The December 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 that various activities and events had begun to be conducted again this year thanks to the lifting of COVID-related restrictions. He also noted that Yoboku had each implemented the teachings with their sights set on the Divine Model as they sought to make progress in the cause of single-hearted salvation toward the upcoming anniversary. Continuing, he said: “All of us Service performers as well as church head ministers and other Yoboku will once again seek to have the truth of the day of origin of Oyasama’s anniversaries ingrained deep in our mind as we enter the second year of the ‘three years, one thousand days’ period leading up to the anniversary. We are determined to further increase our efforts to implement the teachings and provide nurture and care for fellow followers as the instruments of Oyasama. We will continue to make concerted efforts to proactively promote our activities again next year.”
The prayer was followed by the joyous performance of the Kagura Service and the Dance with Hand Movements. After the Service performance, Honbu-in Yoshitaro Ueda took the podium to deliver the sermon.
Speaking on the theme of “following the path of the Divine Model,” Rev. Ueda touched upon historical events surrounding Oyasama’s falling to the depths of poverty. Noting how it is crucial to understand Oyasama’s intention behind these historical events rather than just the poverty She went through itself, Rev. Ueda said, “I believe it is fundamentally important to first and foremost implement what we have been taught by Oyasama while at the same time inquiring into and thereby nearing Oyasama’s intention behind the path that She demonstrated for us.”