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 efforts 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 warm parental love, we hope that You can be spirited as well.
Through your blessing our stone pavement project on the mauka side of Pearl Church is progressing satisfactorily with members and friends contributing their sincere hinokishin. Also, an average of three persons helped with the weekly yard work for the elderly and disabled. Last month we were able to welcome the new Bishop Yamanaka and his family when they arrived on May 10 and later this Saturday, we will be conducting the New Bishop Installation Service in the presence of the Shinbashira. In addition the Shinbashira will be visiting several churches during his stay here, one of which will be Pearl Church this Friday. We are deeply honored and we wish to welcome him with joy and Aloha. We thank you deeply for these blessings as we strive to convey the teachings to as many people as possible.
In this 6th month of the 176th Year of Tenrikyo, the first year of the three years, one thousand days leading up to Oyasama’s 130th Anniversary we vow to follow Shinbashira’s words as expressed in Instruction Three. 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 June Monthly Service.
In union with the congregation, I pray for these blessings.