思います。

礼拝や行事のように、みんなの目に触れる働きだけではありません。

教会の建物を大切に維持するための働き。

毎週行われている掃除や整理など、皆が気持ちよく教会に集えるように、準備をしてくださる働きや、なかなか教会へ来ることがかなわない方のところへ足を運び、顔を合わせ、声をかけ、祈りをともにする訪問など

人の目には見えないところで、誰かが祈り、誰かが手を動かし、誰かが誰かを思っている。

その一つひとつが重なって、教会という場所が守られ、また次の人へとつながっていく。

80周年を迎え、礼拝堂の空調設備の交換や、屋根の雨漏りがあったことは、私たちが改めて教会の建物や設備のメンテナンスに目を向けるきっかけとなりました。

専門的なことになると、私たちにはなかなか見当がつかないこともあります。

けれども、「分からないから任せてしまう」のではなく、まず知ることから始めてみようと、10月には教会のメンテナンスについての講演会が開催されることになりました。

教会を守ることは、建物だけを守ることではありませんが、

これまで多くの人が集い、祈り、語り合い、神様のみことばを聞いてきたこの場所を、これからの世代へとつないでいくことを皆で考えていきたい。

10月の講演会が、教会のこれからを考えるきっかけとなり、一人ひとりの祈りと行動がつながって、この教会を守り、次の世代へと受け継いでいく力となりますように。

The church grounds had just been mowed.

The ground looked clean and empty, and there seemed to be nothing there yet…

But then, a vivid red flower appeared at the end of a slender stem.

It was the red spider lily.

The red spider lily is a perennial plant in the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae, and its scientific name is Lycoris radiata.

It blooms around the time of the autumn equinox, which is why it is called “Higanbana,” or the “flower of the equinox,” in Japanese. It has long been familiar to people throughout Japan and is thought to be native to China.

Unlike many plants, the red spider lily sends up its flower stalk first, before its leaves appear. After the flowers fade, its leaves emerge and remain through autumn and winter. By spring, the leaves wither, and the plant disappears from view until the following autumn.

It spends much of its time hidden underground.

We cannot even tell that there is a bulb beneath the soil until the flowers appear.

That is why, when a single green stem suddenly emerged from the freshly mowed ground and quickly opened into a brilliant red flower, it felt almost like magic.

Its striking red color seemed to announce, perhaps before anything else, that autumn was arriving and that the season of [Ohigan—the autumn equinox—]was near.

The red spider lily is sometimes called a “frightening” or “unlucky” flower because its bulbs contain toxic compounds.

Yet, despite this, it has also played useful roles in people's lives.

Red spider lilies have traditionally been planted along rice field embankments, slopes, and around graves. Their presence was thought to help protect the soil from being disturbed by animals.

In times when food was scarce, there were also regions where people processed the bulbs by repeatedly soaking them in water to remove the toxic compounds and used the resulting starch.

When we hear that a flower is “poisonous,” it is easy to see only that one side of it.

But this flower has another story as well—a story of having been used and valued in ways that supported people's lives.

Looking at it, we are reminded of the mystery of life: something can spend a long time unseen, quietly growing and waiting, and then bloom when the time is right.

It also makes me think of the many important things that happen within our church that are not always visible.

Not all of the work of the church is something everyone sees, like worship services and special events.

There are people who care for and maintain the church building.

There are those who clean and organize the church every week so that everyone can gather in a welcoming and comfortable place.

There are also people who visit those who are unable to come to church, spending time with them, talking with them, and praying together.

These may not always be visible to everyone.

But behind the scenes, someone is praying, someone is working with their hands, and someone is thinking of another person.

Each of these small acts comes together to support the church and to help carry it forward to the next generation.

As we celebrate our church's 80th anniversary, the replacement of the air-conditioning equipment in the sanctuary and the recent roof leaks have given us an opportunity to take a closer look at the maintenance and care of our church building.

When it comes to technical matters, many of us may not know where to begin or fully understand what needs to be done.

But rather than simply leaving everything to someone else because we do not know enough, we want to begin by learning.

For this reason, a special lecture on church maintenance will be held in October.

Caring for the church is about more than simply maintaining a building.

This is a place where, for many years, people have gathered, prayed, shared their lives, and listened to God's Word.

As we look toward the future, we hope to consider together how we can care for this place and pass it on to the generations to come.

May the October lecture be an opportunity for us to think about the future of our church, and may the prayers and actions of each one of us come together to protect this church and help carry it forward into the next generation.

2026 09 20 虹（にじ）

 

雨上がりの空に、虹が現れることがあります。

虹は、太陽の光が空気中の雨粒や水滴に入り、屈折・反射・分散することで、光がさまざまな色に分かれて見える自然現象です。

太陽の光は、白い光に見えますが、実際にはさまざまな波長の光が含まれています。

水滴の中を光が通ると、それぞれの色の光が少しずつ異なる角度に分かれるため、私たちの目には赤、橙、黄、緑、青、藍、紫などの色が並んで見えます。

虹は、太陽と反対側の空に現れます。太陽の光と、水滴、そして見る人の位置がそろった時、そんな「条件が整った時」に見ることができるのです。

今まで見た中で、印象に残る美しい虹はありますか？

さて、この教会の礼拝堂でも、天気のよい朝、思いがけず美しい光を見ることができます。

朝の光が礼拝堂に差し込むところにあるプリズムを通ると、光が分かれて、壁や床、ベンチに色とりどりの光が現れます。

空に現れる虹とは仕組みがちがいますが、どちらも、一つの光からさまざまな色が表れて「光」の美しさを感じさせてくれます。

朝の静かな礼拝堂に、赤や黄色、緑、青、紫などの光がそっと現れると、いつもの場所が少し違って見えます。

聖書の中で虹は、単に美しい自然現象としてだけではなく、神様の契約のしるしとして登場します。

特に印象的に登場するのが、創世記9章

ノアの箱舟の物語の後、神様はノアと、その子孫、そして地上のすべての生き物との間に契約を結ばれ、そのしるしとして、神様は虹を雲の中に置かれます。

「わたしは雲の中にわたしの虹を置く。これはわたしと大地の間に立てた契約のしるしとなる。」（創世記9章13節・新共同訳）

この契約は、二度と洪水によってすべての肉なるものを滅ぼすことはない、という神様の約束で、そして虹は、その契約の「しるし」。

またエゼキエル書では、神様の栄光を示す幻の中で虹がたとえとして用いられていて、新約聖書のヨハネの黙示録でも、神様の御座を囲む虹や、天使の上に虹がある姿が描かれています。

その虹を思い起こさせる光が、礼拝堂の中に静かに広がる朝。

目に見える光を通して、目には見えない神様の約束に心を向けます。

今朝もそんなひとときが与えられていることを、うれしく思いませんか？

Sometimes, a rainbow appears in the sky after the rain.

A rainbow is a natural phenomenon that occurs when sunlight enters raindrops or other water droplets in the air and is refracted, reflected, and dispersed, causing the light to appear in different colors.

Although sunlight looks white to our eyes, it is actually made up of light of many different wavelengths.

When light passes through a water droplet, the different colors of light are separated at slightly different angles. As a result, we can see colors such as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet.

A rainbow appears in the part of the sky opposite the sun. We can see one when the sunlight, water droplets, and the position of the observer come together—in other words, when the right conditions are present.

Have you ever seen a beautiful rainbow that left a lasting impression on you?

Now, here at our church, there is another beautiful sight that can sometimes be seen in the chapel on a sunny morning.

When the morning sunlight passes through a prism near the place where the light enters the chapel, the light is separated into different colors, creating beautiful patterns of colored light on the walls, floor, and benches.

The way this light appears is different from the way a rainbow forms in the sky. Yet both reveal the beauty of light as a single light appears in many different colors.

In the Bible, the rainbow is not mentioned simply as a beautiful natural phenomenon. It appears as a 「sign of God's covenant」.

After the story of Noah and the ark, God made a covenant with Noah, his descendants, and every living creature on the earth. As a sign of this covenant, God placed a rainbow in the clouds.

“I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.”(Genesis 9:13)

This covenant was God's promise that never again would a flood destroy all living creatures. The rainbow became the 「sign of that covenant」.

The rainbow also appears elsewhere in the Bible. In Ezekiel, it is used in a vision of God's glory. In the New Testament, the Book of Revelation describes a rainbow around the throne of God and a rainbow above an angel.

And in the chapel, a light that reminds us of a rainbow.

When we see a rainbow, we can remember God's covenant and His promise.

And on a morning when this light quietly spreads through the chapel, may we also take a moment to turn our hearts from the visible light before us to the invisible promise of God.

A beautiful moment to receive on this morning.

Isn't it wonderful to have such a moment given to us today?

2026 09 13 Olive (オリーブ）

 

教会の壁側、道路に面したところに、一本のオリーブの木が育っています。

学名は Olea europaea。地中海沿岸を原産とし、古くから人々の暮らしと深く関わってきた植物で、日本では、香川県の小豆島がオリーブの産地として特に有名です。

春から初夏にかけて、枝の葉の付け根に小さな白い花を咲かせ、その後に実が育っていきます。オリーブの実は、初めは緑色をしていますが、熟すにつれて紫色から黒紫色へと変化します。品種によって実の大きさや形、含まれる油の量などにも違いがあります。

教会のオリーブはたくさんの実をつけるわけではありませんが、今年も枝のあちらこちらに、小さな実が実っています。

このオリーブ、聖書では「ノアの箱舟」の物語にも登場します。教会学校では今まさに創世記を学んでいますよ、

その大洪水のあと、ノアが放った鳩はオリーブの葉をくわえて戻ってきました。

それは、水が引き始め、大地に再び命が戻ってきたことを知らせるものでした。

このことから、オリーブは「平和」の象徴として、長く大切にされてきた植物なのです。

さて、この教会は、このあたりの地域の皆さんにとって、災害時の避難場所にもなっています。

平和とは、ただ争いがないことだけではなく、

困ったときに支え合い、安心して身を寄せることのできる場所だと思います。

そのような場所として、教会があること、その平和を思わせてくれるオリーブの木がその入り口に育っていることを、あらためて嬉しく思います。

道路に面したところで、枝を空に向かって伸ばし、

小さな実を結びながら根付き育っていくオリーブ、

教会もまた、この地域に根を張り、

皆さんにとって安心できる「平和のところ」として、

これからもこの町に根付いていけたら本当に幸いです。

この小さなオリーブの実りから、

主と共にある平和と希望を知ることができますように！

今まさに、災害でつらさの中、困難の中にある方々に主のなぐさめと助けがありますように

復興が進みますように！心からお祈りしてます。

There is a single olive tree growing along the wall of the church, facing the road.

Its scientific name is Olea europaea. Native to the Mediterranean region, the olive tree has been closely connected with people’s lives and cultures for thousands of years. In Japan, Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture is especially well known for its olive production.

From spring to early summer, the olive tree produces small white flowers at the base of its leaves. After flowering, the fruit begins to grow. Olive fruits are green at first, and as they ripen, they gradually change from purple to dark purple, almost black. The size, shape, and oil content of the fruit vary depending on the variety.

The olive tree at our church does not produce a great number of fruits, but this year, too, we can see small olives growing here and there among its branches.

The olive tree also appears in the Bible, in the story of Noah’s Ark.

In fact, our Sunday school is currently studying the Book of Genesis.

After the great flood, Noah sent out a dove. When it returned, it was carrying a fresh olive leaf in its beak.

This was a sign that the waters were beginning to recede and that life was returning to the earth.

Since then, the olive branch has become widely known as a symbol of peace.

This church is also designated as a place of refuge for people in this local community in the event of a disaster.

Perhaps peace is not simply the absence of conflict.

It can also mean having a place where people can support one another and feel safe when they are facing difficulties.

It makes us grateful to know that this church can be such a place, and that an olive tree—a reminder of peace—is growing near its entrance.

The olive tree stands beside the road, stretching its branches toward the sky, taking root and growing as it quietly bears its small fruits.

May this church, too, continue to take root in this community and become a place of peace—a place where people can feel safe and find comfort.

May we continue to grow here, rooted in this community, together with the people around us.

May these small olives remind us of the peace and hope we have in the presence of the Lord.

And today, we especially pray for all those who are suffering and facing hardship because of disasters.

May the Lord bring them comfort, strength, and help.

May recovery and restoration continue to move forward.

We pray from the bottom of our hearts for God’s peace, comfort, and hope to be with them.