Divine Principle Lectures from the 120 Day Workshop

by Ken Sudo

Attendance

We are discussing heavenly tradition. I said we are born anew; therefore, we are not American, we are not European, we are not Asian; we are children of God. We are children of True Parents because we are born through him, and from him we should inherit everything. We have life. We have truth.. We have love or sacrifice. At the sacrifice of his life, he gave us life. We were born anew, therefore, in this meaning my entire life belongs to him. Therefore, without him no Unification Church. Without the Unification Church we cannot be here. The fact that we are here now depends upon him.

Everything came from him. Therefore, he gave all he has. Therefore, we are willing to give back all we have, including our own lives. In this meaning, to offer service is joy. It is a joy to offer service, an offering on the altar of the world. Because by doing this we can reduce or diminish his burden. Then he'll be happier and to see his happiness we'll be happy. This is an offering of joy.

Then how to sacrifice ourselves or how to offer ourselves. The answer is attendance. How to offer ourselves before True Parents. The answer is attendance. In the Old Testament Age, a symbolic Messiah was given -- tabernacle and then the temple. Just that much; and then the Ten Commandments that Moses brought. Therefore, obedience, faith, and attendance. In the Old Testament Age they were made righteous by their deeds in obedience to the Mosaic Law. They kept the Ten Commandments. By doing this they were made just. In the New Testament Age the substantial Messiah came, but as you know, because of the crucifixion, the substantial Messiah vanished, disappeared.

Therefore, they could not meet with the Messiah, they couldn't see the Messiah, they couldn't live together with the Messiah. They could just follow a trace of the Messiah. They followed a trace of the Messiah, but they couldn't see the Messiah. Because of the crucifixion, the New Testament Age became an age of faith. They were made righteous by faith in Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Therefore, they were made righteous by faith in Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Once vanished, it is impossible to see anymore. Therefore, just believe and by believing they are considered to be righteous and to be just, qualified to get into Paradise.

The Old Testament Age was, as you know, an age of deeds: keeping the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments came from God, and are God's words. As you know, even sinless Adam couldn't keep the commandment, then how about those who are sinful and have a condition through which Satan can accuse? Can they fulfill God's words' It's impossible. Satan can claim always. God's words were righteous, but no one could actually keep the Ten Commandments. This means no one was saved by Mosaic Law. Just a battle between God's words and fallen nature -- this is Abel and this is Cain-they tried to establish the foundation for the Messiah, but actually they failed. No one could fulfill God's words, the Ten Commandments. Therefore, no one was saved by the Commandments.

In the age of faith, the New Testament Age, there was faith in Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. This is spiritual rebirth, and this is, as you know, lessening of the amount of the indemnity condition. Therefore, only by believing in Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection was there justice. Therefore, through this grace, many Christians were saved but just spiritually. But in the physical world, physically even though there are Jesus' words, still the physical body was captured by Satan. Therefore, God's words were Jesus' words, but actually, there was no solution at all. Physically, there was no solution at all. Even though Jesus' words were given, it was still impossible to be saved physically.

Now the Complete Testament Age is called the Age of Attendance. They will be made just by attending. In the Old Testament Age, Satan was stronger than fallen man both spiritually and physically, therefore, even though God's words were given, there was no salvation spiritually or physically. In the New Testament Age due to the victory of Jesus on the cross, Christians were able to subjugate Satan through faith in Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. Physically, Satan was still stronger than Christians. Therefore, Christians couldn't overcome Satan in the physical world, but they are saved spiritually. But now, in the Complete Testament Age, in the Age of Attendance, we can be made just both spiritually and physically.

In the Old Testament Age, there were God's words, therefore, there was no substance at all. Therefore, the Israelites had to find out how to divide themselves with no example to follow at all.

In the New Testament Age an example was given but people destroyed the example.

Therefore, they could just follow the image or trace of the example, just the footprints of the example.

In this age we have the greatest grace -- we. have a living example of how to reach perfection. It's the greatest grace. The Messiah is living with us. He is inhaling our atmosphere; we can live with him.

The New Testament Age was the age of betrothal. Now the Complete Testament Age is the age of conjugal life. Husband and wife are living together. Our position is that of the bride of the Messiah, the wife of the Messiah. We can attend as the bride attends the bridegroom. Mankind will be the bride of the Lord of the Second Advent. Their conjugal life has begun -- they live together, eat together, love together, sing songs together, and have worries together. When he feels joy, you feel joy. When he feels happy, you feel happy. When he has troubles, we have troubles. When he cries, we cry.

He is a perfect subject. He can be the perfect subject because he is the perfect object of God. When we can be perfect objects before the subject, we can be perfect subjects before the object. A newly married wife or bride is just thinking of the bridegroom. Likewise, the first image, the first idea we have in the morning must be "How about Father!" The last idea we have before we go to sleep should be "How about Father?" If you can find something new and wonderful, then your first idea will be whether Father likes this or not. If you give him a cookie, then consider first of all "Does Father like this?" This must be your first idea. By doing this, can Father be happy or not? This should be the first idea we have. In the morning when we get up, it's usually very cold, "Oh, how about Father?" This kind of thing.

This kind of feeling. How about Father and Mother because we are living with him, we are living with her. Before always when something happened, something occurred -- it began to rain heavily, then if your father and mother are out, "Oh, how about Mother? How's Father? Are they all right? Good heavens, what are they doing?" This is a natural feeling. We must come back to this feeling. If he is in Korea, "What are you doing today?" Oh, this is the 13th, the early morning of the 13th, therefore, he must be preparing to speak to many people just like at Madison Square Garden. Then he must be serious now. Then we must pray for him. First of all, always we must feel like this. Twenty-four hours a day our feelings should be concentrated on Father and Mother. I think this feeling is ideal and still far distant from our usual feeling. Is it true? Therefore, we are distant from the attitude of attendance. Therefore, the essential meaning of attendance is to realize a life relationship, a family relationship with Parents.

I know it is difficult because we have no experience of living with them. I know you may feel that it is very difficult; but Christians who have never seen Jesus, who have just heard the story of Jesus 2,000 years ago, still love Jesus and obey Jesus. Then, if we can remember this fact, we can't say that because we never see him directly we can't create this kind of feeling. We are not qualified to say this. This age is the age of family life with True Parents.

Yesterday, I told some small testimony about how I felt about Father. In the beginning it was very difficult. I was a member for four or five years before I could understand Father was Father. Once I went to Korea and I was talking to Father and an overseas call came from Japan. Father went and Father took the phone from me and talked some contents with the operator and gave the message to me and called me and I went to talk with the Japanese member. When the talking was finished, Father planned to go to the airport earlier than I could go. Then Father gave a direction to someone to prepare a car for me to go to the airport. I sent him off and afterwards, one man came back and said that the car was prepared for me. He said, in the car Father had said, "How about my car? Did you prepare enough?" Something like that. Then the man came back and prepared it all. Such experience, even though it is such a small thing, is an expression of parental love. He took care of all the things -- the car, the airport, the telephone call, and he's the Messiah. From the solution of the world to the solution of a telephone call arrangement. Through this kind of experience, I really feel that he is Father. I really feel he's my Father.

Therefore, even though you have no experience, you must look for many, even through testimony, because if you had been there, Father would have done the same way. Therefore, you could have felt Father. Therefore, you should hear many testimonies about Father. Old-timers, even in America, have many experiences with Father. Those who are living close to Father have had many experiences with Father. Therefore, from those family members living close to Father you should get much information about Father to understand that Father is Father. Then next, you feel you are children. If you pray deeply, it is very sure that Heavenly Father will give you a chance to get such information and sometimes to have a direct relationship with him, a personal relationship with him.

Therefore, life in the Unification Church is far different from Christian life or life in the Old Testament Age -- because we have the Messiah living with us. He is smiling at us, talking with us, living with us, eating, sleeping, laughing, singing, living in the same place we are living, on the same earth we are living on. This kind of feeling is the fundamental feeling of the Age of Attendance. How about Father now? What is he doing now? What is he thinking now? What is he speaking? What day is he talking? Those kinds of comments. Always concerned, our interest is always with Father. Our interest must be in Father. Then always our idea must be how to give joy to Father. How to give joy to him. Then our feeling of mission can't be confined within the mission -- the so-called mission. "Oh, we must do this . . . this I must do. Anyway, I must do this." This kind of feeling isn't the feeling of the age of attendance -- just responsibility, just obligation, no. It isn't just obligation: must raise money, must witness, must stay awake, or must, must, must, or should, should, should, isn't the right feeling for the age of attendance.

Joy -- because this makes him joyful, this makes him happy. Therefore, this is joy. Witnessing is joy because through witnessing you can make him happy, and through fundraising you can make him happy. You feel joy. Therefore, always his joy is my joy. By making him joyful I can be joyful. Always thinking and feeling about him. Therefore, this age is not an age of obligation, just obligation. But no obligation-I do this because this makes him joyful, and to see his joy, I feel joy. Therefore, I do. Can you understand the feeling, this fundamental feeling?

Then by doing this in the Complete Testament Age, we can attend him or serve him directly. The original meaning of attendance is to serve directly. The key point is to give him joy. I do this because this can make him joyful. If only I can see his joyful smile. OK? Only to see his smile I can invest my whole energy. Then the key point is to give joy -- for his smile I can sacrifice my whole effort -- because of gratitude and love, love and gratitude. This is attendance.

How can we give joy to him? In the beginning when Father came to Japan, wherever he went brothers and sisters prepared water, just water. They thought that in order to bring joy to Father they should give him just water. But even Father wants to drink tea sometimes, or 7-Up or Coke or Ginger Ale. Therefore, first of all we must understand what he does like. We cannot decide what he should like. He can decide.

Likewise, man couldn't decide how the Messiah would come. In Jesus' time, people thought Jesus might come on the clouds. But he didn't come on the clouds; he came to earth through Mother Mary. Can Christians say that he shouldn't have come from Mother Mary? We might make this mistake. Therefore, many Christians think the Messiah must come again on the clouds. But the Messiah doesn't come again on the clouds, he comes again from his mother's womb.

Can Christians complain about this? No. They are not qualified to complain. Therefore, they cannot decide how the Messiah should come. Likewise, they cannot decide what the Messiah should like. They cannot decide. Therefore, attendance is now to know what he does like first. Then, if you are completely one with him, you can feel what he does like, but usually it is impossible.

In Korea sometime, those who were in a responsible position equivalent to regional commander sometimes gave the same sermon that Father gave in Seoul at the same time on the same morning without any information, because they had a sudden revelation. Therefore, they felt the same way, so they could speak the same contents. But usually, it is very difficult. Therefore, how can we attend him? Ask. It's the best way of finding out what he wants. It's far better than any other. In this age, it is far more important to ask than to pray. Can you understand? We can understand through prayer, it's very true; but still it's far better to ask Father. After I do, then Father says do this -- this is revelation. Very clear. "Make money." OK. "Make money. Witness to many people." Yes, this is revelation far better, more fantastic, than the Ten Commandments. Moses wrote the Ten Commandments on rock and he was standing on a mountain and light, heavenly light came, "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" So to be very precious, Father's words must be far better than this commandment, greater, more precious than this commandment, than providence. We cannot understand the value of Father's words. "Pray, make money." This is better than the Ten Commandments. "Witness. Make money." This is revelation. Therefore, ask -- this is best.

Therefore, it is better to ask, "What should I do?" than to pray. Praying is important. Still, to ask directly and to be given a direct answer is better than prayer. Therefore, is it better to pray if Father likes water or 7-Up and unison prayer, what does he like? Just ask Father, "What do you like, water or Ginger Ale? Club soda or Ginger Ale?" This is far better than unison prayer. Therefore, ask. Find out what he desires through asking, or even through prayer -- by asking sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly, "What shall I do? What shall I do?" Because he is right here on earth, it is possible to ask directly. It wasn't possible to ask Jesus, therefore the only way to understand Jesus' will was to pray.

The original meaning of attendance is just to serve. Service just like a wife or bride serves a bridegroom. Therefore, to know about Father's desires and to realize what he desires, this is attendance. It's impossible for every one to bring Ginger Ale or 7-Up to him, because more than three billion people are living here on earth. It's impossible for three billion people to bring 7-up. To do what he desires, to do what he requires, to realize what he desires therefore, if his desire for you is to go fundraising, then what is attendance? Fundraising is attendance. If his desire for you is to witness, then what is attendance? Witnessing must be attendance. Then if Father wants you to go to the North Pole, what is attendance? Go to the North Pole.

This is attendance. Therefore, whatever the contents of his desire may be, it is attendance to do what he requires.

Then if he requires us to do something and if he expects 100% and if you bring back 30%, is he happy? That is not enough from the point of view of attendance.

Then, also if you can bring back 200%, he must be very happy. This is best attendance -- to do more than he requires.

Also, sometimes you must be careful of this point. Some capable person sometimes tries to go his own way, do his own things different from Father's way. He doesn't say it but he thinks this way is better than that. Therefore, I can do it this way and we can get more victory or something like that. It doesn't work. Therefore, be obedient to Father's desire and do more than he requires. OK? This is attendance.

We must know that we must witness, we must raise money, many things. Then if you are given some responsibility, then ask your central figure what to do. If you are responsible, a big responsibility, you can ask Father, "What should I do?" to get Father's idea or image about your mission.

Recently, I didn't know my mission at all. Sometime last summer Father implied I must retreat from my team. I didn't like this so much in the beginning because I liked my region and my IOWC. "Is it possible to go to Japan?"

I had my own idea. I didn't know that the mission at Barrytown was that important. Someone said that Father intended something like this -- something like this mission. I knew that in the beginning Father gave me an important responsibility in America -- something like this. I knew, but it's very nice to travel all over America; and to travel over the world is better. I didn't want to come to Barry town. This was my feeling in the beginning.

When Father made the final decision, there was no possibility to escape. But when Father came to Chicago, still I wanted to make sure if I could go abroad.

I asked this and Father said, "No." Definitely no. I could understand Father's desire. Then, what should I do? Then Father said, "Make a pattern of education and revitalize America." Oh, now. . . what should I do? What should I do? This is my real confession. Next I asked Father "What should I do? What do you like?" We talked about many things, but the key point was to give advice on how to establish a new tradition, heavenly tradition. Must reeducate and revitalize America and also Europe and Africa. Then, based on Father's words and no other thing on earth, based on Father's words, I began to think and pray. And the 3-Day Workshop, 7-Day Workshop, 21-Day Workshop, and now the 40-Day Workshop and Training Session. I am planning the 120-Day Training Session even now. I'm giving a lecture and on the other hand, I'm planning the administration of the 120-Day Training Session. It's a terrible one, a terrible training session. You will be scared. When you pass through this course, then you will be the strongest leader in America. Whatever problem may come to you, still you can solve it. OK? Good idea? -Are you scared? (No.) But still, this is under the approval of Father. Father gave the direction and within his direction, I can figure it out. I can report it to Father and get his approval and then I can do it. Therefore, this pattern is a fundamental pattern of attendance. Don't do it by yourself. Sometimes you think you can please Father, but you can't please Father. However wonderful it may seem, if Father didn't like it, it's nothing. If no one liked it and Father loved it, it's successful. OK?

Therefore, you must understand the meaning of attendance is to give joy to him. Therefore, attendance isn't to give joy to people but to give joy to God -- God, Father, and people. The fundamental or rational idea doesn't come from yourself; it must come from Father. Based on his idea, we can make a plan and under the approval of Father we can put it into practice and realize more than he requires. This is attendance.

Six thousand years of human history have been just for him. Mankind prepared everything just for him. His value is more precious than the world. He is the only man throughout human history for whom all mankind has been looking. The Messiah is the only man by loving whom my sin is solved. Sometimes, if we love someone by loving him or her we increase or multiply sin. Except for the Messiah, there is no one, whom by loving your sin is solved.

One day, maybe two or three members were having dinner with Father. Father told many things, and one thing Father said to us was, "You don't know how precious, this moment is. You can't understand how precious this moment is." Father said, "In the vast desert, one heavenly dew drop falls. When one heavenly dew drop falls, the first granule of sand on which the very dew drop falls is you." Millions and millions of people and billions and billions of people have been looking for the chance to see him and they couldn't. We are alive on earth, and he shows us and we can see him and we can hear him speak directly. His value is incredible and inestimable and immeasurable. He is greater than the universe. He's more precious than the universe. It is only he from whom sinless mankind can start. He is the only man in the universe by loving whom my sin is solved, by loving whom I can be born anew, by loving whom I can be given rebirth and new life. Therefore, the fact we can attend him must be the most precious event in our lives.

Now, through the foundation for the Messiah, we can really receive him and he can visit us directly. This is the blessing and solution of original sin. Therefore, through your offering centering on yourself, the offering of your mind, your body, your life, and the things you have, you can establish the foundation of faith, and by loving brothers and sisters more than yourself, we can establish the foundation of substance. Love God, and love brothers and sisters.

The Messiah will be here and you can attend the Messiah. You can lead a family life with the Messiah, and we can be a true son or daughter of Heavenly Father, not an adopted son or adopted daughter, but lineal son or daughter of True Parents and eternal joy will be given to us. This is attendance, okay?

Therefore, this attitude toward the Messiah is the essential attitude of the Unification Church toward Father. OK? (Yes.) This is the real aspect of our unwritten life -- attendance. Pray for the Messiah. Pray for the Messiah. We must have faith in God and faith in the Messiah. Because he gave me life, I can give him life and joy. I can die for him, sell for him, live for him, die for him, suffer, serve him with joy. This is the faith in the Messiah. Without God there is no Messiah. And without the Messiah there is no Abel.

Abel doesn't work in the Unification Church without the Messiah. Because there is a Messiah who approves Abel as Abel, therefore, through him we can restore the 'failure of Cain. We can establish the foundation for the Messiah. This is Cain and Abel. This is faith in the central figure. Therefore, we must understand that God is working through the central figure.

One advice as to attendance: someone visited Korea and asked Father what is attendance. What is the most important in the life of attendance? Then Father said, "Reviewing and reporting." Reviewing and reporting. First of all reviewing. Eating, sleeping, having joy, anger, grief, and pleasure in the routine life, then check yourself. And the last time we ate something, for what. Did you eat, "Oh, I'm hungry ... oh, I must eat, oh, I must eat!" Or did you feel "Oh, I'm eating this food, I'm hungry; but by eating this food I can do what Heavenly Father requires." Check when you are eating if you are eating for yourself, for the family, for the nation, for the world, or for God. Try and check. Joy because of whom? Joy for yourself. When you feel joyful, why did you feel joyful? Because you are happy? Because you made the world happy? Because you made God happy? Why do you feel Joy? Anger? If someone laughs at me, then I am angry at him. Because of whom did you get angry? Because of individual feeling. But if someone said something against Father and you got angry, then for whom did you get angry? For Father, for God, because if someone ridiculed you, and you got angry, it's not so good. If he ridiculed God and the Messiah, and therefore, you got angry, or he denied Divine Principle, therefore you got angry, it's OK. Therefore, check yourself. You eat just for yourself, but when you sleep, you are thinking something about America. How to solve America's problems. "Oh, Heavenly Father, I love America, what should I do?" This is just for your nation. You can grade yourself. Then you can improve every day your internal feeling. Therefore, you will be getting closer and closer to Father's desire.

Reporting. Many of us, when given direction, work very hard, but even when we are finished, we don't give a report to the central figure. The central figure greets us, "What happened today?" You say "I did it already." Or something like that. Therefore, if you are given direction to anything, do it. Right after doing it, report to the central figure. Then the central figure will check you, check what you have done. When you report, report not only the job. "We got $265.00, that's all. Need anything?" That's all. "Good-bye." Not so good. The report must be heartistic. How did you feel through this? How people felt. How your members felt. What happened, and if you had some difficulties, you must report the difficulties first.

Therefore, a report isn't simply a report but an offering before True Parents. OK? Therefore, what you have done must be offered before True Parents, otherwise Heavenly Father cannot approve it. Therefore, you must think that the report is one part of the life of faith, an important part of the life of faith. OK? Life of faith. Everything you have done should be reported. Can you understand? Are you getting more information about what the Unification Church is? (Yes.) So many things. We are just making a foundation.

Therefore, as to attendance, another point -- our attitude in the Unification Church or anywhere you may be -- we must feel as if Father, True Parents, is with us. We must do anything as if Father is with me. OK? This is final advice. OK? Therefore, when we are eating lunch, we arrange the table in such a way as if Father is here. Then whatever we are talking about, still we feel that Father is with us. Father is with us. This is the reason why we have many pictures of Father. Father's picture reminds us of Father. Therefore, always I'm with Father. Some sisters are attendant in the family -- Father and Mother, two like this. This is a good attitude of attendance. We always feel that Father and Mother is with me. In the room we have Father's picture, Mother's picture, Father and Mother's picture. Brothers and sisters have sometimes when hearing lectures a picture on the table,. It's OK. Therefore, we always lead our life, 24 hours, as if we were with True Parents. If real True Parents are with you, can you do anything evil? (No.) You cannot do that. Good. It's very good. If you feel like doing something evil, but still Father and Mother are looking at you, then you cannot do anything. This is very nice. This is good attitude of attendance. In the beginning when we could not have so many pictures in Japan, one sister got a picture from a newspaper. She put this newspaper picture on the table and she prayed there every night with tears. She thought that picture was Father himself. Without this kind of attitude, you shouldn't have a picture. Don't abuse Father's picture. OK? Also, when Father is coming for a training session or something like that, we must put pictures when Father comes down.

Also, we must understand that we must attend Father's children. Maybe afterwards you can understand -- we cannot attend directly to Father, but through the children we can attend Father. They are Abel-like children and we are Cain-like children. Therefore, unless we can be one with Father's children we cannot receive Father. Later you can understand, but anyway, we must attend Father's children as much as we attend Father. OK? If you are invited to Father's table or something like that, then you shouldn't eat earlier than Father however hungry you may be. When Father begins to eat, then you can start. OK? This is the right attitude. Therefore, even in the usual dinner or lunch first of all, the central figure starts to eat, then you can all eat. This training session is a preparation for Father's coming, eventually. Therefore, the central figure is just a representative of Father in a sense. Therefore, when your group leader starts to eat, then you can start to eat. Without giving anything to the group leader, if you eat, this is like dogs and cats.

Therefore, this is the beautiful discipline of attendance. Especially in America there is no tradition at all of this kind. There is no filial piety, therefore, American young people cannot understand the meaning of parents because there is no example in your physical family. In many cases the children don't respect their parents because the parents don't love the children so much. The parents didn't sacrifice their lives for their children because Americans are prosperous. Therefore, the parents don't have to work from morning till night shedding sweat and tears for children. Therefore, the children don't feel love from the parents, and therefore, they don't respect them. Therefore, there is a separation, and they cannot understand parents' love. This kind of awful tradition must be corrected and a heavenly tradition of routine life must be established here in Barrytown and all over America. OK? (Yes.) America is inconsistent. Everything makes no sense in America, from the point of view of heavenly tradition.

If you are invited to be with Father, according to heavenly tradition you must bow to Father three bows to Father. If Father is sitting in this room and you get a different room, you should bow to Father. Formally three times but actually only once which includes the number three also. Even a little child of Father, when he is going to Father, does what we are doing. Even a little boy, or a little girl does this.

When sovereignty is restored or one nation is restored, heavenly law will be put into practice. The constitution will be in line with God's words, Divine Principle. Divine Principle will be the constitution of America, or some country. Then there will be no fornication, no adultery. Then heavenly tradition will be substantiated through the constitution. Therefore, from now on we must start, we must establish the kingdom of Heaven. In the kingdom of Heaven there is a tradition of heavenly law. The spiritual world or Father knows heavenly law, therefore, one day when we went to Korea, Father said, "Your attitude doesn't make any sense at all." From the point of view of heavenly law, therefore, we are doing strange things. If precious heavenly law is applied to us, we can't do anything because we are so strange. Therefore, Father never said the contents of this heavenly law because if it is applied we cannot do anything. Some day the heavenly law will be put into practice. That is attendance.

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