Category: Monthly Service Prayer

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:
    God the Parent, as we receive Your overflowing grace and blessings, which grants us the free use our bodies, we advance toward the realization of the joyous life world as you guide us in our spiritual development.  We are forever grateful for these blessings and we express our gratitude day and night as we apply our effort in sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings and salvation work.
    
    Today is the day we are granted to conduct the September monthly service at Pearl Church.  The service performers will now unite their hearts to perform the seated service and Teodori joyously and in high spirits.  As you observe the brothers and sisters of the path who have looked forward to this day singing the songs of the service in unison with hearts filled with gratitude for Your parental love, we hope that You can be spirited as well.
    
    Through your blessing twenty persons from Pearl Church helped at the annual Tenrikyo Bazaar held on August 29th making ohagi, helping with the parking and shuttle van service, and the after cleanup and with the pastor of this church serving as chair for the 4th year.  Moses, Chieko and Sadie Nakao completed one year of service at Pearl Church and have moved out on their own.
    
The all Tenrikyo Nioigake Day was held on Labor Day, September 6 with 18 persons attending from Pearl Church.  An average of four persons served the community by doing yard work for the elderly, clearing neglected sidewalks and tree trimming at Rainbow Hale.  We thank you deeply for these blessings as we strive to convey the teachings to as many people as possible and experience the joy and hope of many people attending the various activities.

    In this 9th month of the 173rd Year of Tenrikyo we vow to continue to work together engaging in hinokishin and salvation work with a unity of mind and encourage as much people as possible to return to Jiba.  We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in the world; that they may have faith and resolve to overcome their grief and suffering.
    
With the Shinbashira as the core we vow to make sincere efforts in our daily lives to truly follow the Divine Model of Oyasama.

    We pray that Your 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 we all 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 September Monthly Service.
    
    In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:

God the Parent, as we receive Your overflowing grace and blessings, which grants us the free use our our bodies, we advance toward the realization of the joyous life world as you guide us in our spiritual development.  We are forever grateful for these blessings and we express our gratitude day and night as we apply our effort in sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings and salvation work.

Today is the day we are granted to conduct the August monthly service at Pearl Church.  The service performers will now unite their hearts to perform the seated service and Teodori joyously and in high spirits.  As you observe the brothers and sisters of the path who have looked forward to this day singing the songs of the service in unison with hearts filled with gratitude for Your parental love, we hope that You can be spirited as well.

Through your blessing, fives persons from Pearl Church, returned to Jiba in July with two persons attending the Besseki Lecture, one for the first time.  Also two persons served as the Overseas

Boy’s and Girl’s Association Hinokishin Corps counselors. This month the annual Tenrikyo Bazaar will be held on August 24 with the pastor of this church again serving as chair and members of this church helping in the ohagi production, bubble drink booth, parking, shuttle bus, cleanup and other various capacities.  In addition later this month, two persons will return to Jiba, one of whom will be attending his first Besseki Lecture and who will be our fourth person to take the Besseki pledge this year which is the most since the time of our first head minister. We thank you deeply for these blessings as we strive to convey the teachings to as many people as possible and experience the joy and hope of seeing increasing numbers of people attending the various activities.

In this 8th month of the 171st Year of Tenrikyo we vow to continue to work together engaging in hinokishin and salvation work with a unity of mind and encourage as much people as possible to return to Jiba.  We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in the world; that they may have faith and resolve to overcome their grief and suffering.
With the Shinbashira as the core we vow to make sincere efforts in our daily lives to truly follow the Divine Model of Oyasama.

We pray that Your 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 we all 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 August Monthly Service.

In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of

Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:

God the Parent, as we receive Your overflowing grace and blessings, which grants us the free use of our bodies, we advance toward the realization of the joyous life world as you guide us in our spiritual development. We are forever grateful for these blessings and we express our gratitude day and night as we apply our effort in sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings and salvation work.

Today is the day we are granted to conduct the July monthly service at Pearl Church. The service performers will now unite their hearts to perform the seated service and Teodori joyously and in high spirits. As you observe the brothers and sisters of the path who have looked forward to this day singing the songs of the service in unison with hearts filled with gratitude for Your parental love, we hope that You can be spirited as well.

Through your blessing, twenty-five persons from Pearl Church, attended the Annual Tenrikyo Picnic on July 5th. The pastor of this church served as the Doctrine Class English Instructor and Mrs. Taeko Nakao served as the women’s instruments instructor for the first half of the one-month Hawaii Spiritual Development Course held at Mission Headquarters. We continue with the community yard service helping the elderly maintain their yards and neglected sidewalks.

Later this month, the pastor of this church will be accompanying a group of ten persons participating in this year’s Children’s Pilgrimage to Jiba.

We give thanks that in this time of the economic recovery, most in our congregation are not severely affected. We thank you deeply for these blessings as we strive to convey the teachings to as many people as possible.

In this 7th month of the 173rd Year of Tenrikyo we vow to continue to work together engaging in hinokishin and salvation work with a unity of mind and encourage as much people as possible to return to Jiba. We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in the world; that they may have faith and resolve to overcome their grief and suffering.

With the Shinbashira as the core we vow to make sincere efforts in our daily lives to truly follow the Divine Model of Oyasama.

We pray that Your 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 we all 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 July Monthly Service.

In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:

    God the Parent, as we receive Your overflowing grace and blessings, which grants us the free use our bodies, we advance toward the realization of the joyous life world as you guide us in our spiritual development.  We are forever grateful for these blessings and we express our gratitude day and night as we apply our effort in sprinkling the fragrance of the teachings and salvation work.

    Today is the day we are granted to conduct the June monthly service at Pearl Church.  The service performers will now unite their hearts to perform the seated service and Teodori joyously and in high spirits.  As you observe the brothers and sisters of the path who have looked forward to this day singing the songs of the service in unison with hearts filled with gratitude for Your parental love, we hope that You can be spirited as well.

    Through your blessing, twelve persons from Pearl Church, including four service performers attended the Hawaii Young Men’s Association, Women’s Association and Young Women’s Club Joint General Meeting on May 15th. In addition nineteen people including 11 children, participated and volunteered at the annual Boy’s and Girl’s Association Spring Camp and General Meeting held from May 29-31 in which nearly 100 persons were involved.  We thank you deeply for these blessings as we strive to convey the teachings to as many people as possible. Also, an average of four persons helped with the weekly yard work at tree trimming at the eleven locations including the Tenri Cultural Center.

    In this 6th month of the 173rd Year of Tenrikyo we vow to continue to work together engaging in hinokishin and salvation work with a unity of mind and encourage as much people as possible to return to Jiba.  We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in the world; that they may have faith and resolve to overcome their grief and suffering.

With the Shinbashira as the core we vow to make sincere efforts in our daily lives to truly follow the Divine Model of Oyasama.

    We pray that Your 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 we all 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 June Monthly Service.

    In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:

    God the Parent, we are grateful for Your constant protection and gradual instruction that guides us on the path to spiritual growth.  We are all striving for the sake of single-hearted salvation while leaning on the ever-living Oyasama.

    Today, for this May monthly service at Pearl Church, we celebrate Mother’s Day and we give thanks to our mothers and Oyasama who has the soul of the first mother of all human beings.  We thank them for their love and nurturing.  The service performers will now 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.

    Through your blessing, fourteen persons from Pearl Church returned to Jiba during the Women’s Association 100th Anniversary this past April.  Also eight persons from Pearl Church attended the Boy’s and Girl’s Association Oyasama Birthday Activity at mission headquarters on April 18th.   Also due to the members sincere efforts forty-nine persons from Pearl Church attended the All Tenrikyo Hinokishin Day at Honolulu Zoo on May 1. We thank you deeply for these blessings as we strive to convey the teachings to as many people as possible and experience the joy of increasing numbers of people attending the various activities.  

    Also this month marks three years since we purchased the 15-passenger van which has proven to be a valuable asset in our salvation work.  On a weekly basis the van is being used for yard work in the community and for transporting people to the Mission Headquarters and other locations for church activities.
 
    We vow to continue to work together engaging in hinokishin and salvation work with a unity of mind and encourage as much people as possible to return to Jiba.  We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in the world; that they may have faith and resolve to overcome their grief and suffering.

With the Shinbashira as the core we vow to make sincere efforts in our daily lives to truly follow the Divine Model of Oyasama.

    We pray that Your 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 we all 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 May Monthly Service today, held in this 172nd Year of Tenrikyo.

    In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before 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.

Before 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, with the arrival of the Promised Time, you received 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 February 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 we have completed another month of engaging in spreading the teach-ings and engaging in salvation work bringing the joy of faith to the people in the community. We give thanks that we were able to contribute and assist at the recent Boy’s and Girl’s Association Leadership Camp in which 3 participants and 3 adult leaders took part from Pearl Church and the New Year BBQ Picnic held last month with 20 people attending from Pearl Church. We give thanks that an average of four persons are helping with tree trimming and yard work for the elderly in our community. We also give thanks to be blessed two home stay students from Tenri Kyoko Gakuen who came not only to learn English, but also plant seeds of sincerity by engaging nioigake and hinokishin.  We continue with resolve to make sincere efforts in our daily lives to truly follow the Divine Model of Oyasama.

The Mission Headquarters will be conducting a cleanup Hinokishin Day at Tenri Cultural Center on February 15th to beautify the Center so that we may spread the fragrance of the teachings to the community.  The Cultural Center serves the public through the Tenri Bunko (Library), the Judo club, the Bazaar, Saturday Japanese School and other functions.  We pray for fair weather as we resolve to participate with as many people as possible with joy and sincerity.

We pray that Your 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 we all 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 February Monthly Service today, in this 173rd Year of Tenrikyo.

In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:

God the Parent, because of Your love for all Your children, You exhaust Your mind in every kind of way (Ofudesaki IV: 63).  Out of Your parental love, You laid down the path of world salvation, teaching us the truth of human creation.  We are truly grateful for Your protection, for saving us, drawing us to the Path, and allowing us to walk toward the Joyous Life.
The twenty-sixth of this month commemorates the 124th Anniversary since the day when Oyasama shortened Her physical life by twenty-five years because of Her deep parental love that wished for the spiritual growth of Her children.

As we look forward to this New Year, we remember and give thanks for your deep parental love through the blessings of miraculous healings, people returning to Jiba and the many people who have attended the various church activities.   Twenty-nine  persons returned to Jiba in 2009, an average of 24 persons attended the Pearl Church monthly service, twelve people (8 children, 4adults) attended or helped at the Boy’s and Girl’s Association Spring Camp, 10 persons attended the Young Men’s Association-Women’s Association-Young Women’s Club Joint
General Meeting, eight persons attended the Women’s Association Pep Rally on May 30, seven persons attended the Boy’s & Girl’s Association Oyasama Birthday Activity, another record 55 people attended the Hinokishin Day cleanup at Honolulu Zoo, 17 persons attended the annual Tenrikyo Picnic, six persons participated in the Children’s Pilgrimage including one Hinokishin Corps participant and one counselor, 20 persons helped at the Annual Tenrikyo Bazaar, four persons participated in the All Tenrikyo Nioigake Day, eight persons participated in the Boy’s and Girl’s Association Trick or Treat for Unicef activity and two junior leaders and five adult leaders participated in the Boy’s & Girl’s Association Leaders Fun Camp. An average of three persons helped with the weekly yard work on neglected sidewalks and yards of the elderly and physically challenged throughout the year, as well at the Tenri Cultural Center and tree trimming at the mission headquarters. The Sazuke was administered a total of 375 times in 2009.  Moses and Chieko completed their four and half years of service to Church Headquarters with that last two years at Mission Headquarters of Hawaii.  In October due to your blessing and everyone’s contributions, we were able to purchase a new taiko and surigane. We give thanks for this past year’s participation and in gratitude and resolve we look forward toward ever greater joy in this New Year.

The service performers, bearing in mind this precious day the portals were opened will express their appreciation and perform the January Grand Service at this church.  We children of the Path have gathered to remember the hardships Oyasama faced and sing the Mikagura-uta.  Please accept our sincere prayers.

In this 173rd Year of Tenrikyo we church members and yoboku will devote ourselves to mastering the Service as Oyasama taught us, administer the Sazuke, engage in nioigake and salvation work and return to Jiba with as many people as possible.  May You, God the Parent, continue to guide us with Your warm parental heart to allow us to convey the path of the Joyous Life to the people around us.
Together with everyone present, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, pray with reverence:

      God the Parent, we are very grateful for Your constant protection and gradual instruction that guides us on the path to spiritual growth.  In gratitude, we are all striving for the sake of single-hearted salvation while leaning on the ever-living Oyasama.

      Today, for this November monthly service at Pearl Church, we give thanks for being kept alive by your divine grace and being blessed by your love and protection.  The service performers will now 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.

      Through your blessing and guidance two persons from Pearl Church helped in the YMA Mission HQ bathroom painting and TCC storage shed Painting Hinokishin on October 24th and eight people trick or treated for UNICEF in Waikiki with a total of thirty persons from various affiliations. Twelve persons from Pearl Church attended the Mission Headquarters October Grand Service. Also, two persons from Pearl Church attended the church headquarters October Grand Service, which included the pastor of this church who also attended the Tengen October Grand Service on October 23rd. A total of three persons returned Jiba for the month of October.  Also due to Your blessing we are most happy to report that we were able to purchase a new taiko and surigane fulfilling the goal we set last year in October.  We thank you deeply to these wonderful blessings.

      In this eleventh month of the 172st year of Tenrikyo, we vow to continue to work together engaging in hinokishin and salvation work with a unity of mind and encourage as many people as possible to return to Jiba.  We pray for the victims and survivors of conflicts and disasters in the world; that they may have faith and resolve to overcome their grief and suffering.

      We pray that Your 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 we all 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 November Monthly Service today.

      In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.

Before God the Parent, Tenri O No-Mikoto, I, Owen Osamu Nakao, Pastor of Tenrikyo Pearl Church, humbly express the following prayer:

On this day, as granted to this church, we have gathered here to celebrate the October Grand Service.
As in the following words of God, “I am the Creator, the true and real God; there is preordination in this Residence.  At this time, I have descended here to save all humankind.  I wish to receive Miki as the shrine of God.”  These were the first words declared by You, God the Parent, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, through the mouth of Oyasama, Miki Nakayama.

That day was October 26, 1838.  From that day on, through Oyasama, You appeared in person to teach us the one final truth, the truth that You are the true Creator and Parent of humankind.  You taught us the Reason for our creation, which was from Your desire to have all humankind lead the Joyous Life, helping one another through the marvelous path of single-hearted salvation.

To attain this, You also taught us the Joyous Service with the intent to manifest once more, the marvelous power by which humankind and the world were created where there was no form.  Through the sincere performance of this Service, the world will be reconstructed as the world of the Joyous Life, which is fully in accord with the intent of God the Parent.

Each of us here today, relying on You, intend to perform the Service in harmony and joy, becoming one with the mind of God.  Please accept our spirited minds of unity and let the joy of the harmonious union of God and humankind overflow.

    Through Your blessing, eight persons returned to Jiba in the month of September bringing the number to 24 persons who have returned to Jiba this year from Pearl Church.  On September 27, 3 persons attended the Pearl Church Autumn Memorial Service and 3 persons attended the Mission Headquarters Memorial Service.  We thank you deeply for your divine care and guidance. 

We continue to engage in nioigake and salvation work.  Please bless us with the strength and courage to reflect on our attitude and endeavor to help others and show them the path to the Joyous Life where people of the whole world may help each other as brothers and sisters.

    May we, Your children, in this 172nd year of Tenrikyo, come ever closer to understanding Your intentions, so that we may become “one” with You and manifest the Joyous Life as intended for all humanity.

    In union with the congregation I humbly pray may it be so.