September Monthly Service
Greeting from Rev. Narii, President of Su no Hikari Kyodan
Su no Hikari Kyodan Headquarters Altar Room
September 1, 2019
Congratulations, everyone, on the September Monthly Service.
The time has come when the heat has abated to some extent and autumn can be felt through the cries of insects.
Today, I express my sincerest gratitude to God and Meishu-sama who is together with God that this monthly service was able to solemnly take place enveloped in the prayers of Kyoshu-sama who presides over all rituals and ceremonies.
Just a moment ago, representing all the members from the whole country, we heard reports from Ms. Toshie Kanazawa from the Sakai Center in the Osaka Area [AM] / Ms. Kumiko Nakade from the Mie Church in the Chubu Region [PM] on the joy and important realizations they received through the guidance of Kyoshu-sama.
I regard these reports as a blessing that each and every one of us has received from God and together in thought, I, too, reported these to God. Thank you very much.
Now then, not too long ago, with Kyoshu-sama presiding over the service and together with all the ancestors, the Grand Ancestor Service was solemly but grandly held over two days.After that, for three days from August 17, Kyoshu-sama, together with his wife Mayumi-okusama and his successor Masaaki-sama, made missionary visits to Fukui and Kyoto.
For Kyoshu-sama, even though he is extremely busy with divine work day after day, I am truly grateful and I thank Kyoshu-sama most sincerely for giving guidance on Meishu-sama’s true salvation for our sake, and together with Mayumi-okusama and Masaaki-sama, for interacting with all the members with warm hearts at any moment’s time.
I express my sincere gratitude to Kyoshu-sama, for he has opened my heart even more through the Grand Ancestor Service and also the missionary visits to Fukui and Kyoto.
At the Grand Ancestor Service, Kyoshu-sama said,
The Lord God is uniting all the ancestors to the Messiah within us, to the central axis within us – we who are the “sum total of our ancestors.” If this is the case, is not each one of us the true goreiji?
And he continued,
All humanity and all of our ancestors, paternal and maternal, are united to the name of Messiah. For all of them to receive salvation, the Lord God is using our minds, thoughts, and feelings, which are the true goreiji, as His invaluable footholds.
How profound is the work of God!
During ancestor services, we are allowed to perform the ceremonies of inviting and returning the souls of our ancestors. This means that we are given a role to serve in the divine work of inviting many souls into heaven, and, at the same time, by responding to this will of God, we are given a role to serve in the divine work of not only returning the souls of ancestors to heaven, but also returning together with them.
That is how Kyoshu-sama guided us.
We have received within us God’s sincere and noble parental love that welcomes us into heaven as His children. To this, Kyoshu-sama says, “How profound is the work of God!” I deeply felt that I must recognize the part of myself that did not think this.
Also, within Masaaki-sama’s greeting, he spoke in the following way:
The love of God, as it is also said in the Zengen Sanji prayer as “immense and limitless great mercy,” is something unfathomable. That is the love of God. To forgive that which is unforgiveable is the love of God.
We, our ancestors and all of humanity, too, were “those who were unforgiveable.” We were those who were unforgiveable but by God’s immeasurable love, He forgave the “unforgiveable” us. He unilaterally forgave us. It is not because we did something good or we deserved it, rather, even though we were unforgiveable and we were sinners, God unilaterally forgave us.
I was made to think that I must directly face and deeply accept that the great love of God which forgives what is unforgiveable exists within my own self.
At that time’s message from Kyoshu-sama and greeting from Masaaki-sama, I wanted to receive it not as a matter of another, but of my own and to be someone who can awaken to even just a part of the fear and courtesy toward God – this was engraved strongly in my heart.
In this way, Kyoshu-sama and Masaaki-sama greatly opened my heart, my heart that knew absolutely nothing about what it means “to fear God.”
Here, I, who was able to know the existence of God through Meishu-sama, now, sincerely am grateful as there is an immensely important meaning that exists for why I need to be united to Kyoshu-sama.
And so, whatever may happen, I sincerely want to be someone who is able to continue to have the thought and feeling of being always one heart with Kyoshu-sama, and to continue to awaken to Meishu-sama’s true salvation.
Here, I have a very joyful report for all of you.
Not too long ago, Rev. Keizo Miura of Su no Hikari Kyodan Izunome Group, responsible for international affairs, went on a trip to Africa’s Angola. From his report, on August 18 in Angola, a large membership meeting, “Birth of Messiah Conference,” was held by those who were Kyoshu-sama-centered and stood up. With the clear intention to walk as one heart with Kyoshu-sama, over 12,000 members gathered.
Representing the executives of Japan, Rev. Miura delivered a greeting on location and came in contact with the African members’ direct and wholehearted feelings about Kyoshu-sama – he said he was greatly moved.
The members of Africa are studying Kyoshu-sama’s messages, and are distributing the exact same leaflet as Japan, translated into their local language, “Who We Are: We Were Born on Earth to Become Children of God.” I hear that they are making efforts with a burning passion.
This, for us, is a great encouragement, and for me, I receive great courage from this. While this is from far-away Japan, I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to all the members in Africa.
Now, under Kyoshu-sama, the path of faith we walk, the path of Meishu-sama’s true salvation, is showing great expansion throughout the world. As if trembling, I feel a rush of excitement.
I am always saying that Sekai Kyusei Kyo Su no Hikari Kyodan is a church that makes Kyoshu-sama’s guidance the one and only, absolute guidepost in order to receive this true faith that is being revealed to us by God through Meishu-sama and a church that joyfully serves single-mindedly in God’s entirely new work of salvation for all humanity which has seen the transition from Night to Day.
Now, the path that we are aiming for is only one.
That is, this is the path of coming together under Kyoshu-sama, receiving Meishu-sama’s true salvation in the name of Messiah and conveying that throughout the world.
And so together with President Shirasawa, Vice-President Kawatani and everyone associated with Su no Hikari Kyodan, Izunome Group and Toho no Hikari Group, we are proceeding with concrete preparations in order to start out as a completely new church, one church newly organized under Kyoshu-sama.
Everyone, under Kyoshu-sama, let us become one and serve with great gratitude and hope in our hearts in this work, this once in a lifetime chance, the light of Meishu-sama’s true salvation that continues to burn.
Finally, receiving Kyoshu-sama’s presence, this year’s Grand Autumn Service will be taking place next month on October 14 at the RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka.
For us who walk always one heart with Kyoshu-sama, I believe that the Grand Autumn Service will be one of very deep significance. Even now, I am growing with nervousness as well as anticipation in my heart.
I am looking forward to seeing everyone from all over the country at the Grand Autumn Service.
This month too, upon all your daily efforts and dedication in divine work, I pray that you may receive great blessings and peace of mind.
Thank you very much.
