Church Floral Ministry

No, it's not the official name of this particular church ministry here, but this is what I want to call it.  It is a ministry because the floral arrangements these ladies do every week is their way of offering back to the Lord their God-given talents, skills and resources .

I'm talking about the women here from our church who do the flower arrangements every Sunday.  I heard there are about three of them rotating  for this task .  They have been doing an excellent job !  Here are more  pictures of their work:

These ladies who do the floral arrangements have studied the art of ikebana .  What they have learned in their classes , they have put them into good use by doing these altar displays every week.

Some flowers here in Japan appear only on certain months of the year.  So the church ikebana ladies use whatever flowers are in season.

The ikebana ladies buy the flowers themselves or sometimes people at church who want to offer flowers or bring from their farms and private gardens bring these flowers on a Friday.  Many times I quietly observe them on Friday nights doing the arrangement for that Sunday, and I tell you , it takes them a lot of time.  They have to decide which particular vase and design goes with the kinds of flowers.  I see them measuring with rulers flowers from stem to petal heads just to get an arrangement right.

It takes them long to finish one arrangement - not just minutes , but HOURS!  I take my hat off to these lovely ladies for their patience and perseverance !  Just really admirable and inspiring .

Some people here  who have been attending our church for years now know which lady is in-charge of the arrangement for  the week.  I was told each lady has like  a "signature design".  One likes perfect symmetry, another one likes en masse, while another has a kind of eclectic taste, etc. So for those who know them well and who know ikebana too, usually can tell me whose work was it.  Me, I still cannot tell .  All I do is marvel, take photos and thank God for these talents here at church.

Some flowers seen here at church are truly interesting. Many times I see an unusual, my-first-time-to-see kind of bloom and ask around for its name.  Of course, they know the name in Japanese but are stumped for its English equivalent.  Whatever it is, no longer matters especially when I have my phone camera on hand.