The November Monthly Service of Tenrikyo Church Headquarters was performed on the 26th in the Main Sanctuary, with Successor-Designate Daisuke Nakayama serving as chief officiant on behalf of the Shinbashira.
In the Service prayer, he expressed gratitude for how God the Parent created the world and us human beings, in order to see us lead the Joyous Life and share in our joy, as well as for how God became openly revealed in this world at the arrival of the appointed time and has been guiding us along the path of single-hearted salvation with warm parental love. He continued: “All of us Service performers as well as church head ministers and other Yoboku will settle it in our hearts that we are all entrusted with the same mission of world salvation regardless of our respective roles and positions. We are determined to fulfill our duties as Yoboku for the cause of single-hearted salvation while always keeping in mind a sense of gratitude and a desire to make repayment for the blessings we receive.”
The Kagura Service and the Dance with Hand Movements were then joyously performed. The worshipers joined together in singing the Mikagura-uta, the songs for the Service, with their minds in unison.
After the Service performance, Honbu-in Yoshiyuki Nakano took the podium to deliver the sermon. Rev. Nakano began his sermon by reflecting on the activities taking place in preparation for the 110th anniversary of the Women’s Association, including the Pep Rally, which was conducted in various locations, and the Besseki Months.
He then moved on to talk about important points to keep in mind in anticipation of the 102nd Women’s Association Convention, which is to be conducted in April next year in commemoration of the association’s 110th anniversary. By referring to the third Shinbashira’s words and the Divine Directions, he emphasized that the teachings of the path are not something only we followers should keep in mind but rather something we need to spread to people throughout the world. Noting that the Women’s Association came into being first and foremost to advance the path of single-hearted salvation, he said that association members should stay focused on the cause of world salvation by connecting their minds with the wider world as they fulfill their respective duties.
He then referred to Anecdotes of Oyasama, the Foundress of Tenrikyo to speak about how the parental heart that Oyasama demonstrated at an early stage of laying the path can illuminate the orientation of the mind we ought to maintain as we work for world salvation. He highlighted how Oyasama always shared joy with people around Her, how She treated children in the same polite manner that She treated adults, and how She cared about and empathized with everyone.
Toward the end of his sermon, Rev. Nakano quoted Director-in-Chief of Administrative Affairs Zensuke Nakata’s words from this year’s Spring Grand Service sermon, “[w]e can feel the warmth of Her parental love with which She guides us to a reliable path, if we actually try to do so.” Rev. Nakano concluded his sermon by saying, “Let us make ever more efforts for the cause of world salvation as we move toward the 110th anniversary of the Women’s Association and other seasonal goals for spiritual growth that lie ahead.”