Ijn May Report (e)

Rev. In Jin Moon’s

Monthly Journal No.8 May, 2009

Lovin’ Life Sunday Service 5.03 W.I.S.E. 5.10 Mother’s Day 5.17 True Love = True Rub 5.24 Day of All Things

Also Featuring 5.24 Spring Fest! 5.24 Spring Fest Commentary 5.23 UTS Commencement Address

“W.I.S.E” By Rev. In Jin Moon

Lovin’ Life Sunday Sermon May 3, 2009 Manhattan Center, New York -2-

If we want to raise a generation of peace that is going to usher in a new millennium, we

cannot

be idle. We have to

educate our

think of more than themselves. We have to educate them that living for the sake of others is a good thing, that respecting others’ faiths, families, and cultural heritage is a beautiful thing.

children to

Good morning brothers and sisters. And good morning to you, in the New Jerusalem and West Rock Family Churches. I’m delighted that you will be joining the IBLA International Competition with us here at the Manhattan Center at for pianists. This was an adult Lovin’ Life Ministries this morning. I’m competition that he entered almost glad to see you once again.  

as a joke. His Russian piano teacher

I just came back from Japan, said to me, “You know what, he’s where I attended the 9th Annual Youth probably not going to win anything, Concert for Ideal Families and World by why don’t we go and have a great Peace. This was a project that I had time!” So my second son wasn’t really started nine years ago, when my second looking toward winning anything. son, Rexton, won the Grand Prize at He went [to Ragusa-Ibla, Italy] for a

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great experience and in preparation incredible and prestigious award, what

to do so. But we had a great volunteer,

for possible future competitions. But, do you want to do with it?” And this

a mother professor who really treated

surprisingly, he ended up being the 11-year-old boy told me, “It might be

this ragamuffin bunch of kids as her

Grand Prize winner that year. And he really good to do something on behalf

own and nurtured them to incredible

was only 11 years old.  

of the young people of Japan.” So he

professionalism. So by this year, the

So since he had won the Grand

had his professional concert at Tokyo

eighth year, they have become quite a

Prize, competing with the best of

Opera Theater, but the next day, he held

phenomenon in Japan that they were

Julliard, Curtis, and other outstanding

a concert open to the public, which was

awarded an invitation to Embassy Row

conservatories from all around the world,

attended by a lot of our Second Generation.

in Tokyo, Japan. They performed

he was awarded a recording contract by

Thus started the 9th Annual Youth Concert

for different embassies, but

Athena records as well as a worldwide

for Ideal Families. Since then we have been

at the same time in

tour. One of our destinations just

going back to Japan year after year.  

our spirit of

happened to be Tokyo, Japan. After we

For seven years we built up the

found ourselves in Japan, I asked him,

credibility of the concert series, having

“You know, your grandfather always

hundreds of choirs throughout

talks

all of Japan that we’ve

about

service, you have

living a life of and now that won

supported

and

an

“Invisible like music, but positive as sound.” That’s what music is. Even though we can’t see God, many times we can feel God through music.

sponsored competing with each other every year. All throughout the year, these hundreds of choirs compete servicing to be able to perform at the next youth the world with our concert, where top three choirs get to talents they did a lot of outreach perform. 

programs. The kind of outreach

What started out was a group programs that they did was visiting of ragamuffins, kids who were old folk’s homes where old men and thinking about maybe possibly women are literally waiting to die. singing but weren’t really trained These beautiful Japanese children,

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“W.I.S.E.” by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 3, 2009

beautifully dressed in kimonos, had so parents is introduce our children not just a comedy act that they put on as a much love and respect for the elderly to the beauty of the English language or warm-up?” Then my son said, “No, that they did not only perform for the to the elegance of mathematical formulas keep on watching.”   elder folks but they spent time with or language but to the divine language, them, eating, drawing, and playing which I call music.   together with them. Each visit is a fullday event. 

Then Susan Boyle came out and talked a little bit about herself, and I

In Romans 1:20, it says that you realized, oh, she is a woman. And then can see God, you can experience his the camera panned the audience. So

These people who are just waiting eternal power and his divine nature, it wasn’t just me, brothers and sisters, to die felt renewed and re-inspired. through the things that he has made. it was the audience, too. They were They were moved to tears, knowing Emily Dickinson said, “Invisible like looking at this woman like, “Can this that Japan is in great hands because music, but positive as sound.” That’s woman really sing?” You can just see they could see the love, the care, and what music is. Even though we can’t some women with their mouths wide the desire to service elders in such a see God, many times we can feel God open, trying to figure her out, just like beautiful way. They felt like these kids through music.  When you are sitting I was. Even the three judges that were are imbued with the spirit of God and before these incredible choirs who are so supposedly judging her were looking understand the importance of treating professional even though they are just at her askance, wondering whether she each and every human being as a vessel little kids, and you hear them singing was going to be able to pull it off or of the divine. They were re-inspired their hearts out, you cannot help but not. But then the music started, and that they are leaving their country to experience God. Your emotions start she sang one of my favorite songs from worthy hands. 

moving because emotion is “energy Les Miz. When she hit that first note,

This is something that has been in motion.” It’s the eternal energy in you could hear a hush in the audience. going on for the last nine years. When motion that is set to a language called All the unbelievers, all the people I went back to Japan, we had the top music. Not only am I inspired, but the who doubted, just suddenly became three choirs perform again. What I children are so inspired. After every speechless. For the next I-don’t-knowlike to do in my family is incorporate performance, they come to me and say how-long, she swept us away in waves the best of Japan. I think of us as “Arigato Gozaimasu. Thank you very of emotion, this energy in motion, and an American family because we live much., I felt God tonight. I really felt I could not stop crying. I was crying so here, so I want to introduce a little our Heavenly Parent tonight.”   bit of America by having my children

profusely my son was giving me tissues

In America we have American but also dotting his eyes as well. She

perform. My daughter performed Idol, right? I don’t know if you have brought the house down.   Debussy and Scriabin; two of my heard, but in Britain they have a show

Then, of course, after the song

boys rocked the house down playing called Britain’s Got Talent. There was was finished, she became an instant Eric Clapton and Three Days Grace, one contestant who literally had me celebrity. And what happens with believe it or not. The Japanese children in tears. Her name is Susan Boyle. celebrities? They found she’s never had an incredibly wonderful time.  

Has anyone heard about her? She’s been kissed. So there was all this talk

We have often heard people call not what you would call attractive. In about “OK, we’ve got to find her a music the universal language. I am a big fact, when I first saw her coming out boyfriend. Maybe one of the judges believer in that. I believe that one of the onstage, I thought, “Is this a joke? Is will take her out.” But they’re having most important things that we can do as this a man?” I asked my son, “Is this great fun with her.  

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The power of her voice! Where he was learning how to play the guitar, said “Sit!” and then he plugged the did that invisible talent come from? and I was twelve years old. My mother cable into the amp and to the guitar It came from God, our Heavenly said, “You know what? I would love and said, “When I practice, I need an parent. But it must have been years for both of you to go back to Korea audience.” (Laughter.) So there I was, and years of dedication, endurance, and do a little bit of schooling. Could a twelve-year-old girl sitting on the and persistence; it must have been you accompany your brother to the floor, looking at my brother. Every years and years of sowing that one Little Angels School of Korea?”   more practicing session, maybe in

time he played a phrase, he would say,

So off I was sent. One of the first “Clap!” A couple of times I said, “Elder

the shower, while she was cooking, or things that you have to do, since this Brother, that was a wrong note,” and while she was walking to church. That is an art school, is decide what art you then he would say, “Shh! Clap!”  constant diligence to master her art want to study. And I wanted to study

So after weeks of him playing

allowed her to bring the house down painting because that’s my other love. tunes that I really couldn’t quite make on a show called Britain’s Got Talent.   But my mother said, “No, I want you out, with “Jingle Bells” sounding I would like to create the Youth to try something new,” so she plopped something like “Jingle Sci-fi Movie” Concert series here in the United States me into ballet class, which I absolutely or something extraordinary, I still as well. One reason why I feel that art abhorred, but I still did it anyway. My had to clap. He kept on going. This is so important for children is because brother got to choose an instrument, man would not stop. There was one it teaches discipline, persistence, and and he chose the electric guitar.   endurance. When my kids started

evening when he said, “I have to learn

I remember when he first brought this song because I have to perform

their piano lessons, their scales weren’t it home, one of the first songs assigned it but I haven’t really had a chance to much to talk about: a lot of wrong to him was “Jingle Bells.” He said, practice it as much I would like. So, we notes, a lot of uneven notes, and very “In Jin, get over here.” So I said, are going to practice until midnight.” unpleasant to the ears. 

“Yes, Elder Brother, what can I do?” It was five in the evening. 

My older brother was fifteen when He said, “Sit.” I said, “What?” He

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So I was counting all the hours

“W.I.S.E.” by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 3, 2009

and asking myself, is my elder brother ask them, “What do you want to you are going to take piano lessons really going to be able to pull it off? Is be when you grow up?” is, “I don’t seriously and you are going to have he really going to be able to practice know.” Or “What are you feeling your mom drive you to all these for that long? And to my absolute like doing today?” “I don’t know.” piano lessons and we are going to be amazement, he kept on going, like a Or “What do you hope to be doing investing in your future, I would like Duracell battery. In the ninth or tenth in a month or two?” “I don’t know.” you to draw up a schedule.” So for hour, his fingers started to bleed. I said, There is almost a feeling of being lost many years we had a strict 8 o’clock “Elder Brother, tissue? Band-Aid?” out in the open sea, as well as a feeling rule. They could eat breakfast at any meaning, “Can I go out of the room?” of complacency and being satisfied time, but when the clock struck 8 both But he just said, “Sit.” And it went with mediocrity. But the great thing my children who play the piano had on till midnight. There was blood on about art is that it encourages young to be on their pianos at different ends the guitar strings, crustified by now. people to set up a schedule, to practice of the house. When that clock went His fingers looked like something out discipline, to develop and show effort. “tick,” that’s when they knew they had of Aliens, but there was an incredible If they do this on a daily basis, they to start practicing.   look of satisfaction on his face. He can become an incredible artist who is

There were good days, and there

said, “Now I feel one with the music… worthy of standing in front of a stage were difficult days, but the schedule Clap!” We celebrated together, and demonstrating their precious God- never changed. In a month or two, their I heard that next day at school his given talent by sharing this beautiful scales actually sounded like beautiful “Jingle Bells” could not have been universal language with an audience. waterfalls. Within a year, they were more sublime. I said to myself, “That’s How much more beautiful than that performing pieces that my husband what it takes—blood, sweat, and tears, can life be?   to really master something.  

could not master in ten years of piano

About the artistic life of my lessons. And he was terribly proud of the

This is an age when the young children. At the beginning, my children. It was this consistent effort and people’s favorite phrase when you husband said to them, “All right, if investment in becoming a great artist

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that allowed my second son Rexton to in the process experience the divine.   win the Grand Prize and that allowed

and a wise woman. What is it about

I have often thought that a my dad that truly makes him wise?

my only daughter Ariana to go on to win religious life is very much like that Maybe because I come from another many incredible prizes, including the of a true artist. It takes daily care, country, learning English, what I love First Prize at the Stravinsky Competition daily nurture, and daily effort to live to do with the alphabet is take it apart, in Chicago.  

the correct way of life. I know many move it around, and play to see if I can

When I share these stories about times life is difficult, and God puts formulate a new word.  my children, I am not standing here many obstacles in our way to give us

On this day I thought, “Let’s look at

to brag. I’m saying, “Look at what an opportunity to overcome them WISE as an acronym.” So in my mind children can do; look at what two victoriously and learn something new.  I understood the word wise to mean, little kids in In Jin’s house could do.”

When I was a little girl, I used when I thought about my father and

Think about what your children can to always walk around with a little mother, he or she who loves the World do or what these groups of choirs have already done in Japan. They have become little ambassadors for their country to the world. They have already developed really great habits of setting goals, understanding of

delayed

the

value

gratification,

(W) with Integrity (I),

I have often thought that a religious life is very much like that of a true artist. It takes daily care, daily nurture, and daily effort to live the correct way of life.

and investing in something

Service (S), and Excellence (E). So, for a little girl back then, that’s what being wise meant, and that’s how I saw my father and my mother.   I have often been impressed to look at this man’s life. He is a man of integrity, meaning he

because you believe that you can truly notebook where I put down my is a man of character. Not a day goes be great. 

thoughts, my feelings, and the things by when he doesn’t start buttoning

These are all the lessons that I that I noticed. One day I remember his shirt from the top down. He has think our children need. If you come sitting on a rock near the tennis courts specific rules; the right foot goes across one day somebody on the street at East Garden, where we grew up. inside the sock first, and then the left. or sitting next to you on the bus, and The sky was so blue, with almost no Even when he gets up from the chair, somehow you strike up a conversation clouds, and I was thinking, “What the right foot goes first. I remember and start talking about your kids and kind of a person do I want to be when when I was little, I had enough nerve the other person says to you, “Well, my I grow up?” I wrote down in this little to tell my father, “Father, that’s really child, niece, or nephew doesn’t know notebook of mine, “I want to be a wise restrictive. Why do you always do what they want to do with their life,” mother.” That was my life’s purpose. I that?” Then he said, “This is my way maybe you want to encourage them was conversing with my brain, asking of reminding myself to be a man of with, “Have you ever considered music myself, “How do I define what a wise integrity, to be a man of character, to lessons? Have you ever considered art person is?”  lessons?” These are wonderful tools

always remember God first, and to

Then I started looking at my remember that in every action and

for children to develop great habits, father in my mind. I think of my every energy in motion—emotion—I become great masters themselves, and dad and my mom as a wise man am thinking about God.”  

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“W.I.S.E.” by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 3, 2009

Why service? He has been living for Moonie.  Your father’s a businessman.  my father was incarcerated in Danbury, the sake of others for his whole life. He He has so much money.  You guys live Connecticut.  My 18th year of life is has always been giving of himself to the in a mansion.”  And I would often literally a blur for me because when my whole world, to the whole movement, reply, “If you had 14 children, you father went to jail, he said, “In Jin, I never thinking about himself. Can would need something a little bigger want you to work with the distinguished you please point out to me someone than a cottage.  And my father is leaders of the civil rights movement and who has spent over $2 billion alone always thinking about other people, the luminaries of the American clergy to build and support the Washington too.”  It wasn’t just the children who and together create a religious freedom Times because he believed it was an were living there;  there were brothers coalition so that we together, as ministers important tool to fight communism? and sisters living there together with of God, can fight this injustice that the I don’t believe I know anyone else who us.  If that’s not one family, I don’t American government is putting upon would do that.  So he’s not only a man know what is.  But maybe by some your father.”  who says what he says, but he is a man who does what he does.    And he is a man who’s always striving for excellence.  I don’t know how many times he pushed his sons and daughters, including myself,

I remember working

I know many times life is difficult, and God puts many obstacles in our way to give us an opportunity to overcome them victoriously

and

learn

something

new.

with

people

like

Dr.

Lowery and Dr. Abernathy, so many wonderful clergy.  They literally took me under their wing; I became like their adopted daughter.  I learned so much about

to be the best students, the

how incredible these people

best art students, the best

were, and I heard their

that we can be in a chosen field of study people’s standards it was a mansion, it stories about how they were called by or chosen area.  Don’t be satisfied with was high living.  But then if my father God to enter into ministry.    mediocrity. Try to be more than what you is really true, then he will be true no thought you could do. 

A lot of people can say that they

matter where he is.   

But one of the most profound things for me as a daughter to witness

Brothers and sisters, this is a man was to go and visit my father in prison,

know someone who is true, but what is who not only lives in a big house but to see him as a prisoner, in prison garb.  the test of something being true?  If you who has been in and out of prison six We had only a limited number of put a true person in Case Study A, he times in his life just because he wanted hours to see our father.  I remember he will still be true.  If you put this person in to preach the word of God.  And the was always making sure that the other Case Study B, he will still be true.  If you sixth time, when he was thrown into prisoners went out to see their visitors put this person in Case Study C, he will prison at Danbury, Connecticut, it was first, always making sure that the other still be true No matter where you place just because he was trying to teach the families who came to see them had this man or woman, he or she will still American people the importance of water and a place to sit.    and always be true.  That’s what it means having moral values, the importance to be a true man or a true woman. 

of having a solid family unit that a father was in prison were before I was

When I was going to school, a good society can be built on.  lot of kids would say, “Oh, you’re a

The other five times that my born, but this time I saw it with my

I remember I was 18 years old when own eyes.  I’ve heard stories about

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Scripture Readings for Lovin’ Life Ministries

Sunday, May 3, 2009

Romans 1:20

Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. (So they are without excuse;)

Galatians 6:7-10

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your own flesh, you with reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

God’s Hope for Man

October 20, 1973—Washington, D.C.

Jesus Christ’s teachings were hitting the very core of this fundamental truth. The more you give the more you receive. God rewards total giving with total love, and total sacrifice with total life. Giving creates room for God’s love to enter. The more room and the greater the vacuum created by your giving, the faster you will be filled by the flow of God’s love. To be treated well you must first treat others well. You reap as you sow. Sow evil to reap evil; sow goodness to reap goodness. Your concern should be how to give, and how to give well. As for the return to you, you must trust in God. He will take care of it.

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my father being in a concentration

bite, another prisoner would scoop it because nobody survived these camps. 

camp in North Korea, thrown there

out of the dead man’s mouth and eat Hung Nam in particular was known for

by the communist regime because

it. I remember stories about my father being a place where people went in but

communists don’t believe in God many times going hungry because he never came out. But my father persevered and my dad was preaching the word had given his rice ball to somebody for three years. He was liberated by the of God.  I remember stories that my

UN forces, by the American soldiers,

who was weak or sick, day after day.

father would be in a place where there was just a concrete block wall with one urinal, a bucket, and nobody wanted to sit next to the bucket.  Everyone would fight to be the furthest away.  But

I’ve

heard

stories that my

when he was scheduled for execution. 

father, because he

I remember Thus, he has huge gratitude to this

was thinking about

stories about country of America.   

the discomfort of other

my

prisoners,

the

next to the bucket,

brush he found very stubborn bunch of people, they had to

people

somewhere

would not fight. 

clothes into a ball the man to death, he kept coming out

about my father

and scrubbing the with a new congregation.  The American

giving up his bowl

area as clean as he government tried the same thing.  They

of

could

rice, what they call

rice

of

in Korea.  They a day, made out of very tough, nearly inedible

barley. 

People fought over these rice balls.  When somebody died mid-

because stuck my father in Danbury.  Within a

he was thinking year, as predictable as day and night, he

balls

gave out only one

or stick him in prison five times before they

rolling his prison realized that every time they sentenced

I heard stories

little

urinal not die, but he will come out with a whole

with a little new congregation.  Because Koreans are a

making more room that

People began to realize that if you put

s c r u b b i n g Reverend Moon in jail, not only will he

volunteered to sleep

so

father

the

people. 

other came out with a new congregation.    If

There is something incredibly unique

that’s not a true man, about this man.  I was having dinner I don’t know what with one of our movement’s leaders, and is.

The

communist he said, “Sometimes it’s very difficult to

prison officials realized understand your father, but one thing I that this man was true. must admit is that there has been no one They thought they were like him before, and there will probably sentencing him to death be another man like him in years to

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“W.I.S.E.” by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 3, 2009

come.  He is a singular phenomenon.  He built in the middle of a desert, almost of the city, probably with a bucket was quite unique.  He must be a gift from like a mirage when you catch sight of and some cleaning agent, and scrub God.”  I said to this leader, “I am so glad all these hotels and casinos rising up the toilets and the floors, preparing

from the dust of the desert.  Isn’t the the city for its spiritual cleansing by

to hear you say that.”   

We don’t always fully comprehend desert waiting for that wonderfully tackling the external cleansing first.  the significance of this incredible new refreshing rainfall? 

The rainfall, This is what my father would do. 

Implicit in this beautiful language of English, God is giving us a clue.  Sin City can be transformed into a shining city of God and a shining city of light when it starts walking with this new faith that God is offering us. providential push that my father the eternal spring of life, if you will,

Characteristically for my father,

is making.  Of all the places that he that comes with God’s word and he picked the city in America called could choose in the United States! understanding of God’s love?    Why not the Appalachian mountains,

Sin City to start as the place where he

I thought, that’s really poetic.  wants to begin scrubbing the toilets

or Yosemite National Park, one of Father wants us to be the spring of and the floors to prepare the city all these beautiful places that show life, to give new life and meaning to for the spiritual nourishment that the grandeur, power, and divinity of this desert called Las Vegas.  Then I is to come, when people realize how God?  But my father has chosen Las was thinking, why is it that so many incredible it is to understand God, to Vegas as the place to invite people to people refer to Las Vegas as Sin City?  experience love, and to realize that they have conferences on building families.  It’s Sin City because things are done are living in this blessed country called I remember my siblings and I were in the dark, things you wouldn’t do America.  It’s not something that we joking that this is kind of strange.  in front of your wife or husband.  should just take for granted and enjoy Why Las Vegas?  Then we thought, It’s interesting how the running for ourselves, but bring to the rest of before we can understand why, we can commercial for the city is, “Whatever the world.  pray about it. 

you do in Las Vegas stays in Las Vegas.”

I thought, what Heavenly Father

My father asked me to be the That’s the understanding Americans wants to do is take the noun sin, keynote speaker at the conference to have of what Las Vegas is, so a lot of something that’s dark that you want kick off this Las Vegas providence.  I people refer to it as Sin City.  really had to pray about it because in

to hide, and insert a little bit of heaven

If you put Father somewhere many by adding the letter H and turning

my mind there was a dynamic going thousands of years ago in the proximity the noun into a verb by adding ing.  on, thinking, “Okay, Father wants of what is considered an example of Sin He wants to turn the Sin City into a it, it’s got to be.  But why?”  Then it City, let’s say, Sodom and Gomorrah, shining city of God.  A shining city on dawned on me.  I thought, Las Vegas is you know what my father would do?  a hill, which our forefathers dreamt about like a metaphor for life.  Las Vegas was He would go straight into the center when they first came to this country, is

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what our Heavenly Parent and what

Implicit in this beautiful language our Father and Mother are asking us to of English, God is giving us a clue.  realize in our lifetime, by turning Sin Sin City can be transformed into a City into a shining city of God, a shining shining city of God and a shining city

to do this; next we have to do that.” My father is conceiving all these things that need to be done to meet the providential

time line.  The only thing we need to do city of light where things are no longer of light when it starts walking with is to believe.  It’s in the belief of a young dark but are illuminated in the light of this new faith that God is offering child, of practicing each day that same the Lord.  In the light of our Heavenly us.  God is signaling to us that this is 8-o’clock-sharp discipline, that same Parent, and in our True Parents, we can not just about our generation.  This is 8-o’clock-sharp determination, that become proud Americans and share the about the first three generations.  Each same 8-o’clock-sharp effort that is going importance of family values with the generation seems to love naming its to turn this child into one of the greatest rest of the world. 

own – Generation X, then Generation artists that the world has ever known.  It

Etymology was my little hobby Y, Generation Z.  Now we’re up to the is going to be our faith, each and every in high school.  When you take out the millennials, which basically is the “show day that reminds us that we are here for “ing” that makes “shining” into a transitive me the money” generation.  But why something other than ourselves and that verb, you have shin.  So here you have not raise up a new generation of young we are here to make this nation great.  the word that was originally sin injected people that is going to inherit this true We are here to wake up this nation, to with a little bit of heaven by adding the love of God that wants to turn the Sin remind itself of its true heritage, which is H.  But the interesting thing is, you know City of Las Vegas into the Shining God, our Heavenly Parent.  what the shin is on your body?  It’s this City of Las Vegas and carry forth with Recently there was pandemonium wonderful bone in our leg that helps us the new faith, determination, and in New York City when some people walk, move on, move along.  But shin in diligence required to make each of us arranged to take a picture of Air Korean can mean “new,” and it can also an incredible work of art?  I think that’s Force One against the backdrop of mean “faith.” The name that everyone in what God is asking us to do, brothers the Statue of Liberty.  They wanted to the third generation of my family shares is and sisters.  spend a great deal of money capturing Shin, meaning “faith,”  just like the second This is an incredibly exciting and at that image.  So you had Air Force One generation of my family share the name the same time challenging time, when flying around the air space of New York Jin, meaning “to march forward.”  

my father is always saying, “Next we have City, and the people who saw it were

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“W.I.S.E.” by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 3, 2009

literally going crazy.  They thought it and say, “No more do I want to see wars he called the Milanese letters that he was another terrorist attack.  People and fighting and mothers, brothers, and was thinking about a figure called were vacating office buildings in New children dying on the streets because we Katarina.  Some have thought that she Jersey.  When I saw this I could only cannot coexist.”    close my eyes with the realization that

might have been a house servant that

We need to be more than a world worked in his home for three years, or

New York City and America are still that merely coexists.  We must be a world his his widowed mother, who came suffering from the posttraumatic stress that loves each other and truly cares for to live with him in her later years.  syndrome of 9/11 happening on our one another.  It starts from us as parents, When he was in one of his thoughtful shores.  We thought something like but we also need the help of the young moods, he jotted down, “Wisdom is that could never happen.  We became people.  Together, the First, Second, and the daughter of experience.”  too complacent.  Maybe we became too arrogant in our external minds.  Maybe we didn’t realize that true might and power come from God, our Heavenly Parent. When I saw this knee-jerk reaction by New

If a life well lived, full

“Let’s be wise people.”  Let us truly be wise.  Let us decide today to be those human beings who love the world with integrity, service, and excellence. 

of

wonderful,

difficult,

hard and joyous experience, can really turn a person into a wise person, then I want to be a woman who possesses wisdom. Brothers and sisters, let’s remember

Yorkers, turning almost into

that being wise is not about

scared rabbits because they

ourselves, about sucking

saw a plane circling in their airspace, Third Generations can create wonderful in knowledge, but is in the beauty of looking as though it was going to hit families of our own, but also do experience, the beauty of sharing.  It’s different buildings in the city, I realized something for our country by helping the process that makes us truly wise. that something like this could happen turn Sin City into the Shining City and

I hope that you can go on from

again. If we don’t recognize that’s where thus claim  our true internal power that this Sunday morning, live a wise life by our true power comes from and that our makes us divine in the eyes of God.  duty as a nation is to unite all religions

serving the world with integrity, service,

Brothers and sisters, I hope you and excellence, and become part of a

together as one family, then 9/11 can can join me on this wonderful Sunday community that can be an example to the happen again. 

morning in remembering God, our world.  Maybe my father might call some

If we want to raise a generation of Heavenly Parent, in remembering our of you to help in Las Vegas to help him peace that is going to usher in a new True Parents, and really asking ourselves, inject a little bit of heaven, so that selfish millennium, we cannot be idle.  We have “Let’s be wise people.”  Let us truly be leisure can be turned into family leisure to educate our children to think of more wise.  Let us decide today to be those and family entertainment, something than themselves.  We have to educate human beings who love the world with you don’t have to hide, something you them that living for the sake of others integrity, service, and excellence.    is a good thing, that respecting others’

Interestingly,

many

years

can enjoy together with the family.  How ago wonderful would that be!

faiths, families, and cultural heritage is a the man that I consider to be the

So, God bless.  Thank you, New

beautiful thing.  In that way the young Renaissance Man, Leonardo da Vinci, Jerusalem and West Rock, for joining people of the world can come together scribbled in his notebook series that us.  Have a blessed day. LLM

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Mother’s Day By Rev. In Jin Moon

Lovin’ Life Sunday Sermon May 10, 2009 Manhattan Center, New York

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Good morning, brothers and sisters. Good morning to those of you at New Jerusalem and West Rock communities who are joining us via broadcast. We’re delighted to be with all of field where God can plant his beautiful you on this precious Mother’s Day. The garden, the starting point of the children. month of May is a very special month for Hers is the first voice that we hear, the our movement.

first embrace that we feel. Her milk is the

We just celebrated on May 1st the first nourishment that we taste. These are 55th anniversary of Foundation Day, the the things that start us off on this journey founding of HSA-UWC, the Holy Spirit called life.   Association for the Unification of World

We just heard a great performance

Christianity, in 1954. It’s interesting from the band, didn’t we? A band has to note that May 1st in communist drums, bass, piano, singers, keyboards, countries is the International Workers and guitars. But the true foundation of Day, which is like a national holiday for the band is the bass. The bass grounds the them. So the founding of our movement band and at the same time drives it. In and the International Workers Day that is the family, the mother is like the bass in a celebrated in communist countries were band, what grounds the family and at the dueling it out as we went on throughout same time drives it.   the years.

When I’m thinking about the sound

But also in the month of May we of bass and the concept of foundation, my have this wonderful day when we honor mind usually goes to one of my favorite the mothers of the world. Today is the classical composers, Johann Sebastian day to honor the women in our lives, Bach. He wrote a beautiful aria as part especially mothers. When I wake up in of a cantata that translates into English the morning and think about how I’m as Lord, Do Not Go in Judgment. It’s a going to live that day, and take a little beautiful piece that comes with a text for time to meditate, thinking about our the choir. It paints a story of sinners seated Heavenly Parent, our True Parents, and before the throne of God. The music of our community, my mind and heart the different instruments creates a visual always turn to my mother and what she imagery of what we’re listening to, which means to me. In my family, my mother is like a fire and brimstone message of the is truly the fertile soil, the foundation on sinners. You hear the sinners accusing and which the family stands. A mother is the attacking each other, even while they’re

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seated in front of God.   

represents the conscience of the family. I the same clothing, almost like a uniform.

Then you hear an incredibly lovely don’t know how many times when I was If Mother bought something for me, she oboe accompaniment, a little phrase, young and beginning to understand who bought the same dress in a smaller size an aria that is repeated throughout the I was, or what I wanted my identity to be, for my sister. Whenever we went out into cantata. It represents the sinners and their I realized that sometimes I was good and the world, people always asked, “Are you sins being played over and over again. Just sometimes I was naughty. But the most guys twins?” We were dressed alike, our as the sinners are trembling before the difficult thing that my mother put upon haircuts were alike, and we looked alike. seat of God, the oboe also trembles as it me and my siblings was that she constantly We would always be busy saying, “No, continually plays this same phrase.  

told us, “I love you and I trust you.” Of we’re not twins. We’re sisters.” But that’s

The interesting thing, though, about course initially it sounds wonderful, but how we were raised.   this piece is that there is no bass, so there when you become a teenager and maybe

Even our names are almost the same:

is no foundation. Even as this piece is want to break that curfew every now My name is In Jin and her name is Un being played out, you know something and then and see that double feature or Jin. Many times my parents would mix is missing, something is deeply wrong. see what a party or club is like, you hear us up. We would say, “Mother, wouldn’t it You feel it in your emotion because your this voice of conscience, the voice of be far easier if you dressed us in different emotion is energy in motion. Then there my mother, saying, “In Jin, I trust you.” clothing? It might help you to remember is a constant battle between the sinners That was awful because you couldn’t do our names.” But she was insistent on us going on and the different instruments anything that you couldn’t come back to being sisters and looking alike and doing coming in. But the overarching thing that Mama and be proud of.   juxtaposes itself to this fire and brimstone

When you’re young, you want to do

everything together.   We grew up sharing a bedroom. One

text is the tone of the aria. The tone is one so many things. The world is like your of the things my mother always stressed to of pity, a feeling of being sorry for the oyster. You want to go exploring; you the kids was “Clean minds, clean room. sinners.  

want to do different things. But at the Clean environment, clean spirit.” She was

It’s a beautiful piece, but then you same time you want to be a really, really very diligent with us girls from a very young realize that it is like a band without a good girl, you want to honor God, you age. “You need to clean up your room; leave bass, a family without a mother. You feel want to respect your parents, and you it better than you found it.”   it in your soul, and you feel sad because want to be a dutiful child. You know your

She would have us vacuum, clean,

something is missing, something that mother trusts you so completely, and you and dust, rubbing everything until it grounds the music and drives it.  

don’t want to mess that up. You don’t shone incredibly beautifully. Having a

In music we can see how different want to lose that.   feelings and emotions may be played

mother like this and growing up in this

It was incredibly difficult for my kind of an environment, my sister really

out. Particularly in that Bach piece, I’ve siblings and me growing up as teenagers in took leaning to an art form. She would often felt the feeling of emptiness, of this country, with so many different things clean her side of the room. She would being almost lost, even though there is to try out. In the back of our minds, there draw a line down the center and say, this continuous phrase that’s repeated was our mother, saying, “I trust you.” You “This is my side, and that is your side, over and over again with tremolo. And wanted to honor that trust. I realize, my goodness, a mother is so crucial to a family.  

sister.” She would take incredible care

I have a younger sister who is two of her furniture and her clothing. She years younger than I am. We were raised would vacuum so diligently, just her side

For a lot of us growing up, our mother like twins – given the same haircut, put in of the room. She would take Fantastik

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Mother’s Day by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 10, 2009

and Windex and clean all the windows, saying, “In Jin, I trust you.” And it’s in her closet, so I would have to go into then dust and shine everything. Then she awful because even though you want to her closet. I wanted to do it discreetly, to would simply put all the cleaning agents be angry, you have this mother saying, “I check if my things are there, and then and the vacuum on my side of the room trust you.” And you want to be good, and come out. Because she cleaned her carpet after she was done. And any other stuff you want to try your best.  

in such a way that it’s all light, you could

that she didn’t want on her side she would leave on my side.   I don’t know many times, no matter how hard I tried, I always got in trouble. My

not walk on it carpet without

For a lot of us growing up, our mother represents the conscience of the family. I always remember my Mother’s voice saying,

“In Jin, I trust you.”

younger sister had a knack of knowing exactly when my mother would come in. Her side would be absolutely gorgeous,

beautiful,

so

pristine. My side looked like

trying to clean up as fast as possible. Many times when my mother came in, she said, “In Jin, why does the older sister’s side of the room look dirtier than the younger sister’s? Could you please clean up?” Then she would leave.   Then I would be totally crushed, thinking murderous thoughts. I would look at my sister and say, “How can you do this to me? How could you?” She would be sitting on the chair, smiling at me. It was very difficult for me to overcome my anger, which wanted so badly to volcanically erupt toward her. I often prayed about it, “Okay, I live with this person, she’s my sister, I have to take care of her, I have to love her. And yet she gets me in trouble all the time. How do I overcome it?”   Then I would hear a voice in the back of my mind, my mother’s voice,

The years went on like that. Finally, when we became teenagers, my mother got the idea, “Let’s put the two girls in two separate rooms with a shared bathroom.” But even when we got our separate rooms, it was interesting how her room would be just absolutely immaculate. I would try my best to keep my room as clean as possible. But when she wanted to rest, she would always come into my room and sleep on my bed, bringing Doritos and crumbly cookies and eating them in my chair and making a mess on my desk. She even had this fabulous way of vacuuming. You know that when you pull the vacuum one way the carpet looks darker and when you push, it looks lighter? She figured out the perfect way of vacuuming her room so it was all light. Then she would come into my room to do her thing, to spend her day. Sometimes the people taking care of our clothes would put my identical outfit

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not open her closet door without it creating an arc like half a snow angel.   This is what I had to deal with. One day I said to

That was awful because you couldn’t do anything that wouldn’t make Mama proud.

Clutter City. I’d be furiously

her knowing. And you could

myself, “Okay, Mother, I hear your voice. You’re telling me you trust me, but you know what? Being a good girl is not easy. One of these days I want to express to my sister what

I’m feeling.” There was one instance when a missionary couple came to our house and brought a lot of gifts from Japan. On this special day they gave my sister and me animated-figure pencil cases. They were beautiful, pink, with a picture of a beautiful girl. My sister got one, and I got one. We were both enjoying our presents.   I left the room to get something for the guests to drink. When I came back, my pencil case was in my sister’s hand and her pencil case was in front of my seat. It really didn’t matter so much because the pencil cases almost looked identical to me. But on this day, I just couldn’t hold it in. I screamed, “Un Jin!” like I’ve never screamed before. I said, “Give me my pencil case back,” and I took it from her hand, and gave hers back.   You know what happened? These

two poor missionaries who brought us time and time again. Even though I was “Wow, I want to be like that woman.” I the gift were looking at me, frozen in fear, naughty sometimes (and that outburst said, “Mom, no wonder you married my seeing this 10-year-old girl screaming at was a naughty thing to do), her love for dad. If you wanted to be a revolutionary, the top of her lungs because she wanted to me never, ever wavered. It was absolute, you certainly found one in my father.”    take something from her 8-year-old sister, it was unchanging, and it was eternal.

She made me feel like there’s no limit

not knowing what had just happened. She became a person who validated who to what I can accomplish. She made me Then, because I grabbed it so

feel like because I’m a girl,

furiously out of her hand, my

because I am God’s daughter,

younger sister started to cry. I felt absolutely miserable. Even though this happened to me many years ago, I’ve never forgotten that story. I never forgot how precious and incredibly important it is to

I’ve often thought, what would my mother have done in that situation? She would have asked me to be patient, she would have asked me to forgive, and she would have asked me to love.

listen to that inner voice, to listen to my mother saying, “I trust you.” Had I held in my temper or let this one pass, it would have been an opportunity for God to give me a chance to develop a deeper love for my sister.   After this incident I apologized profusely to my sister, and I even gave her my pencil case back, the one that she wanted. But it would never be the same to her, and it would never be the same to this poor Japanese missionary couple that brought us this gift. They must have gone away thinking, “Holy cow, that was quite a volcanic eruption we witnessed today!” I’ve often wondered what they must have been thinking or how ghastly I must have looked.   I’ve often thought, what would my mother have done in that situation? She would have asked me to be patient, she would have asked me to forgive, and she would have asked me to love. These are the lessons that my mother has taught me

I can be just as great as a child of God, just as great as my brothers. When my brothers were pushed to learn martial arts, she enrolled all her daughters in martial arts. When she bought my brother

I was. She was somebody that I could go to. She was like a sounding board to listen to some of the things that I was feeling. At the same time, she was somebody who made me feel like there’s nothing that I could not do.   She often told me a story about herself when she was a teenager, before she was married to my father when she was 17 years old. She said, “My model, my ideal woman, was Brigitte Bardot.” I said, “What?!” She said, “Yes, my ideal woman was Brigitte Bardot.” I said, “Mom, she’s a sex symbol.” She said, “No, no, not that part.” She had seen a movie in which Brigitte Bardot played a part in the Russian saga War and Peace. She was energized by this character, this heroine’s revolutionary spirit that she was going to change the world. My mom said that inspired her. And coming from an Asian culture, where women have always been repressed and kept hidden away, she said,

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a

cross-country

motorcycle, she bought all her daughters motorcycles. And she said, “Don’t let your brother beat you.” When she sent us to school, she told me, “There is nothing that you cannot study and do well. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you cannot do something because you’re a girl.   She said to me from time to time that the time is coming when women will be in a place to reclaim their proper role in the family, in society, and in the world. The world that we’re suffering in right now is from the Fall. But my mom always reminded me that the time is coming when women will stand on equal footing as a man. “There is nothing that you cannot do that your brothers can do.”   This environment, with her constant validation and empowering of my sisters and me, allowed us to excel. It’s interesting that perhaps because my mother pushed us to excel in school and in different

Mother’s Day by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 10, 2009

arts, the girls in my family were always important, or they don’t feel like they have “Live your life with simple elegance.” the straight-A students. The boys were to overcome adversity as much as do the That was something my mother said to interested in other things, but because students who are coming from abroad.   we felt like it was such an incredible

me long ago. She probably forgot about

For the daughters in our family we it, but I never did. That became the

opportunity for us to be able to do what had to excel. My mother was always motto for my life. Every day I tried to live many of our sisters in Asian or Middle there to empower us to keep on going, my life with simple elegance. The way I Eastern cultures are still not allowed to to keep on marching on. She became understood those words as a young child do, that is have the opportunity to gain our validation point in the family. Just and a daughter of God was to concentrate an education, we took it to heart. For us it recently my husband showed me another on the basics. What are the basics for a became almost like a mission because we interesting YouTube clip, a shot of valet good life? It’s remembering God. It’s were given something that is still denied parking. The valet, whose job was to park remembering family. It’s remembering to our sisters in some parts of the world.   all the cars in the lot, had a little table service and living for the sake of others.   Maybe that’s why the brothers didn’t with a long line. The people came up one

What are the other simple things in

take it as seriously as we did. Maybe they at a time, and the valet was validating life? My mother always told me, “Stick to took it for granted because they are men the people: To one person, he said, “You the classics.” Fashion fads will come and and of course they would be allowed an are lovely”; to the next person, “You are go but stick to the classics because they education. I’ve often thought, why is it that intelligent”; To the next person, “You stand the test of time. She always taught in America we have the best educational are the child of God” ;to the next one, me to look for simple lines, simple designs. systems, and it’s the American students “You can be everything and anything that Your creativity is what you do with those who are floundering while students you can be.” The valet was turning into designs by putting your wardrobe together. coming from abroad, from countries a validation point; all these people were She reminded me about the simple things like India, the former Soviet Union and coming not just to park their cars but to in our daily life. One’s life needs to be China, are doing incredibly well, getting be validated by this valet, who was saying clutter-free. It needs to be well organized. their Ph.D.s, and becoming successful in that they are awesome people, they are It needs to have a schedule. It not only the different areas that they have chosen incredible, they are magnificent, they are should be a pristine room, the way my for their profession? It’s because they beautiful.   understand the value of education. They

sister so diligently and so wonderfully

Isn’t that what a mother does? We tell kept her room immaculate, but it’s also

understand that it’s a gift, an opportunity, our children how beautiful and awesome in the organization of our complex lives and they’ve had to overcome a great deal they are. And our belief in them allows by creating a schedule so that we can live of adversity to be given this chance.  

them to achieve absolutely incredible simply.  

Professor Alan Bloom of the things. So when I think about my

When I ponder on the word elegance,

University of Chicago pointed out mother, not only is she the foundation of I’ve often thought about music, about the in his book called The Closing of the the family, not only is she the conscience life of an artist. I really do believe that true American Mind the decomposition of the of the family, but she is a validating point. elegance is a life lived like an artist. When educational system in the United States She has been, she is, and she always will my son and daughter were practicing the and the apathetic attitude of the students be. That’s why she’s so precious.   toward their studies. Maybe it’s because

piano, it began as cacophony: horrible

She taught us daughters two words, sounds that later on turned into beautiful

Americans, having been blessed with so and she said for us to try to live our lives waterfalls. It’s the daily practicing, much, are taking it for granted. It’s not so remembering these two words. She said, applying the values that you have in your

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life, applying the techniques that you have allow us to perform like Chris Alan, from so elegantly defined the people who were when you’re practicing piano each and our ministry band, did today—beautiful, treating the African-Americans in a wrong every day that allow you to do something profound, powerful, and sublime.   so difficult and arduous, and then turn it

way. Through her sheer determination, a

Isn’t that what the life of a religious beautiful and elegant person started the

into something so graceful, so profound, person is? We’re looking to experience a Montgomery bus boycott and inspired a and so elegant.  

communion with God in which we can whole new generation of young people to

The goal of an artist is to make the literally transcend the material, the things march together with the great civil rights performance seem effortless, natural, and that keep us attached, and experience leaders to change the world.   graceful. But we know that when you look nirvana, or transcendence. It’s a feeling of

My mother has always told me it’s

behind the performance, you see how the ecstasy that comes at the end of a religious not fire and brimstone that’s going to artist has committed to practicing daily, life well lived. And it’s that incredible change the world but quiet and persistent practicing through the tough days as transcendental performance, like the one determination. Many times I saw that well as the good days, going through this we witnessed here earlier today, that comes example in my mother, in how she carried torturous process, the furnace of creativity because of endless hours spent at the piano herself as the wife of Reverend Moon, that one has to go through to produce a going through the lessons, going through the man who cares only about living for work of art that is truly profound. It’s a the exercises, playing scales, arpeggios, the sake of others. I’ve often thought, “I really difficult thing to do. But it’s going octaves, double arpeggios, and so on.   through that difficulty, going through the

wonder if my mom is lonely. I wonder if

This is the elegance that we see in she might need a little more attention. I

practicing sessions, going through the my mother, the elegance of truly great wonder if she sometimes is sad.”   singing lessons each and every day that women like Rosa Parks, who silently but

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I remember once when I went in

Mother’s Day by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 10, 2009

to greet my parents in the morning, my truly make it into a successful family), it must have been for my mother from father was in the restroom and my mother I’ve thought about that day and I realize time to time living with a man who was cleaning up the room. But next to my mother must have been crying. In thinks 24/7 only about saving the world, her desk was a pile of crumpled tissue, fact, she must have been crying quite serving the world, and living for the sake and her eyes were red. But she didn’t say profusely because the mound of tissue of others, I constantly remind myself that anything as to how or why the tissues got was quite high. But that’s the heart of a I must follow the example of my mother there. Because she saw my face, her face mother. She never complained. She never in that I should not complain or be bitter. lit up, she greeted me with a smile, she said anything negative. The only thing In fact, the more I suffer, the greater an hugged me, and she said, “Are you going she did was empower me to go on and opportunity it can be to help me grow as off to school?” I said, “Yes, Mother,” and have a good day at school. She gave me a more profound and deeper person.   just kept on looking at the tissue on the an offering of a beautiful smile. And she side. But she wouldn’t say a word. Then urged me on to have a great day.   she said, “Don’t forget to be grateful, and have a wonderful day at school.”  

I remember my mother’s offering of a smile and also remember her saying,

For me, now that I am a mother, “No matter how difficult your day is, every time I’m confronted with a crisis or no matter how much people persecute

My mother and I never talked about an obstacle, which I understand to be an you, no matter how much people do not it, but now that I have become a mother opportunity for allowing me to become understand you, start with the offering with five children of my own, and I am a victorious woman, I remember my of a smile. Then don’t forget to breathe. working to create what I call this ideal mother saying to me, “I trust you and Remember that human beings are family (meaning I’m dealing with all I love you.” I remember that mound of breathing 20,000 liters of air each and the things that come with family, to tissues and think about how difficult every day. It’s something that we cannot

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see, but it’s something that we cannot live gaining too much power because so many horribly shocked.   without. It’s like God. It’s something that young people were following his messages

At school a bunch of high school kids

we don’t see every day of our lives, but it’s of love and of building an ideal family cornered my 13-year-old brother because something that we cannot live without.  

as the cornerstone of a powerful and he was a Moonie. These were big kids,

She said, “You need to breathe: God-centered society. We witnessed the and they pinned him against the wall remember not just to inhale but to exhale. backlash against our movement. The late in the boys’ bathroom. One of the boys It doesn’t matter how great you are: If you’re just saying, ‘I just want to inhale all the time,’ you’re not going to last very long. Or if you want to say, ‘I want to exhale all the time,’ you’re not going to last very long, either.” So it’s in remembering to breathe that we think about inhaling and exhaling, and we remember

peed on him, and all the while

Human beings are like light bulbs. No matter how grand or expensive a light bulb we are, if we’re not connected to the real source of love, which is God, we will not shine as brilliantly as we were meant to shine .  

how important it is to have

the other boys taunted him, “You’re a bleeping Moonie. Moonie.” My brother was so traumatized and so incensed; he really didn’t know what to do. He had to wait until they all left. He didn’t really know how society works or even a school system works, so he didn’t think about going to the principal or filing a

this give and receive action that is ongoing 1970s and early 1980s were probably the complaint. He was just traumatized that all the time but that many times we forget worst years. Going to school as Reverend somebody could do something like that and take for granted. But it’s a wonderful Moon’s children was very difficult. We just because his faith was different.   way of remembering how we should live were pounded and called Moonies [in a our lives.  

So he went to the gym lockers, took

negative tone]. Because my brothers were a shower there, put on his gym clothing,

She has often encouraged me, after boys, a lot of other boys would try to came home, and told this story to my realizing how incredible it is to be alive at this beat them up simply because they were mother. My mother said to him, “Heungmoment, that it’s always important to do Moonies.    something positive. She always encouraged

jin, thank God you’re all right. They could

There was one instance when my have done you greater harm. Thank God.

her children to say, “Thank you,” no matter brother was perhaps 13 years old. When Something like this is something you can how difficult a situation might be.  

he came home, his hair was wet and he wash off. But if it truly made you angry,

I remember one instance with my was wearing gym clothing. He went to do not respond with greater anger but younger brother, who passed away when bow to my mother to greet her, saying, try to respond with greater love. And he was 17 years old. When we first came “Mother, I just came back home from remember how much it infuriated you, to America, I was 8 years old and he school.” But obviously something terrible how much it traumatized you, how much was 7. None of us could speak a word had happened because his face was swollen it denigrated you, but take those negative of English. The only thing we could say and he was crying. My mother asked him, feelings and try your best to turn it into was yes and hello. You can imagine how “What happened, Heung-jin?” It took positive energy. So instead of going down difficult it must have been. On top of such a long time for her to get the story to their debased level, you can rise up that, the American people soon woke out as she was holding his hand. Finally from this incredibly horrific situation, up to the fact that Reverend Moon was when the story did come out, we were all like a phoenix rising from the ashes, and

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Scripture Readings for Lovin’ Life Ministries

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Proverbs 31:10-30 Ode to a Capable Wife A capable wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of the merchant, she brings her food from far away. She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household and tasks for her servant-girls. She considers a field and buys it; with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all her household are clothed in crimson. She makes herself coverings; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchant with sashes. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her happy; her husband too, and he praises her: “Many women have done excellently but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

Blessing and Ideal Family Chapter 7: The True Husband and Wife and the Ideal Family Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon, 1988

God must love woman more than man. Man is like God’s body and woman is in the position of his object. Woman, who was created at the last moment as the utmost masterpiece, is in the position to receive more love from God and eventually she is to be a mother. Children in general also prefer their mothers. Father thinks of something in the far distance and Mother thinks of things close at hand. Woman is the realist. Raising up children is a big job. Because women have to go through so many difficulties, such as the period of pregnancy and delivery, God gives deeper love to them. Why did God make it so difficult? If the process of bearing a child were easy, she wouldn’t understand love. When she gives birth in suffering, she will cherish her baby and will be able to feel God’s heart. In this respect, woman occupies the eminent and precious position in the realm of emotion. No matter how much the father loves his baby, he doesn’t know love as much as the mother does. Therefore, women will go to the Kingdom of Heaven of heart.

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become a great person. It’s adversity that our divinity to the world. Human beings now gives me incredible hope that I can will turn you into a heavenly champion.”   are like light bulbs. No matter how grand play a part in being an agent of change My mom said, “Any time someone or expensive a light bulb we are, if we’re not just like my mother, to make this country, belittles you because they think you’re a connected to the real source of love, which our communities and my family into Moonie, be grateful because what Satan is is God, we will not shine as brilliantly as we something great.   doing is putting adversity smack in front were meant to shine.   of you to remind you that it’s something

I feel that the world is ready for women

When you’re an adolescent, you hope in leadership. In the 1970s and the 1980s,

you need to overcome, it’s something that that you’re cool. You never pass a mirror the big threat was communism. My father you can be victorious over and become without looking at yourself once or twice. invested so many of his resources to combat a true son or a true daughter of God.” Oftentimes when I go walking in the city, communism, building and supporting the My mother said, “As difficult as it is, let’s sometimes window-shopping with my Washington Times so that together with smile.” So the three of us held hands, and kids, I’m counting, oh, my son Preston Ronald Reagan he could usher in a time of we smiled. Then my mother said, “Let’s looked in that mirror, three, four, five times. perestroika and glasnost and see the walls breathe. Let’s remember to inhale, to My daughter was checking out her shoes. come down, the Soviet empire crumble, exhale.” So the three of us held hands, and Or, my son was checking the back of his and communism go away.   we inhaled and exhaled, remembering hair as he walked by. We become very self-

But the great threat now to our

that we were breathing in 20,000 liters of conscious of how we look on the outside.   lives, our communities, and our nation is air, breathing in God each and every day.

But see, no matter how beautiful we terrorism. It’s a war of religions, if you will.

And we remembered the importance of are on the outside, if the inner light, the With a mother’s heart, the women are going giving but also receiving and creating this filament in the light bulb, is not working to play a crucial role in bringing together circuitry so that the power of love could properly, the electrical current that comes these siblings, like the sons and daughters of overcome anything.  

from God, this incredible thing called God, reminding these different religions of

Then my mother said, “Let’s express true love, can’t make the filament glow. the True Parents, that God as our heavenly our thanks.” So the three of us held Therefore, the light bulb will not be able parent and that we belong to one family that hands and said, “Thank you, God, our to cast its light out into the world.   Heavenly Parent. Thank you for helping

needs to love and to take care of each other,

I feel that the mothers have an not just tolerate and coexist. I don’t want to

us, teaching us, and showing us how to incredible role. I saw my mother for be in a family where I’m just tolerated by my overcome adversity and still be a grateful many years standing behind my father, husband. In fact, if he wrote me a beautiful person and become a strong son and then slowly coming up next to my father, anniversary card, saying, “Dear In Jin, thank daughter of God.”   

and then finally taking the lead and you for being my wife all these years. I truly

It’s these lessons that my mom has leaving my father behind. It is she who tolerate you, I want to spend the rest of my taught throughout our lives that make me is standing in the position of leadership life coexisting with you,” I think I would remember who I am. I am a daughter of in our movement. It is she who is have another volcanic eruption, and it God. I’m a Moonie, yes, I am. But I am a spearheading different projects, starting would be fair to do so.   daughter of God. I am reminded that what different organizations, giving public

But if he were to say to me, “I love

our parents most want is for us to shine our speeches. To see my mother transformed you with all my heart, I want to give divinity to the world, to share the beauty of into the incredible woman that she is everything I have to you so that we

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Mother’s Day by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 10, 2009

can establish and grow and nurture an another terrorist attack. In fact, it must and daughters, so that we can truly be the incredible family,” then I would want to be a mother’s heart—the heart of love, brilliant light that God wants us to be.   spend the rest of my life with this man the heart of living for the sake of others,

So, brothers and sisters, happy

forever. That’s the power of love. It’s the heart of service and the heart of Mother’s Day. Please honor your wife, the greatest force in the universe. Only excellence—that educates, that creates and, children in the audience, please love through love can we solve the problems the desire to raise up a young generation, your mother and honor her because there of our society, and only through love can a generation that can name its own as a is nothing like coming home to a nice we solve this threat called terrorism that is generation of peace and to usher in a new bowl of chicken soup, right? Not only is millennium, a world where we no longer chicken soup good penicillin for the body, plaguing our lives each and every day.   As long as I am a mother, I cannot sit have to worry about violence, hatred, but it’s truly something that nourishes the idle while the world is fighting, while the anger, and frustration but where we can heart and inspires us to become great men brothers and sisters of God, the different celebrate life and honor and respect each and women of God. So God bless, and religions are fighting. We do not need other as divine human beings, as divine sons happy Mother’s Day. LLM  

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True Love =True Rub By Rev. In Jin Moon

Lovin’ Life Sunday Sermon May 17, 2009 Manhattan Center, New York

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Good morning, brothers and sisters. And good morning, West Rock and New Jerusalem communities. We are delighted to have you His name is Paxton; his Korean name is joining with us to celebrate here at the Shin Pyung, meaning faith and peace. We Lovin’ Life Ministries. Wasn’t that a great were looking through one of those Aesop performance by the band? I want to know fables stories and I thought, “Hmm, I what love is, too, and I’m sure all of you wonder what a four-year-old’s definition want to know, experience, and live what of love might be. So I said, “Paxton, what love is all about.

do you think love is?” And he looked

I remember having a very interesting at me with these beautiful black eyes and enlightening conversation with my and said, “Love is what makes the heart youngest son when he was four years old. move”. I thought that answer was better

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than something I could come up with, my life and the lives of our community for me, what did he not do for me? Did and I said, “So why is love something that members. As someone who has given birth he bring me flowers on our anniversary? makes your heart move?” And he said, “I to five children and has experienced what Did he bring me a gift on my birthday?” love you, Omma, and I want to hug you a parental love is like, the kind of parental And the husband may say, ‘Well, “If my and I want to kiss you and I want to be love that we have for our children is exactly wife really, truly loves me, honors me, and with you. And my heart moves me to just the kind of love that God, as our parent, respects me, then I want my breakfast at want to be with you.” I thought, what an has for us. He loves us unconditionally, he 7AM sharp, I want my laundry done incredibly beautiful answer.

loves us with a joyful heart, and he loves crisply, folded, and put away in drawers.

Love is something that we all want us with a sacrificial love in that he would I want our room to be immaculate and as human beings; it is something that we be willing to sacrifice anything just to be comfortable when I come back home strive for. I think a lot of you walked into with his children. this community because you understood

from work.”

When I look at the problems that

Many times the husband and wife

Heavenly Parent’s definition of what I see around our world, such as broken have expectations of each other and true love is all about. My father has said families and difficult relationships, I see conditions set on each other that they over the years, “What is the true essence that people are the same regardless of what would like the other spouse to fulfill. If of true love? The essence of true love is kind of an environment they come from you look at that situation, sometimes you unconditional. It’s a joyful love, and it’s a in that they want to experience true love. wonder, “Why does all this tallying up sacrificial love.” I am sure all of you have But I have often seen, especially between of points result in a volcanic eruption?” thought about this definition from time a husband and wife, conditional love. It’s because each side, the husband or the to time, as I have over the years. I find it Sometimes the wife may actually tally up wife, is wanting something from the other, to be quite significant when I think about points like, “What did my husband do not really thinking about what the other

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True Love = True Rub by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 17, 2009

person might need. Instead, you should comes into conflict with the parents, and

I grew up in a family where my father

be more of a giver in that you want to it’s a difficult battle. Sometimes instead of and my mother were 24/7 obsessed about take care of others without remembering being grateful for having each other, there is preaching the word of God. Many times what they did or did not do for you. As a great deal of resentment and anger. Father says, love is giving and forgetting

they were not home. As children, what do

I know that even within our own we want more than anything? We want to

you have given, meaning you are not community many times the Second be with our parents all the time, and we tallying up the points of the performance Generation of your beloved spouse.

looks

upon

the

First want them to love us. From our point of

Generation with absolute puzzlement. view, it’s what we want, and we are not

The relationship we have with God is “How can Mom and Dad give up really thinking about what we really need. the most precious thing in the world. And everything for God? How can my mom In my own life of faith I’ve struggled with yet sometimes when it manifests in the and dad continually sacrifice and invest in that; it’s at times like that when I felt most family there can be an incredible amount the movement while we don’t have food lonely, most miserable, most frustrated, of misunderstanding. When parents receive on the table? How can Mom and Dad and most angry. this beautiful bundle of delight they call be so crazy about mission work that they

Being in a public family, you cannot

their son or daughter; they have so much are never home?” As the child strives to talk to anybody in confidence because expectation, so many things they want understand all these things, sometimes once you say to your best friend, “I’m their child to be. We try our best to guide he or she feels deep frustration and anger, feeling really miserable; I’m feeling really our children through life and to help them and it’s very difficult to have a joyful heart. lonely,” it literally goes around the world. I become children of God. But what was once a But a child must go through the growing understand it’s out of love and concern that beautiful bundle, starts developing a language period. Every one of us has gone through my friend mentioned to her parents, “In of its own. At two years of age, it finds its sense it or maybe some of us are smack in the Jin is really struggling because her parents of identity and begins to express its sense of middle of it, feeling like we are the loneliest are not there and she feels so lonely and self with the word No. And Everything you people and the most misunderstood people so miserable. It’s awful.” Maybe she said it ask the child to do, the answer is “No.” It’s an in the world. But God is taking us through out of love. But then the parents decide to assertion of identity to the world; many times this process because sometimes we find God go to the central figure: “Central figure, it’s directed toward the parents. As the child grows, and as the dynamic between parent and child becomes defined, a lot of friction may arise. In the midst of growing up, children might feel like the parents don’t understand them at all; in fact a child might feel nobody understands him or

In Jin Nim is such a lonely,

He loves us unconditionally, he loves us with a joyful heart, and he loves us with a sacrificial love in that he would be willing to sacrifice anything just to be with his children.

miserable

child.”

Then

the central figure hears, this, “Oh my goodness, she is a miserable child” (the lonely is forgotten by now), and then it comes back to my parents, “In Jin is complaining because

her and feel incredibly lonely,

her parents are pathetic,”

even in a huge family, in trying to

and the miserable part, the

find the self and understand where he or she only when we feel like there is nothing left. lonely part, and the frustrated part are fits in the scheme of things called life and this We look toward trying to be someone better forgotten. wonderful gift of a world called the universe. or reach something beyond what we are only As the child struggles, sometimes he or she when we feel like we have nowhere to turn.

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So you learn that if you are born into a public family, you cannot even

easily convey your heart to anybody. So True Parents who can for the first time in market and buy a little fish for them to where do you go, who do you talk to providential history substantiate this ideal share. The mother would roast the fish, when your parents are not there? That’s family and move forward to engraft all of maybe with a bit of sesame oil or maybe how I realized how incredible God, our humankind into the true olive branch. with a little bit of soy sauce. She would Heavenly Parent, is. He is unchanging, What an incredible and awesome parent create a wonderful, succulent fish dish he is eternal, and he is absolute. These are we have in God! the attributes of true love that he shows

that the two would share. The mother

When I think about sacrificial love would always cut the head off and serve

me each and every day. So in my hour of and of my role as a mother, I know that the son the body or the filet part of the darkness, when I had no one to turn to, I realized there was always somebody right there. There was God. And when I felt incredibly frustrated I realized that I only had to open my mouth and talk to God and I would be heard, understood, and loved.

Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and young people simply cannot wait to get on board.

So from a very young age you realize that God is amazing, and then you realize that through his love, which is absolute, eternal, and unchanging, you are probably the luckiest girl in the world. Then you realize, “Not only am I the luckiest girl in the world, but the people sitting here are the luckiest men and women, brothers and sisters, and sons and daughters of God. And then you realize, “Oh my goodness, this is what it means to have a joyful love toward someone. You are so much indebted that you cannot help but be grateful. My father also teaches that the third essence of true love is sacrificial love. I think all of us in the room are no different in that the word sacrifice gives us shudders. It is not something that we look forward to. But then you look at how God loves us and how much he has suffered for us, sacrificing himself so that he can raise up an incredible man and a women like

fish. After placing it on her son’s dish she would take the head of the fish and put it on her plate, and they would both enjoy the fish. Many years went by and the son did grow into an awesome man. He found a beautiful bride, and now they had a home. They looked

I would do anything for my child. There is a wonderful story that is told over and over again in Korea. It’s a story about the relationship between a mother and a son. Traditionally in a Korean family, the eldest son is the most important of the children, and so the mother tries her best to raise up this son to be a great man of God. So this was a poor family. The mother used all her resources to be creative with very little. She always managed to prepare three wholesome and handsome meals for her son. The story talks about how even the place matting or the choice of a dish was done carefully because it was her devotional way of loving her son and hoping that he could become a great man of God. They had this little ritual once a week. The mother, having saved money all throughout the week, would go to the

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forward to inviting his mother, so they prepared a feast. The son told the wife, “My mother likes this type of a fish; could you prepare it like this?”. So his beloved wife prepared a succulent dish. When the mother came, the son cut the fish just the way his mother used to do. He cut the head off and served it to the mother, and then he took the filet part and served himself and his wife. It was then that the mother broke into tears. The son said, “Mother why are you crying? I thought this was your favorite dish. You saved money for a whole week to buy this kind of fish, so why are you crying? Wasn’t the fish head your favorite part? You always served me the filet and served yourself the head.” Then the mother cried, “Aigo (meaning “Oi Veh” or “Oh my goodness”), don’t you know I gave you the filet because I wanted you to have the best part of the fish and I took the head fish because there was nothing to eat? I was

True Love = True Rub by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 17, 2009

an old woman and you were a growing boy. of this sacrificial love is what moved my lot of young people today misunderstand I wanted you to have the better.”

friend to stay on track and stay true to his what true love really is. A lot of young

And then the son realized what he relationship with God because that is the people think that getting love from had done, so he started crying, “Oh, kind of love God has for us. Mother, I am so sorry. I had no idea that

their hot boyfriend is true love. Maybe

That kind of image is similar with they have to sacrifice some of their own

all during those years the reason why you an image in the mega-blockbuster movie values to be that popular girl at school. have saved the money to go to the market Titanic. Everybody on board can see that They are always trying to find out, “How once a week to buy the fish to prepare it there are not enough lifeboats. They know do I get what I want, how do I get the with such devotion so that it would be for certain that some people will live and kind of validation that I need, how do I so delicious and succulent and the way some people will die. It is the sacrificial experience true love?” you served the fish was because you were love of the mother, of a parent, that pleads

But, you know, I was once a teenager,

thinking about me. I had no idea.” Then with the people who have been chosen to too, and I remember my mother saying the son realized how immature he was to go on a life boat, “Please take my child; to me, “Anything worthwhile takes time.” think that a mother would serve herself please save my child,” even though she When I heard her say that to me many the best part. The mother always serves knows that she will perish, because she years ago, it frustrated me even more. But the child the best part, and that’s the heart wants her child to live, to grow up, to then you go through your life and come of a sacrificial love.

experience the parental love that she has to the same place your mother was, with

A friend of mine sent me an e-mail so enjoyed by having this child. She wants children of your own. You are looking at a while back in which he mentioned the child to experience the very same your children, these incredible specimens several times that it was Jesus Christ who parental heart of God. So as sickening and of love, and you want the best for them. really helped him get back on track and as horrifying it is to know that the parents You don’t want them to have a broken stay true in his relationship with God, will die, there is still a sense of hope in heart; you don’t want them to have a our Parent. He said he saw an image of the parents that even as they breathe their broken future. You want them to have the a beautiful slave women, breast-feeding last breath of air, they die with a sense of ultimate experience of loving, honoring, a white child who belonged to the slave hope knowing that one day their child and respecting another person who will master. Even though she knew that can grow up and experience parental love them eternally, unchangingly, with perhaps this master’s son would one day heart, which can only come about when respect and honor. You want them to grow up to be a master of slaves himself we have children ourselves. and might become someone who would

find such a relationship in their lives.

My son sitting here is 16 years old. And so here I am telling my 16-year

rape and abuse the black women in her He is such a brilliant artist, but what old, “Anything worthwhile takes time.” community, the only thing she could see I find him doing from time to time is I know he does not like to hear that was the beauty of this child. As a mother drawing a portrait of a gorgeous woman. because he is thinking, “Where is my with a sacrificial heart, she was breast- I say, “Truston, who is that?” And then ideal woman, now?” And I think every feeding this baby because she knew he quickly puts it away and I say, “But it’s girl in the audience is thinking, “Where is he was a child. And not only was she absolutely gorgeous. I wish I could meet my knight in shining armor? I want him breast-feeding but also singing the Negro her.” When you are a young man, you now.” spirituals. She was singing from her heart, have so much love and so much passion,

It is like one of the favorite movies

serenading him and nourishing him. She you are really dying to love somebody. that we like to see as a family. I’m well was loving this baby, but all the while her You are always looking because you are into my forties, but I still enjoy the movie ankles were bound in chains. The image desiring this thing called love. I think a Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

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Scripture Readings for Lovin’ Life Ministries

Sunday, May 17, 2009

One, One, One

By Rumi, mystic poet of Islam 1207-1273 The lamps are different, But the Light is the same. So many garish lamps in the dying brain’s lamp shop, Forget about them. Concentrate on essence, concentrate on Light. In lucid bliss, calmly smoking off its own holy fire, The Light streams toward you from all things, All people, all possible permutation of good, evil, thought, passion. The lamps are different, But the Light is the same. One matter, one energy, one Light, one Light-mind, Endlessly emanating all things. One turning and burning diamond, One, one, one. Ground yourself, strip yourself down, To blind loving silence. Stay there, until you see You are gazing at the Light With its own ageless eyes.

I John 4: 12-13

God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

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God’s Ideal Family and the Kingdom of the Peaceful, Ideal World – III Rev. Dr. Sun Myung Moon True Love Then what is true love? Its essence is to give, to live for the sake of others and for the sake of the whole. True love gives, forgets that it has given, and continues to give without ceasing. True love gives joyfully. We find it in the joyful and loving heart of a mother who cradles her baby in her arms and nurses it at her breast. True love is sacrificial love, such as that of a devoted son who gains his greatest satisfaction in helping his parents. When we are bound together in true love, we can be together forever, continually rejoicing in each other’s company. The power of attraction of true love brings all things in the universe to our feet; even God will come to dwell with us. Nothing can compare to the value of true love. It has the power to dissolve the barriers fallen people have created, including national boundaries and the barriers of race and even religion. The main attributes of God’s true love are that it is absolute, unique, unchanging and eternal. Whoever practices true love will live with God, share His happiness, and enjoy the right to participate as an equal in His work. Therefore, a life lived for the sake of others, a life of true love, is the absolute prerequisite for entering the kingdom of heaven.

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I love that part when Willy Wonka terms of where you stand with God, with

What they want us to have is not

is saying, “Maybe you should not eat your family, with the world. If you can’t something half-baked. There is nothing that blueberry gum because it’s not been put that into order, how can you invite worse than biting into a cake that is halfcompleted.” But the girl keeps saying, “I another person into your life? It is a recipe baked, nothing worse than a baked good want it now.” And she starts chewing and for disaster.” says, “Oh I can taste these fabulous flavors!”

that collapses onto itself. You want the full

There is a huge push when young satisfaction, the full taste of what you are

But she doesn’t realize that she is turning people are in junior high school or just biting into. Our parents know, and God, into a blueberry and that she is

our Heavenly Parent, knows

being engorged with blueberry

that first love is probably the

juice. And I always say to my kids, “See? That is what happens when you eat something that is not ready?” Love is probably the most powerful force in the universe, and young people simply cannot wait to get on

Love is the most powerful force in the universe, and young people simply cannot wait to get on board.

board. Think about when you want to bake a cake, a wonderful birthday cake for your mom, and you really want to do it with heart and devotion. You can’t be like I Dream of Genie, just snapping your fingers, and there it is. It takes a certain preparation of gathering ingredients and blending them together, cream, eggs, and so forth, and putting them into an oven and baking it. Our favorite dessert in our house is cheesecake. We love to bake cheesecake. But the kids know they have to wait a day before they can break into it and take their first bite because they want that first bite to be a full experience. So when we tell our children, “please wait a little; please be a little patient,” they would ask why. We tell them, “Please wait a little because during your growth period you don’t even know who you are. You are trying to understand who you are and you are trying to find your relationship in

most powerful thing in the universe. They are asking us to consider how wonderful it will be to have that with another person who is going to honor, respect, and love you as a divine human being. The parents are not asking you to deny yourself,

starting high school to go dating, to go partying, to lose their virginity so that basically they start looking at other human beings not as vessels of God with divinity in them, but as objects to conquer and to possess. . Father and Mother have so urgently, so vehemently, and so pleadingly asked young people, and their own children as well, to wait for the Blessing. When you want to drive a car, you have to go through a process of getting a license. Probably the most important license you can own is a marriage license, and therefore you have to go through a process of growth, of putting mind over body, of becoming aware of who you are as an individual and in relation to God as a divine vessel who is going to enjoy the privilege of loving another human being. That is why Father and Mother have asked us to wait.

not at all. It is just simply the matter of delayed gratification, and then you can have it all. You can have a glorious relationship. You can be in love and create a wonderful family without having gone through the stages of having a broken heart, of divorce, of being abused by people who do not treat you right, and then winding up as somebody wounded, as somebody who needs a lot of taking care of. That is a job in and of itself, to take care of somebody who is wounded. So the only thing they are asking us to do is to wait to get the marriage license, this license to “drive”; you will have the recognition of not just yourself but your family and your community, and all generations can celebrate a new union. So instead of it being something selfish, the coming together as a husband and wife can be celebrated by everyone. How wonderful and incredible is that!

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True Love = True Rub by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 17, 2009

So I know that when my 16-year-old from a piece of coal. It has a very humble family to create an ideal family. You are is saying, “I want to know what love is,” beginning. After being hidden deep inside dealing with your parents, you are dealing maybe my son should think that there is a the earth core with thousands of pounds with your brothers and sisters, you special somebody that God has prepared of pressure put upon it for thousands of are dealing with your grandfather and for him. The most important thing that years, the coal is slowly transformed into grandmother, you are dealing with that he can do is to work on himself, work a diamond. And even when one finds a nosy aunt of yours. on becoming an internally as well as an diamond, it is still rough. So the jeweler

All this pressure that they put upon

externally excellent person. This means has to harvest it by cleaning it up, filing it, you is actually helping you transform not just daily practicing what makes him and polishing it before he can put it into yourself into a diamond. It is your family, into a great human being by practicing a beautiful setting. true love, but, at the same time, since he is

God, and True Parents who will polish you

So when your parents are asking into this rarity. You will commit yourself

so young, being the best in school. Be that you to wait, it is because they know to that other person for the rest of your class president, be that great artist, be the you are going to be turning into a rare life, enjoying the gratification that comes incredible mathematician or the future diamond that will one day showcase with waiting, enjoying the satisfaction of physicist who would make Einstein smile your commitment and your pledge to a bite into something fully baked, fully with great delight! You can be everything love another person eternally. Like the matured, so unlike the dissatisfaction that and anything that you want to be if you thousands of years of being in the earth’s you feel when you bite into a fruit that is go through this process.

core, you need to work things out as a not ripe. As much as I love a banana in the

So the most gorgeous jewels take time and care, like the beautiful pearl in an oyster. How does that pearl come to be? It’s made inside an oyster through an irritation caused by a grain of sand. So a lot of you might look at your parents as that grain of sand continually frustrating you, irritating you, telling you, “Don’t do this; maybe you should do that. Maybe you should wait.”. But it’s that grain of sand. Your parents that are going to turn you into a brilliant, one-of-akind pearl called you. A diamond is something that is truly rare and valuable, something that all the ladies would like to have sitting on their fourth finger on the day they walk down the aisle. It starts out

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morning, sometimes when it’s too green, it When the child does the dishes, the first you can rule the world in the artistry that leaves an aftertaste. So having a premature thing is, “Mother, come here and look at God has given you when you were born, relationship may be like biting into an the dishes,” or if it is taking out the trash, when you were this bundle of delight that unripened banana, because you can not it’s “Mother, I took out the trash. Can I all of us once were.” escape the aftertaste that lingers on forever.

have another Pokémon card?” You know

So I hope that the young people in

So please wait, please be grateful, that the child is maturing nicely when the the audience can understand delayed and please practice the three things that child simply does all those things without gratification, which is just waiting for that are the essence of true love in your family: seeking recognition. But you know what special something on that special day. It is honoring your parents, taking care of your as parents, we always know and we always like waiting for a birthday to come around brothers and sisters, and loving all those notice the things that our children do. the next year and anticipating receiving around you truly in a sacrificial way. Show But even if we don’t recognize what a birthday gift that you have worked so your parents you love them by taking out they have done, they are still happy just hard for all year.. Wouldn’t you, on that the trash before your mama asks you to, because they have had an opportunity to day, want to receive the gift beautifully doing the dishes before you mama finishes do something to make the place a little bit packaged. Maybe you are waiting for a her last bite on her dinner plate, or making more beautiful. that extra special something like a dessert

laptop like the way my 16-year-old boy

It is inheriting the habits or the was on his birthday. I saw the look on his

to surprise you father with. If your father practices that are learned within the family face when he opened up the gift. It was is a chocoholic, well, then, you have your that truly turns you into the kind of person just like, “WOW! AMAZING.” Now homework done. You can create a lovely that can welcome another human being as imagine if he turned on the computer and chocolate éclair or a chocolate cheesecake a spouse to love. So don’t ever think that found out it was broken or if it was used or anything chocolate to put that smile on you are being denied anything when your and something was not functioning. your father’s face and grow your gratitude parents say, “Please don’t go to parties, please

If you don’t wait for this special

so that you are not always wanting don’t do drugs, please don’t have sex.” They day, your heart may be broken. When something from your parents.

are not denying you; they are not saying you are broken-hearted, you can’t trust.

The difference between a mature you can’t do these things. They are simply When you can’t trust, it’s very difficult to person and an immature person, between reorienting you, saying “Maybe these things love because to truly love somebody you a child and an adult, is that when a child are not good for your growth. Look at all have to be absolutely vulnerable in every does something, he or she wants to be the things that you can do. You can be an sense of the word. You have to be able to recognized. When a child cleans up the incredible daughter of God if you can forgo open up your heart without any fear. I room the first thing that the child says drugs. You can be an incredible student, an know that from having counseled many is, “Mommy, come and see my room.” incredible artist, an incredible anything, and couples in the past and from talking

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True Love = True Rub by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 17, 2009

to my colleagues who come to me for a lot of First Generation here. Many of your mirror?” This is the mirror that we are marital advice, the greatest thing that can you joined this community because you going to reflect as the face of God. destroy a marriage is fear. This is what, as wanted to build on this essence of true

We have a lot of Japanese and

parents, we would want our children to love by practicing living for the sake of Koreans in the audience. I remember avoid because this fear of failure, the fear others, by practicing and applying these when we were growing up, we used to of being broken hearted, the fear of being three loves: unconditional love, joyful receive Divine Principle lectures from this hurt many times is actually a hindrance to love, and sacrificial love. As we move incredible Yoda-like figure called Reverend the ability to love.

forward together in this journey of life, Sudo. He is absolutely awesome. He

So when your parents ask you to rest assured that you are not alone. Just would give passionate Divine Principle wait, they want you to wait for that as you are dealing with your ideal family, lectures about true love, but whenever special somebody who believes in God as so am I, and so is he, and so is she. Let’s he said “true love,” it sounded like “true our Heavenly Parent who understands the not forget that the goal is to build ideal rub.” So we always thought, “Okay after essence of true love. It is not about what I families so we can build an ideal society the lecture, we are going to truly rub each can get; it is really about living for the sake and ideal world where we can enjoy these other.” That was our ongoing joke. In of others. It is about what we can do for incredible fruits without fear, without remembrance of Rumi, don’t be irritated the other person. And if the other person violence, without hurt and pain. That is by a little rub, the rub from your parents coming into your life understands that, definitely something to look forward to. then you won’t be opening a birthday gift

saying, “Wait a little bit, try reorienting

One of my favorite poets is the Sufi yourself this way, try to be grateful, try

that has something broken or something mystic Rumi. I’ll share with you one of to be sacrificial.” Don’t be irritated, but missing so you have to go and buy another his poems that tends to be my favorite. He laugh about it together. Maybe perhaps part. You will be starting with something talks about this one light emanating from on your way back home you can truly that is ready to go; something beautiful, one source. That one light is our Heavenly rub each other in the car or on the street something whole.

Parent, who is always emanating of himself or during the day or when you are doing

So, young people in the audience, and hoping that we can be charged into his the dishes together and know that you are please wait to receive that incredible brilliance, that we as beautiful light bulbs truly rubbed by your Heavenly Parent. laptop. When you grow up, God wants to can truly glow, brilliantly sharing in his light

So, brothers and sisters, have a

give to you a new laptop. Even better than by being connected to the divine. Then we wonderful week, have a wonderful day a laptop is a person, a walking, talking, can gaze into his ageless eyes and taste the and go gloriously, truly, rubbing each and breathing, and loving person.

beauty of true love. Rumi often liked to say other. Thank you. LLM

So, brothers and sisters, we have to his followers, “If you are irritated by a come from all different walks of life. I see little rub, how are you ever going to polish

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Day of All Things By Rev. In Jin Moon

Lovin’ Life Sunday Sermon: May 24, 2009 Belvedere Estate, New York

Good morning, everybody. Happy Day of All Things! I’m very happy to see you here on this beautiful Belvedere Estate. It reminds me of the good old days of the 1970s, when we had many of our church celebrations here together with our True Parents. We thought, “Why not bring back a little bit of that happy memory? Many of you now have kids, so why not celebrate together with our families here on this gorgeous day?”

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I don’t want to take too much of son and daughter, Adam and Eve, was so their daily life by starting with the simple our time because today really should be that he could realize this love. a day of celebration, with festivities and

things, like cleaning up their room,

Our True Parents have come as the taking care of their things, honoring their

activities. But I want to kick off this first perfected Adam and perfected Eve, parents. Truly our community is great wonderful day by thanking our Heavenly venturing into this dangerous territory because we have the best of the East and Parent, truly thanking our True Parents of creating ideal families. I’m sure all of the best of the West. I know that in many and thanking everybody here who could you are in the process living with and Eastern countries you’re not supposed to make it so that we can celebrate together dealing with all the things that come with directly address your parents, or even as one family and remember that we are a family. I’m always reminded that I really hope for a conversation. But because of so blessed to be living at this time when need to be truly grateful for this chance to the Western members that have come we can walk, breathe, and even dance develop and grow these incredible human into our community, conversation is very with our True Parents.

beings who are my children. All of you much encouraged; maybe our Eastern

It’s not every day that we have True are on this path and have the blessing of brothers and sisters can learn from that. Parents with us here while we are alive, raising such a wonderful family. so compared with the millions who

But also Western brothers and sisters

So as we enjoy this day and as we can learn the importance of honor, duty,

have come before and the millions who remember God in the beauty and majesty and respect from our Asian brothers will come after, we are truly in a blessed of his creation, I would like to remind and sisters. Embrace within your own situation. Today is supposed to be a “day everyone that you are truly loved and family this mixture of understanding of all things.” What are we celebrating? you are truly blessed. So we need to walk and conversation, along withthe vertical, God’s creation. When you look around away from this day not just realizing the which emphasizes the importance of you at the beautiful trees and see the things that maybe we took for granted duty, honor and respect for an elder. This ground you’re sitting on and the flowers but also realizing that everything that means that you don’t call your mother by that are blooming, you realize that you God touched has his signature and His her first name. You call her Mother, you can experience a bit of the divine, of His signature is a signature of true love. eternal power and His eternal grace in

call her Omma, or whatever is appropriate

Each family is God’s incredible in your language. But you honor her,

the beauty and the majesty of things creation, and all the beautiful children and you honor your father. This can be around us.

you have through you are really God’s seen in the way you treat them, the way

When I look at creation, the beautiful handiwork. All of your children are so you greet them. It’s not just “Hi, Mom,” sky and the majestic trees for example, special and so talented. As I went around “Good-bye,” Mom, “Thanks, Mom.” I’m always astounded at how much love the country and got to know lots of It’s “Thank you, Mother. Thank you and detail God put in each tiny single them by name, I realized even more how for taking care of us, for loving us.” It’s leaf or each blade of grass. There’s so incredible and gifted these children are. much care and so much beauty in the

the simple show of gratitude, through

We as loving parents and as a loving various attitudes that we can express to

intricacies that make up this beautiful community need to do our part in one another, that can create an incredible picture that many of us experience every nurturing and educating the young environment in a family. It’s these little day. I’m always reminded that God, as people of our movement, because they are things that make a world of difference. omniscient, as omnipresent as he may our future, in understanding the concept

Just as the trees are growing on this

be, he too, just like us, needed love. He of gratitude. We need to guide them to beautiful estate, as we grow and become wanted to experience love. So the reason understand it not just intellectually; we more majestic each day, let us not forget why he created the universe and his first must help them practice gratitude in to be humble before our Heavenly Parent;

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let us not forget to be humble before our ancestors and our parents. If you are as majestic and as handsome and beautiful as you think you are, you have Heavenly Father and your parents to thank. I’m truly hoping that we as a community can be a joyous community,

Today is supposed to be a “day of all things.” But what are we celebrating?

God’s creation.

truly enjoying each other’s company and not always suffering under the weight of the providence or providential time limits. Let’s take a moment on this beautiful day to realize what God has already given us. And if you take this moment to realize what God has given you through your children, you’re going to realize that you are the luckiest man or luckiest woman living. Brothers and sisters, as our church grows and as we move on from the First to the Second and now the Third Generation, I want to remind you of the story in Luke 5:3, when Jesus came upon the Sea of Galilee and said to Simon Peter, “Put out to deeper waters.” I’ve already spoken about the meaning of deeper waters before. But here’s another way to look at it. Here was a bunch of fishermen fishing in the Sea of Galilee, and they were probably expert fishermen. They had been doing it their whole lives. Then here came a stranger called the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and at the end of a very long and arduous day in which they caught nothing, Jesus said, “Let’s put out to deeper water. Get the boats and let’s go back out.” I bet you some of these professional and seasoned fishermen probably looked at Jesus like, “What is he talking about?! What does he know about fishing? What does he know about what we do best?” But in the end they decided to go out with Jesus. And when they united in faith,

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Day of All Things by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 24, 2009

what happened? When they believed in Jesus Christ, what happened? They received so much reward. They caught so many fish that the boat was sinking from the weight of all this blessing that God gave them because these seasoned professionals decided to believe and unite with Jesus. This story is very pertinent to our situation as we transition to future generations. The First Generation did an incredible job of bringing the movement along, bringing many great victories such as the many CARP activities that helped bring the Berlin wall down. It was my brother Hyo Jin Nim whom my father sent to Berlin to say, “Bring this wall down.” And shortly thereafter it did come down. It was the seasoned First Generation who became such masters at producing the great events that brought thousands to stadiums and so many successful Universal Peace Federation events where we preached the message of peace and tried to get people involved in what my father was doing. But perhaps a representative of the Second Generation is going to come in the form of somebody who’s new to your profession. If you are really good at event planning, it might be somebody different who says, “You know what? Maybe we should do it a different way.” Or it might be your children, when you’re fund-raising with roses, who say to you, “Did you ever think about combining flower selling with a little bit of music?” It’s a different twist on a good idea. That’s what the Second Generation is here to do.

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I know that when the True Children ready to hear the message of our True young kids are doing! They’re taking a started coming onto the scene, we Parents. Even in my simple conversation, negative word and putting a new spin on found that there were a lot of great when I give them a cursory overview of it, making the negative actually cool. accomplishments made by the First Generation totally uniting

with

our

True

Parents. But we also know that for many years we haven’t been catching any fish. We’ve been doing something else, concentrating on saving the world. Many times we’ve

We just need to take a moment and breathe, inhaling and exhaling, to realize that we’re breathing in God every day.

I feel as if the time is right to take the old understanding of what Moonies was all about—a cult, really negative, something that separated the family, separated

everybody

from

society, and was almost like an isolationist community—into something that’s really hip,

neglected our communities

cool, and cutting edge. You see

or neglected the internal

these examples of the outside

aspect of our movement.

the Principle and a simple understanding actually tapping into the universal energy

The Second Generation of the True of what True Parents are all about, they that’s moving through all of us because God Family believe that we need to take the really get excited. The concept of creating is working through all of us each and every good ideas, the good foundation that the a generation of peace is something that day. We just need to take a moment and First Generation has laid already for us and they have dreamt about. add to it a new task of inviting the world

breathe, inhaling and exhaling, to realize

Many times I think when we as the that we’re breathing in God every day.

to come and recognize the greatness of Second Generation look at our parents

As difficult as our lives may be, God,

our True Parents in a new way. This might and the way things have been done, we is giving us these little clues all around us, be with a different kind of music than think, “Oh, it’s not too exciting.” We have saying, “Come on brothers and sisters, we’re used to, or with a different kind of to be careful, as the Second Generation, you’ve got to finish the race. You can’t quit celebration, focusing more on loving each not to throw the baby out with the before the finish line. After the finish line, other than all the judgment that many of bathwater. There are many wonderful not only are you just done for the day but the First Generation went through.

things that our First Generation have we’re going to celebrate each other and

Just as the fishermen in the end done. Now the only thing we need to do celebrate God for the next millennium.” united with Jesus Christ, and based upon as the Second Generation and the Third

A lot of interesting things are

this substantiation of faith, God was able Generation is to build upon that and take happening that I wish I had time to to work miracles based upon that unity, our movement to a whole new level. we are fishermen who will receive great bundles of fish as a huge reward.

share with all of you. But I feel the sense

Just the other day in Times Square of something changing in my profession, I saw something really funny. A huge the entertainment world. I feel God is

Part of my job is not just being the placard asked the question “What’s your working his mysterious magic every day. senior pastor of Lovin’ Life Ministries; I’m cult?” So the young people are asking God is working this magic through each also running the entertainment company each other, “What’s your cult?” I thought of you seated here. We really need to that was started by my older brother, Hyo I’d never see the day when such a question honor each other by recognizing God for Jin Oppa. As I come in contact with the would be asked because we were called giving us this incredible thing called life. movers and shakers of the entertainment a cult so many times and it was such a

Part of the reason I think a song

world, I’m realizing that these people are negative word. But look at what the called “Never Too Late” might be

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Day of All Things by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 24, 2009

worth thinking about is that in Asia, such that it seems like no amount of effort

A rocket blasts off in three stages.

especially Korea, the biggest problem will bring a victory, it takes just a couple The First Generation is like that initial, for young people is suicide. People more minutes of extra effort, or a couple brutal, aggressive blast that takes the are simply giving up. Many of them more seconds of believing that will help rocket up only a mile. But, Second

are committing suicide because of a us round the corner and realize that God Generation, what are we going to do? broken heart, because they feel there’s never left us. If anything, we are the ones We’re going to extend the trajectory from no hope for love. Without love, what’s who have turned away from God. the point in life?

the First Generation, but we’re going to

So brothers and sisters, happy go faster and more efficiently, and we’ll

But True Parents are here, brothers Day of All Things. I hope you can do it a little bit more effectively. If the and sisters. They have come to tell us that celebrate this day together with my Second Generation can do our part, the divine is within us, that God lives family. Young people, truly honor then our kids will come along and take within us. And we as sons and daughters your parents and your elders. I’m in the rocket to the moon and back. of God need only to practice a grateful your group, brothers and sisters. We

So God bless, have a great weekend,

attitude, truly apprec-iating that the glass can take great pride in invigorating a and have a wonderful Day of All Things.

is half full, not half empty. Even when generation of youth that is coming up we feel incredibly lonely, or when we are right behind us and really is going to confronted with an incredible obstacle take our movement to the next level.

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LLM

A

Spring Fest!

few years back,

month before Belvedere’s Annual Spring days and attending service and youth

UTS

opened

Fest so I had expected much of the ministry at Belvedere and the occasional

its doors to the

same. A few days before the Spring Fest, opportunities to visit East Garden when

community

I told some friends that I was excited True Parents were in New York. I didn’t

with their first

to see Belvedere open its doors to the understand the feelings of the many

ever Spring Festival of their own,

surrounding community and instead of blessed children who had grown up in

inviting families from the surrounding

mutual exclamations of agreement, I was the Irvington community and how afraid

Barrytown and Red Hook community

frowned on. What did I mean, opening they were to expose themselves so openly

to bring their children for games and

its doors to the surrounding community? to the ‘outside people’. Spring Fest drew

sports and just plain fun. I remember

Why would we do that? Their unexpected near and everyone said I should come,

watching an intense soccer match

responses had me frown in return.

between UTS students and a college

help, have fun but no one explained what

I Participated in my first Spring Fest it was.

team from one of the college’s in the

last year on Belvedere grounds. Being

area. It was so great. There were kids

raised in Canada, and this being my first York state for the past 7 years now. In

ten years old and up there and adult

year living in Westchester, NY, so close to those 7 years, I’ve spent about 2 years

couples coming in and hanging around

East Garden and Belvedere, I didn’t know living in Westchester and attending

with us. UTS had its spring festival a

about anything beyond celebrating holy service and youth ministry at the West

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I’ve been living in and out of New

Rock Church. The first thing I noticed about the West Rock Church was the large blessed family community in comparison to the dwindling numbers I was experience back in Toronto, dwindling because people were moving away. The second thing I noticed was how little credit the older generation gave themselves when it came to how much effort they had put in their children. This baffled me as I could clearly see that the youth there generally appreciated the efforts and generally understood and forgave any shortcomings, as they themselves never considered themselves perfect either. On the whole, I really felt a lot of care and love and concern for eachother in this community. These first impressions had me wondering what this community did to celebrate themselves. Anyway, last year, I had planned on visiting my family in Toronto as I hadn’t seen them in a year and it just so happened that my return date was the day of the Festival. I was going to miss it and though I didn’t know what I was gonna miss, seeing everyone’s excitement over it made me feel that I would seriously be missing out and would regret it. Everyone urged me to stay and I actually changed my flight so I would return in enough time to attend and I’m very glad I did. It was so much

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fun. The Spring Fest was, I learned,

Another big difference was the

how the members celebrate and enjoy distances people travelled to be being alive, being with eachother, being there. People from New England and a community. My spirits were lifted by Maryland had come for the fun. I this event because unlike holy days and think I recognized only an eighth of official celebrations, this event was pure the people there. People I had hoped fun for the blessed family community, at to see there were, I had thought, all levels, to enjoy.

unable to come, until I later asked and

So, when this years Spring Fest realized the crowd was just so large in began to roll around, I became all excited, number that though they were there, expecting to have a similar experience. we just never crossed paths. But I quickly found out things would be much different.

And there was so much going on, enough to distract us from bumping into

I was really happy to hear about all an old friend or two. I was happy to see the changes. For one thing, Belvedere, all the rides and games made available for the first time, worked with for the children, and I was sad to hear Lyndhurst, its long time neighboring that some children just never got around estate, for the mass parking system the to enjoying the rides as there was just staff knew they would be dealing with. so much to do to make this event what It was very professionally done I feel and it was. It was so great to see every inch I was happy to learn that a door was of the grounds being used for games, finally opened between these two estates. sports, entertainment and vendors and I’m hoping, as are other 2nd generation not a single detail overlooked. I spoke with, that this initial partnering will flourish into something lasting.

Like the grass.

One notable

difference was the lack of geese droppings

The noise factor was another big on the grass. You laugh but when you’re difference from last year’s festival.

I spending nearly two to three or your

found many attendees exclaiming over weeknights and nearly every weekend at the intensity of the noise and I secretly Belvedere for a year and being unable to hoped we we could be heard all down sit on the grass or run around barefoot main street! Perhaps, I thought, If the in it or lie down in it, all because of geese surrounding community notices us, droppings, one tends to notice when hears us, and wants to know more, our miraculously, its no longer there! I had 2nd generation, so comfortable and at come the day before the big event to visit ease with the safety bubble that Belvedere with a friend on the grounds. We had affords them, will feel compelled to shed decided to go on a walk. I suggested that comfort and be unafraid to embrace, we walk through the grass and she what to many of them who grew up agreed. Coming up the hill she pointed there, is a community that tolerates but to several objects in the middle of the does not like who we are.

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grass. Belvedere staff had placed plastic

foxes around the grounds to scare off the geese in preparation for the Spring Fest. I was very much impressed as this told me, that preparations for the Spring Fest were made with every detail in mind. Honestly I cant remember if this was the case last year, but this year, it made an impression. And of course we can’t ignore the participation of True Family members this year. I heard that for many, having them there was so great! Rev. In Jin Moon, her family, and members of her extended family participated just as any other family did, enjoying the games, participating in entertainment and even manning a booth. Member even got to dunk Jin Sung Pak Moon! Now how fun is that? I know the Spring Fest is not a huge national event or something to really reflect over but as someone who has had to grow accustom to this kind of blessed family community, so near our True Parents, right in the heart of it all, the Spring Fest this year I feel, was a great chance for many blessed families to see simply felt the need to share their ourselves braver, stronger, and more able first hand what Rev. In Jin Moon and her thoughts and feelings.

They are to see that we can carry out the many

staff are trying to do for this movement; included below. I would love to hear possibilities before us we can consider celebrate blessed families, celebrate life, more feedback in general about how more ways throughout the year to celebrate being the community that we things are progressing. If you would like celebrate who we are as blessed families are and celebrate it loudly and without to respond to a reflection below or to the in this nation. Winter Fest anyone? fear, so the world can hear that we are reflections above, please email newvog@ proud of who we are. I’m glad the day’s gmail.com. The reflections below are celebration was combined with the Day honest and have very little editing done of All True Things; it just made the day to them so please take it all in with a all the more significant. I was fortunate enough to receive

grain of salt. Once a year doesn’t seem like

some reflections from specific people enough to celebrate with each other. I reached out to and from some who Perhaps, as things progress and we find

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LLM

Featured Contributers: Rev. Richard Buessing Machiko Edwards Andak Morris Jordi Odlin Karin Shimoyama-Kim Nikki Laaninen

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The Spring Fest was a special event for the Day of All True Things. It was well organized, many activities, a great sermon by In Jin Nim, lots of food, a fun filled raffle, good music and wonderful memories for many of our 2nd generation children who will look forward to it next year. Our movement was long overdue for it. I can’t remember the last time we just gathered at Belvedere for a Holy Day celebration. I came to Belvedere 26 years ago on May 1, 1973. On the way down to Belvedere from New England I could share with my son many stories of the old days at Belvedere with Father. I think at the end of the day he could understand the expierence we went through with True Parents for many years. Thanks for thinking of all of us. Lovin Life Ministry is a great blessing.

Rev. Richard Buessing

It was really great event. And it was a beautiful hot day. I felt that Heavenly Father, True Parents, and all ancestors were so happy, singing and dancing together with us. After my night shift was done, rather than sleep, I joined with our family (my husband, sons and daughters) and with another sisters and her son and drove directly to Belvedere. My guest followed our car and also brought her sister in Ossining to the festivities. When we arrived, Belvedere’s beautiful green grass looked like a carpet. We parked in the far corner of the grounds. .Most of day I helped sell Chicken Teriyaki rice with other Japanese members. It was fun. There were a lot of food services. My whole family likes In Jin Nim’s Lovin’ Life Ministry, especially my husband. He usually teaches children at Sunday School so he was only able to attend the third service at Manhattan Center. He was so excited at the service; he felt as if he had found a new way to live life. So he encouraged his students to go. In the Afternoon my guests (they also came to the GPF at D.C last summer with five family members, as well as to the APWP Banquet and to the WFWP events. She and her sister had surgery a month ago and afterwards were finally able to attend the spanish service. She is going to attend the Spanish Divine Principle Workshop in June), Mrs.Maria Gareano, brought her sister to meet us. They bought lots of food and raffle tickets. They enjoyed the music and met many beautiful members. My husband won the raffle twice. After he bought them, he felt he would win win. He gave one $50 gift card to my guest. I was totally tired physically. My guest kept saying, “Machiko, Thank you for inviting us.” Thank you for Heavenly Father, True Parents, and In Jin Nim!

Machiko Edwards

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Spring Fest Comments • May 24, 2009

The Spring Fest was ok but honestly I expected much much more from it, which is probably why I feel a little down about it. I thought there was a huge success with the blowup games for the kids and the stands for the parents but I thought Spring Fest would be a much bigger deal than it actually was, if that makes sense. I heard we were supposed to be expecting 2,000 plus people and that may have been the case but I literally visualized Belvedere being absolutely covered with blessed families from all over the East Coast and that simply just wasn’t the case; even some people from our area didn’t even show. It seemed as if the older 2nd gen/college aged kids just didn’t care for the Spring Fest and I’m not sure why, which really troubles me. I think that sort of “I don’t care” attitude really affected the experience for me, which lead to an extremely lame friz game. The whole idea of having a sports competition among the older kids is a fine idea it’s just bottom line people didn’t show up. Also I wish the game went on longer, although the weather might have affected the day. A few years back we held a similar type event at Belvedere and what we did was the same thing in the beginning, like a morning service and fun and games in the afternoon, but then at 4 or 5 in the evening, instead of finishing the event completely, all of the little kids and parents would go home and the rest of the time until late evening was dedicated to the older 2nd gen my age, to have a chill time with each other. We rarely get that chance as we’re all away at school. We had an open mic/concert type thing going on right on the field by Agora House, with a stage and everything, and we also had movies and games in the Agora House. That event overall I believe was much smaller than the Spring Fest but there were definitely more kids our age that day. I hope next year, more college aged kids will decide the Spring Fest is important enough to participate in. So I guess in Andak O’s perfect world, lol, we should keep things as they were - morning service with a leader like In Jin Nim giving the sermon, and all those stands and blowup games were perfect for the parents and little kids - only next year, let’s all make the effort to help attendance and get all the older kids to show up. For me personally, I knew about the Spring Fest about 3 weeks prior to it occurring but I also knew a bunch of people that didn’t hear about it until a week before. So I guess the rest of us need to pitch in and spread the word among our friends and help advertise the event so that people from all over are interested in coming. I like the timing of the event, Memorial Day weekend because by then all of the college aged kids are home and have not much to do on the upcoming Monday so there shouldn’t be much issue with people staying out late in New York, having a good time or possibly even camping out a fellow BC’s house.

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Andak Morris

Going down to the Lovin’ Life Ministries Spring Festival in Belvedere was a very refreshing experience. I really enjoy when there are huge gatherings because it gives us a chance to all hang out and catch up on good times. The last time we had a huge gathering was the Block Party at UTS and I think we were way overdue for another gathering. I saw a lot of people I haven’t seen in years and it was great to meet up and see how everyone was progressing in life. The service was great. It was very well done and to the point. Not too short, not too long. What was really great, I think, was the music. I think the whole Lovin’ Life Ministries is great because it appeals more to a younger audience. It’s more upbeat, a lot catchier, and just generally geared towards the new generation. Sports were great. I originally didn’t want to make the 12 hour round trip down just for a few hours of church and the possibility of sports. When I checked the weather online for Tarrytown I really didn’t want to go. It called for rain and cloudy skies, in the 60’s as well. When we got down there it was overcast but not raining. As service progressed it looked more and more promising and finally it was completely sunny. Seems like a lot of events we hold end up swinging the weather in our favor. Coincidence? I think not. Even though I was incredibly tired from previous events that weekend I had a great time playing volleyball, soccer and some football. The second generation really love sports and it’s great to get a great game going with people you haven’t seen in quite some time. Even though it took about 2 days to recover from that incredibly energetic weekend and the solid half day of traveling it was totally worth it. I look forward to the next one.

Jordi Odlin

I had a really wonderful time at the Spring Fest. My mom and I brought our violin and guitar from home. We played for fun, not as part of the entertainment lineup. It was a great addition to a really fun day. We played with some new friends we made, and I felt we were able to bring joy to some of the people who saw us jamming away before the service started. Also, I was able to volunteer at one of the awesome booths they had for the kids, giving Keika Kagawa and her husband Yong Kook Tokito a break after their long hours of hard work. I did the table with the really creative “Spin Art” where you could throw paint onto a white frisbee as it spun around in this little spinning machine. I had a lot of fun and really got my hands dirty! I was also right near the dunk tank! So I was able to watch some of our wonderful leaders get dunked! (Including our beloved elder, Jin Sung Nim and his two sons, Preston and Paxton!) It was really fun serving the younger children. It was nice to see all the kids let out their creativity, watching them throw paint of all different colors around, like little Picassos! I loved seeing them light up when their masterpiece was finished!

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Spring Fest Comments • May 24, 2009

It was also quite a blessing just to be able to be there with the True Family, having a blast all together, in the same place, doing the same things. We were really like one family. By the end of the day, I felt exhausted, and very hot and sunburnt, but I felt one with everyone who was there with me, including In Jin Nim and her whole family! It was quite an experience, and one I will not soon forget. Thank you True Family! And to all who made the Spring Fest possible! May we have an even better one next year and in the years to come!

Karin Shimoyama-Kim

What a perfect setting to celebrate The True Day of All Things. Many flocked from the Tri State Region and beyond. From the very young to the not so very old all came to share the day with In Jin Nim and her family. The day started with a warm and inspiring message from In Jin Nim. I think everyone could feel her deep heart inspiring us about the miracle of the Creation and how much we have been blessed. On this day just as God tended to the details of the creation so had In Jin Nim tended to the details of the day creating a memorable experience for us all to have as families. It was fun to see Paxton and Truston up on stage performing and inheriting their Mother’s love for the arts and music. Wow, what a talented family she has raised! True Parents sure must be beaming with pride when they see their legacy passed on in this way. Everything was set and the forecast for the day was rain. Rev Compton suggested we bring umbrellas as he thought a little reverse psychology might keep the rain away. His tip worked perfectly as the sun smiled down on us all day. There were booths with a huge variety of delicious foods providing something for everybody’s taste. After lunch there was time to relax with In Jin Nim and her family and listen to the many talented musicians perform. Scattered throughout the grounds there were activities for all ages, pony rides, bouncy castles, bungee pits, volleyball, and you even had a chance to dunk your pastor in a tank of cold water. Everyone was inspired to see Jin Sung Nim take a turn at being dunked. We were so blessed by In Jin Nim’s family whole-heartedly joining in and allowing us to feel so intimately connected and a part of their family. This Springfest was a great start to what In Jin Nim wants to be an annual celebration. Just as In Jin Nim said, True Parents got the rocket blasted off, and now In Jin Nim and her family, along with our youth can quickly take it to higher and higher levels. I think we can all look forward to another great event next year.

Nikki Laaninen

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Unification Theological Seminary Commencement Address By Rev. In Jin Moon

The following is a transcription of Rev. In Jin Moon’s Commencement Address at the UTS 33rd Annual Commencement in Barrytown, NY on May 23rd 2009.

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First of all, I extend my deepest congratulations to the Class of 2009. I’m delighted to be here with all of you on this important day, when we could gather together to celebrate and one of wonderment. I’ve often also leadership roles that we are to play in years the 33rd commencement ceremony at the walked down my father’s trail and thought to come. I know that many of you have Unification Theological Seminary (UTS). in wonder about how blessed this country families who have supported you, who have This seminary has held a very precious is and how incredibly privileged all of us encouraged you, who have always been place in my parents’ hearts for a very long are to be living at this time when we are there through your studies. So this is not time. Many of the classmates here have walking and breathing together with the only your celebration, but it’s truly a family experienced being on Father’s trail, which True Parents of humankind. my father discovered some years ago. He

celebration. And it’s not just only your

I find it a great blessing to think that victory in completing a job well done in

spent many wonderful summers fishing I am their daughter. Just as I view myself as the area of academia, but today is the time for carp with the students here at UTS.

a daughter of God, all of you are daughters when the family celebrates together your

I remember my father giving many and sons of God. And you have been hand- accomplishments as part of this one great profound and moving speeches under the picked by God to attend this outstanding family that I like to think of as our seminary. shade of the great trees outside. And my father institution with such an illustrious

Over the years, a lot of things have

always dreamt that one day the seminary gathering of wonderful professors, staff, changed. I’m no longer a little girl, even could be the birthplace of great men and and advisors who really take you to heart. though at heart I still like to think so. And women who inherit the true love and spirit And you have been invited to become part I have five children. Whenever I spend of God, becoming that paradigm of love that of this family. my parents have so urgently asked all of their

time with them, I realize that the world’s

My father hopes that each individual not what it used to be. When my father

children to be and sharing with the world the walking out of this seminary can become first founded this seminary, he had two beauty of this message.

an agent of change. By starting with objectives in mind: Number One was

So here I find myself standing in front oneself, one can do this by putting the to combat communism, which denied of the Class of 2009, and my mind keeps mind over the body daily and by creating the existence of God; Number Two was rushing back to the years when I was just beautiful families, called ideal families, and to fight against the breakdown of moral a little girl, riding on ponies and horses dealing with all the things that one needs values affecting America. outside and perhaps being a disturbance to to deal with in the context of a family. the professors and students. My memory

My father wanted to have a learned

A family is a textbook for how we ministry; the colonists who started Harvard

of UTS has always been one of beauty should live our lives in preparation for the College and later, Harvard Divinity

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UTS Commencement by Rev. In Jin Moon • May 23, 2009

School, had the same aspiration. In 1816, context of love. Instead of concentrating threat of communism has been replaced when the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) on the differences of our faiths, we need to by another threat, the threat of terrorism, was officially established, they wanted to realize that we’re no different from siblings especially the fanaticism of people of ensure that encouragement would be within a family. In a way the different different religions who are proving to be given to impartial, unbiased study in the faiths are like the children of God. pursuit of preaching the truth. Over

the

years

HDS

quite committed. Just a couple of weeks

Just before the end of communism, ago, I witnessed the aftershockof New has we’ve already experienced perestroika and Yorkers seeing Air Force One flying in the

transformed itself and now calls itself an glasnost. My father worked so urgently and air space of New York, together with a jet; interdenominational seminary. Here at invested his whole heart in the Washington people were reliving the post-traumatic stress UTS we have an interfaith seminary. My Times and to help Ronald Reagan sure that of 9/11. I could not help but be moved to father very much hopes that this place the Iron Curtain came down. And it did. will be the birthplace of this feeling of

tears. I could see that people in New Jersey

The other problem that my father were vacating their offices because they were

one family under God, where all religions had hoped to address, the moral decay afraid it was another terrorist attack. can be appreciated and understood in the in America, is still with us today. But the

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Deep in my father’s heart, he’s

hoping that his work in interfaith dialogue and sisters so and nonviolent conflict resolution will that we can encourage the different faiths in the world all build the to not just coexist but to truly understand world as one each other’s faith and come to love each family,

which

other as brothers and sisters of one parent, my father and which is our Heavenly Parent.

mother

have

As you go out into the world, you worked

so

have an incredible responsibility now put tirelessly to do.

J u s t

upon your shoulders because becoming

a student of religion who investigates r e c e n t l y the different truths, different cultures, my

parents

different faiths and understandings of life celebrated my gives you the invitation to practice and father’s apply what you’ve learned in the small birthday

90th at

confines of your dorm rooms and library. the Manhattan You are challenged to be the kind of person Center. I had

the world.

who is not just living intellectually in the the privilege of hosting this event, as

When you look back upon your

realm theological debate, where we could well as the coronation ceremony that years at UTS, you will realize that, just spend hours and hours. Let’s be the kind celebrated our True Parents, our God, our like you, the seminary itself will also go of people who step outside of ourselves by Heavenly Parent as the King of Kings. As through a great deal of transformation. living for the sake of others, not just sitting my father nears the end of his life, he keeps This is an important transition time for on the laurels of our accomplishments but on talking about the year 2013, when he the seminary. Just as things like Facebook going out and really serving our brothers would retire. And of course all of us in and text messaging are very new and and sisters.

the family are hoping that my father is different for me, even though it’s almost

My father loved encouraging us go on talking about retiring into a comfortable second nature to my kids, when you come to different Ivy League institutions in this and quiet, peaceful life. But my father also back to revisit UTS, it might be in a totally country and to get the best degrees possible. talked about how he would be leaving us. different form. But you can rest assured But then he said, “Look, if you’re just going So he feels as if he needs to put the world that the spirit of the founder and his vision to sit there with academic plaques behind in order and that this is an incredibly for UTS will always be continued. It will your chair and do nothing for the world, important transition time. then what will the meaning of your life

So just as a caterpillar goes through

always be exalted and respected. So please go into the world as

be?” He told us many times that education several transitions in order to become a proud and men and women. We have 45 is a means to become a great person, a great beautiful butterfly, your years here at UTS graduates here: 34 men and 11 women. leader. This is the place where we prepare were those formative years in preparation I would like to see a few more women ourselves, not to be arrogant, not to think for you to truly soar as a beautiful butterfly. graduating in the future. You have my that we’re the greatest people living on I’m hoping that as a newly elected member parents’ prayers and all of the prayers of earth, but to realize how unworthy we are of the board I can inspire you to continue my family. God bless. Thank you. LLM in front of God, our Heavenly Parent, and in your pursuit of excellence and of how much we need to give to our brothers understanding the different religions of

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