Monthly Service Prayer
Date of Sermon: March 2010Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:
God the Parent, You have nurtured and guided us over many long years since You created humankind out of Your desire to see human beings live the Joyous Life. Also, coinciding with the arrival of the Promised Time, you accepted Oyasama as your living shrine and revealed the truth of the creation in detail, taught the service, showed us free and unlimited blessings, and guided us toward the path of the Joyous Life. We are forever grateful for these blessings and we express our gratitude day and night as we spiritedly apply our efforts toward the path of single-heartedness with God.
Today is the day we are granted to conduct the March monthly service. The service performers will unite their hearts to perform the seated service and Teodori joyously and in high spirits. Please accept our prayers as we brothers and sisters of this Path have looked forward to this day and have gathered before You to sing the Mikagura-uta.
Due to Your blessing six people from Pearl Church helped in the Tenri Cultural Center Hinokishin Day on February 15th in which the Japanese Garden, the Hawaii Tenri Bunko Library, the Judo Hall, the rain gutters and the cultural center grounds were cleaned. Every Friday, Sakura Academy conducts Japanese language class here at Pearl Church with six student and every Tuesday, 2-4 persons did yard work, tree trimming and maintain neglected sidewalks at twelve homes for the elderly and disabled. In addition, seven children and six adults attended the first service practice this year at Pearl Church. We give thanks for these many opportunities to contribute and walk the path of spiritual growth and the joyous life.
We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti, Chile and the world over. And we pray that our efforts in prayer, hinokishin, sending relief and aid will bring hope and inner strength that will overcome their despair and suffering.
We pray that Your continued guidance will strengthen us into worthy Yoboku, striving with a single heart for the salvation of others. We hope that our efforts will bring joy to You and peace in this world where all people help one another as brothers and sisters. With our minds in unity towards the Truth of the Jiba, we would like to spiritedly perform the March Monthly Service today, in this 173rd Year of Tenrikyo.
In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.
