Prayer-Wish Purification Ceremony for Restoration

Dae Mo Nim
May 3, 2009

On May 3, the 3rd and last day for the ‘4th Purification Azalea Festival for the Inheritance of Heavenly Fortune’ (Purification Azalea Festival) the Prayer-Wish Purification Ceremony for Restoration (Burning Ceremony) was held. For the Purification Azalea Festival, around 13,000 members from around the world gathered and received the grace and blessings that God, True Parents, Heung Jin Nim and Dae Mo Nim had had prepared since last year.

In the morning of May 3, the weather was rather bad and Chung Pyung was covered in strong fog, however, by the time of the actual ceremony, it was sunny and hot.

The Prayer-Wish Purification Ceremony started from 11:00 am, with Rev. Myeong-gwan Lee, Director for Department of Education and Planning, as the MC. The Prayer-Wish Purification Ceremony was held in two parts, and the first part started with 2 songs by the Sun Moon University Students Choir ‘B.C.,’ and 2 beautiful songs performed by ‘Four Seasons’ from Fukuoka, Japan.

After the song performances, the second part of the Prayer-Wish Purification Ceremony for Restoration was the Holy Burning Ceremony. First there was the Opening Declaration (Rev. Lee, MC), Representative Prayer (Rev. U-beom Shim, Church Leader), Congratulatory Song 1 (Seiko-Lee), Entrance of Attendants, and the Report to Heaven of Appreciation (Rev. Hon-duk Kim, Church Leader).

After the entrance of Dae Mo Nim, 10 pastors representing 3 nations, Korea, Japan and America, brought the Fulfillment of Wishes Papers from the Jeongshim Won (Prayer Hall) and offered it to Dae Mo Nim. Then Dae Mo Nim offered the Fulfillment of Wishes Papers to the altar.

Then, 4 representatives came to the stage to receive the holy fire from Dae Mo Nim to light the altar. After the MCs’ speech to light the altar the Prayer of Gratitude for the Fulfillment of Wishes Papers began. It was time for sincere prayers for their wishes that they wrote on the Fulfillment of Wishes Papers, and prayers of gratitude for the grace and blessings from God and True Parents and for the grace of expunging the ancestors’ past sinful records.

Right after the Prayer, Seiko-Lee came on to the stage and sang ‘Amazing Grace’ beautifully. Which was then followed by another congratulatory song, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow,’ also by Seiko-Lee.

Then there was a strong performance by the ‘Drum Dance for Gratitude to Heavenly Father’ where members got to their feet and danced and sang to their great performances.

With everybody standing, Rev. Yu-su Park, Church Leader, gave strong 4 cheers of Eok-manse and ended the Prayer-Wish Purification Ceremony for Restoration, and the 4th Purification Azalea Festival.