The July 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, Rev. Nakayama said: “In the ongoing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led us to cancel events and activities or conduct them with restrictions, all of us followers will continue making steady efforts to promote the path of single-hearted salvation, which Oyasama laid for us, while pondering deeply over God the Parent’s intention. We are also determined to devote ourselves to providing care and nurture to our children who are to carry on the path in the future.”
The prayer was followed by the joyous performance of the Kagura Service and the Dance with Hand Movements. After the Service performance, Honbu-in Toshihiko Yamamoto took the podium to deliver the sermon.
In his sermon, Rev. Yamamoto spoke about how we can become able to find joy in daily occurrences if we realize that we live in the bosom of God the Parent and that everything around us is what God arranges to help us move forward toward the Joyous Life. He then expressed his hope that we will move forward on the path in a way that will allow joy to spread from one person to another.