Cheon Seong Gyeong 2082
North and South Korea cannot become one if they remain as they are. For this, we need patriots who fight without sleep and possess hearts of determination, willing to overcome all obstacles. The unification of North and South Korea begins with people who think, “I truly want to live together. I would like to die together if we must die, or live together if we must live. I would like to live together with our forefathers, with those who are in the spirit world.” (148-277, 1986.10.11
Cheon Seong Gyeong 1188
As viewed from God’s original ideal of creation, the eldest son should come from God’s side and, of course, the second son should also come from God’s side. Due to the Fall, the position of the first son was taken by Satan, and the position of the second son went to God. This has to be made right. Thus, when we consider the story of Esau and Jacob in the Bible, Jacob united with his mother and received her help. He gave Esau the pottage of lentils and bread in exchange for the birthright of the firstborn son. Until today, we could not understand why Bible history is the way it is. With the appearance of the Unification Church, its meaning was clarified for the first time. (134-304, 1985.8.16)
Ritual
FATHER MOON TEACHES THAT GOD INSTITUTED RITUALS in every faith as a means by which people might approach Him. All rituals, therefore, have value. When performed with pure intention and following precisely their prescribed form, ritual offers respect to heaven and establishes for the believer a “foundation of faith.”
There is no way to do justice in this book to the wide variety of rituals and rites by which the peoples of the world worship God and show their respect to Heaven. Some of the types of rituals included here are: keeping a sacred time—the Sabbath, the Eucharist or sacred meal, circumcision, baptism, worship at holy places, worship by images and symbols, and dietary laws.
- Liturgy and Worship
Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Matthew 18.20
Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in holy array;
tremble before him, all the earth!
Psalm 96.7-9Those who, knowing my true nature, worship me steadfastly are my true devotees. Worship me in the symbols and images which remind you of me, and also in the hearts of my devotees, where I am most manifest… Observe the forms and rituals set forth in the scriptures, without losing sight of their inner spirit.
Srimad Bhagavatam 11.5 (Hinduism)
The Lord is in his holy temple;
let all the earth keep silence before him.
Habakkuk 2.20
LLet us do it
the way it is usually done
so that we may have the usual result.
Yoruba chant (African Traditional Religions)
All the Islamic worship practices aim at morality: Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds; giving alms takes from the wealthy to purify their souls from greed; the fast is a lesson in patience and will; and the pilgrimage is a training course in bearing difficulties and hardships, in equality among all creatures, and in cultivating the roots of peace within the human soul.
Al-Ghazzali, Ihia’ Ulum el-Din 130.1 (Islam)
Wang-sun Chia asked about the saying,
Better pay court to the stove
Than pay court to the shrine.
Confucius said, “It is not true. He who has put himself in the wrong with Heaven has no means of expiation left.”
Analects 3.13 (Confucianism)
Teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon
The worship service is the time when we make an offering. It is the time when we report to Heaven what we have done and repent for our mistakes. Therefore, it is a most serious time, when we are not free to do as we like. (11:163, June 24, 1961)
We earnestly pray that Thou wilt allow this place, where we bow to Thee with hearts rejoicing and which is guarded by angels and the heavenly hosts, to become an altar of wondrous blessing that can lead our whole lives to victory. (7:12, July 5, 1959)
Please let this place become a holy sanctuary where we become one with Thy mind. Please allow it to become a holy place where only Thou canst take dominion, and where we can be close to Thy heart, be moved to tears by Thy situation, and be in harmony with Thy hope. (21:132, November 17, 1968)