Next Saturday 12th June is one of our main Unificationist holy days of the year. I know South London and Bromley will have holy day arrangements. But just want to invite everyone else who would like to join us in Lancaster Gate to feel very welcome and invited to come along to celebrate. Why not make a day of it?

a holy day that will be a holiday

• If you are driving please be aware that there is NO congestion charge, but you WILL need to pay for parking up to lunch time. That will cost you about £10.

• The sport planned is baseball. We will make teams up on the day. But I am sure there will be some football too. Play, be a spectator, or wander around Hyde Park.

• Bring a picnic, or otherwise pop down to the local Tesco and put one together in the moment.

• South Korea, Argentina, and then ENGLAND are all playing in the PM so there will be lots of world cup action on the big screen in the new reception area.

• But most of all it’s a great chance to be a community, share food, stories, catch up, meet old friends, and make new ones.

• If you want to bring guests for all or part of the day that is also totally fine. EVERYONE is welcome.

We celebrated True God’s Day in London with Pledge services held in three locations – HQ Church, South London Peace Embassy and Bromley Church. Around 400 Blessed family members and Ambassadors for Peace attended the services to welcome in the new decade and offer their families to build Cheon il Guk.

HQ Church

Our National Leader and HQ Church pastor, Simon Cooper lead the Pledge service in the Ballroom of our national HQ in Lancaster Gate. Many first and second generation couples attended with their children and sat in front of the beautifully prepared holy table, created the previous day by Blessed husbands and wives. After the service all went downstairs to enjoy the Korean breakfast and a time of sharing with one another. A few families braved the icy but glorious sunny weather to pray at the Holy Ground in Hyde Park.

Bromley Church

In our Bromley Community, the Sunday before True God’s Day, many joined in a thorough cleaning of the house (pic) as part of the preparations. On the day itself, after a beautiful pledge service we shared a Korean-style breakfast followed by an hour of entertainment including this “Pensioners’ Rap” from two new members from 2009. We then had a most exciting ‘Public Speaking Challenge’ – Oh, boy! The Holy Spirit came down! – twelve people spoke for four minutes on one of four topics: “What I would say to the Prime Minister if I had four minutes, one-to-one”, “What the Divine Principle has done for me”, “What we can learn from the World’s Religions” and “My Heaven on Earth”.

A Taste of Cheon Il Guk at South London Community’s True God’s Day Celebrations

On the clear and frosty morning of 1^st Jan. 2010, after a full moonlit night, we all congregated at South London Community’s Peace Embassy for our True God’s Day celebration.

The main hall was packed with members and Ambassadors for Peace of all ages, most of us sitting together as families on the carpets provided, with a few chairs around the edges for those who needed them. The atmosphere was very friendly and relaxed but with the hush that you associate with sincere reverence. The offering table was truly splendid, beautifully and lovingly put together, and feeling just like a miniature of our True Parents’ offering tables.

After the pledge and prayers our pastor, Franklin, spoke passionately on the need for us to witness, warning us not to forget the tradition of HDH which would be a great mistake. We could see that his heart is very much united with Rev Song’s as he encouraged us all to rise to the standard of this era, and as he shared how although True Father appears older externally, he’s still so hard to keep up with as He forges forward!

Franklin’s strong message was followed by a heartwarming one from his wife, Cecilie, which truly expressed the mother’s heart, as Franklin’s had expressed the father’s. She reminded us that we are all so different and each one of us is so precious. She let us know that we are all giving our best, so we can never judge another member’s efforts who may not appear to be giving as much. She told us that the success of the South London community is all thanks to the unique and sincere contribution of each and every one of us.

These wonderful talks were followed by gifts which Cecilie presented to each and every family. Then came a lovingly prepared breakfast followed by the entertainment. This was in no way entirely professional, as a few voices struggled with high keys, although everyone appreciated their sincere hearts! Ashley Crosthwaite was our very heartistic MC, who also introduced some totally amazing performances given by the 2^nd generation. There was a powerful rendition of ‘The climb’ sung by Christa Kamga, who demonstrated the internal struggle of her own life through the lyrics of this popular song, bringing tears to not only my eyes. Tears were flowing aplenty after 11yr old, Mia Gardiner’s beautiful rendition of ‘No Matter What’ as she sang with such simple beauty of expression. But there was plenty to laugh at in the theatre pieces and magic show, particularly a theatrical piece presented by the four children of the Mould family, which was spectacular.

The whole occasion was rounded off with a rousing performance of the Spanish speakers singing ‘Guantalamara’ and ‘La Bamba’ with almost the whole congregation rising to their feet and celebrating by dancing and laughing with each other, with a wonderful free expression of heart and unity.

Dear UK Unificationists, brothers and sisters,

Happy 50th True Children’s Day!

(Where do you think True Parents were on this holy day 13 years ago in 1996? See if you can guess the region/country and find out if you guessed right by reading to the end.)

Lancaster Gate Headquarters Church holy day message:

they didn't sit still the whole way through...but still pretty good

What quality of love do children need to receive? Unconditional, true love. People who are parents or who stand in that role should be a clear and effective channel for God’s love.

This is what True Parents have established for the first time in human history. It has meant that through the very real blessing that they pass on to us from God we have an opportunity to create our family in the way God intended. They have discovered and articulated what God’s plan is for the family. They have demonstrated this by regarding all of us as their children and always treating us as such. They have given us everything.

Considering this fact, I ask myself: what kind of child am I? What is the best thing children can do to make their parents happy. Eddie’s (4yrs old) answer to this at pledge today was: “kiss.” When parents see small children trading their toys with each other peacefully, playing together happily, they feel at peace. We can bring joy to our True Parents heart when we help and love our siblings. If we can do that in our community and then also do it with our brothers and sisters outside our Unificationist community and bring each other closer to True Parents, then they can experience peace too.

We have a European plan to bring 1200 people to receive the marriage blessing in January, that is something very real we can offer to True Parents before their birthday celebrations in February. That is on average about 12 couples for each community. Last night I watched Hyung Jin NIm’s latest sermon where he recounts his discussion with some strong elderly evangelical Korean Christian ladies in the street. He confessed that he felt liberated after because he experienced the freedom of sharing who True Parents are and where they stand in human history.

Our Unification tradition is best understood in the context of the family. Let us practice this teaching with our own parents and in our own family. Here is what Father has said previously on this day:

“This Holy Day refers to the true children of God: have any lived until now? Let us look at the development of this history, to see if we have lived as true children of God.

From the first True Children’s Day until now, was there any sinless day, any day free of shame and disgrace? Centered on God, who can be a true son? What kind of person? Who is the king, father, master and teacher, owner of this world? Without being a child, we can’t be a father; without being a disciple we can’t be a teacher. We have to gain authority to stand in those positions. Even to be a first grade teacher, we must pass exams. To be an owner, we must be recognized. In each of these areas, the most important qualification is the gaining of recognition by the superior. Why? Centered on love, in True Love, we must be recognized as victorious. Then we can inherit the position of children of True Parents, or teacher, or master, or owner. The only way to inherit is through love, True Love. What is True Love?

True Love is love which never changes through the 365 days of the year. It is constant, every single day. It doesn’t change in 10,000 years. It wants to be connected to the original cause. The tradition of Unification Church should be established by the parents, not children. The children themselves say the parents should establish the tradition; and parents say the children are the center of the tradition. True Love thinks of the other. Think not as what you are [i.e., from your own viewpoint], but as the partner [i.e., from the partner's viewpoint]. Through True Love we establish such a relationship.

In daily life, who is a filial son? In Korea, we know the tradition of filial son: someone who day and night is worried about his parents, even what they are going to have for breakfast. The filial son is the one who is worrying about his parents and wants to give to them first. When the parents eat those three meals prepared with that loyalty, parents will feel ashamed to even pick up their fork, because of the love they feel from their children.”
37th True Children’s Day
Father’s Address
November 11, 1996
Hotel Victoria Plaza, Montevideo, Uruguay
Unofficial Notes of The English Translation