On September 29, Tenrikyo Mission Headquarters of Hawaii, located in Honolulu, celebrated the 70th anniversary of its establishment in the presence of Rev. Daisuke Nakayama—who attended on behalf of the Shinbashira—and Mrs. Harue Nakayama, the Shinbashira’s wife.
For the anniversary service, some 390 followers assembled not only from such Hawaiian islands as Oahu, Hawaii, and Maui but also from the U.S. mainland. Taking to heart the Shinbashira’s message delivered by Rev. Nakayama, and giving thought to the early followers and predecessors who had devoted themselves to the mission in Hawaii, the participants pledged themselves to work toward the further growth of the path in the region.
In the lead-up to this milestone, the mission headquarters had promoted its 70th anniversary slogan, “Become one in mind with God the Parent and Oyasama,” as well as three concrete actions: “Let us learn the teachings and live joyously every day,” “Let us perform the daily and monthly services wholeheartedly,” and “Let us live each day for single-hearted salvation.” Meanwhile, the Hawaii chapters of the Women’s Association, the Young Men’s Association, and the Boys and Girls Association had each continued their tireless efforts by designating specific days and places to engage in hinokishin.
On the service day, Bishop Jiro Ohara began the proceedings by offering a service prayer in Japanese, expressing his gratitude for God the Parent’s blessings and Oyasama’s warm parental love, which have guided the Mission Headquarters since its founding. He then said, “Today, we the entire Hawaii congregation are determined to unite our hearts as one, to follow in the footsteps of our predecessors who strived in the path of single-hearted salvation, and to pass the path on to the future generations.”
Following the prayer, Rev. Daisuke Nakayama took the podium to read aloud the Shinbashira’s message.
The Shinbashira first mentioned in his message that the early followers of the path in Hawaii had gone through great hardships and difficulties in various ways. He then noted: “Under such severe circumstances, however, they earnestly followed the path, relying on God the Parent and Oyasama with the Divine Model as their dependable guide, and laid the foundation for today’s path in Hawaii. . . . As for those of you who have come together on this day, I hope you will carry on the spirit of your predecessors, dedicate your sincere efforts to the path in Hawaii, and help the Tenrikyo community in this region to grow.”
Further, the Shinbashira pointed out the two indispensable roles that a mission headquarters is meant to fulfill, saying: “The mission entrusted to the mission headquarters is to serve as a model of the Joyous Life in the local community and as a center for spreading the teachings in the region. The other significance of a mission headquarters is to play a core role in providing care and guidance to the Tenrikyo community in the region where it is located.”
Then he explained the way of following the path toward the 140th Anniversary of Oyasama, saying: “In order to respond to Her parental love for all of us, Her children, we should live our lives with the full awareness that we are followers of Oyasama’s teachings. . . . There may be times when we encounter unexpected hardships and difficulties in life. Yet, if we follow the path in high spirits, relying on the true Parent and returning our thoughts to the Divine Model, Oyasama will surely feel reassured as She looks upon us. Your positive attitude and the way you follow the path in bright and cheerful spirits will surely help you be blessed with newcomers to the path of faith.”
The Shinbashira concluded his message by saying, “I hope that you will make this day meaningful by ever more proactively conducting your activities from now on, so that, just as new buds sprout from knots and branches grow and extend, you will receive the blessings that enable your mission in Hawaii to grow further from this milestone of celebrating the 70th anniversary.”
The seated service was then joyously performed with Rev. Daisuke Nakayama and Mrs. Harue Nakayama as the core. This was followed by the Dance with Hand Movements, while the congregation joined in singing the Songs for the Teodori—which consists of the Eight Verses of the Yorozuyo and the Twelve Songs. The service concluded with a speech by Bishop Ohara. “Receiving everyone’s sincerity, we were able to successfully complete the commemorative service, and I would like to sincerely thank you all from the bottom of my heart,” he said.
After the service, a commemorative reception was held in the outdoor areas of the mission headquarters with a variety of entertainment, including a fife-and-drum performance given by the Aloha Band from the Hawaii Chapter of the Boys and Girls Association.
