Reweaving Our Lives
Rev. Royden T. Susu-Mago was the pastor of the Japanese Independent Church in Hollywood, California at the time of the evacuation order. He and his wife, Charlotte, cared for the…
God Our Rock: Help When Our Troubles Are Too Big (Ps 18)
Read & Understand Psalm 18: I. God Our Refuge (vv. 1-3) David weaves together eight word pictures to describe Yahweh, his covenant God, as a refuge when troubles are big.…
The Tie That Binds
Rev. Donald K. Toriumi (1914-1980) was the English pastor of the Japanese Union Church in downtown Los Angeles. He had been installed as pastor scarcely one month before evacuation when…
Who or What is Your God? (Ps 18:1-3)
Read the verses and explanations given below for each of the metaphors describing God as your refuge. The purpose of this study is to reveal who or what has taken…
A Stone Cried Out
Rev. Shigeo Shimada (1906-1984) was born in Japan and began to follow Christ through his sister’s influence. After his father disowned him for believing a “foreign” religion, Shimada immigrated to…
Behold Our God: Help for the Heavenly-Minded in a Fallen World (Ps 17)
Read Psalm 17: A Prayer of David. 1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry! Give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit! 2 From…
Facing Evacuation
On the Sunday before their forced removal, Lester Suzuki had preached a sermon to the Nisei congregation of the Japanese Methodist Church in Los Angeles: “Brethren, we are facing the…
A Voice in the Wilderness
What might a Christian minister say to his congregation to prepare them for unjust suffering? What hope could he offer in the face of the uncertain future? Sermons and testimonies…
A People Displaced
Evacuation Orders Throughout the spring of 1942, notices posted on telephone poles and public buildings informed Japanese Americans of the impending evacuation: “ALL PERSONS OF JAPANESE ANCESTRY, BOTH ALIEN AND…
Immovable: Help for Imperfect People (Ps 15)
Read Psalm 15: A Psalm of David. 1 O LORD, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? 2 He who walks blamelessly and does…