The March 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 first expressed gratitude to God the Parent for guiding us toward the Joyous Life over a long period of time with unchanging parental love. Continuing, he said: “All of us Service performers as well as church head ministers and other Yoboku are following the Divine Model and the path of single-hearted salvation while taking to heart the joy of serving as Oyasama’s instruments. As we enter the final stage of the pre-anniversary activity period, we are determined to bring as many people as we can to Jiba of Origin, walk the path of spiritual growth together with others, and spread the intention of the Parent to the wider world.”
The prayer was followed by the joyous performance of the Kagura Service and the Dance with Hand Movements. After the Service performance, Honbu-in Zenpei Kubo took the podium to deliver the sermon.
After noting that this year marks the 150th year since the identification of Jiba in 1875, Rev. Kubo spoke about the truth of Jiba and the Service, which is performed with Jiba as center. He said that the Service is the most important thing as it is indispensable for moving forward on the path of single-hearted salvation—which was taught by God the Parent—toward the Joyous Life.
Rev. Kubo went on to say that, in addition to earnestly performing the Service, it is vital to cultivate a faith that is totally centered on Jiba and God. Noting that to do so would require complete trust in God the Parent and Oyasama, he said, “It is precisely because we have complete trust that we can pray for the salvation of others through the Service and let the teachings help us reflect upon our daily actions.”
Toward the end of his sermon, Rev. Kubo called on the listeners to yearn for Jiba, which is the source of salvation, earnestly perform the Service for universal salvation with all their heart, and take courage to spread the fragrance of the teachings and help save others.