The meaning and value of the blessing

1. The meaning and value of the blessing 25+ Matching and Blessing Convocation Camberg 15th April 2016

2. Who is God?

3. One God and the oneness of God “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One.”Deut. 6:4 Monotheism led to monogamy “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”  Genesis 1:24

4. The dual characteristics of God “God created man in his likeness . . . male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 Within God the dual characteristics are harmonized into oneness There is not a “Father God” and a ”Mother God” Fatherly aspect of God; the Motherly aspect of God

5. God is Love “God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.” 1 John 4:16

6. Why did God create the universe and us? What is the purpose of life?

7. Why did God create man? • The most essential aspect of God is heart. Heart is the impulse to love an object and is the fountain and motivator of love. It is the nature of heart to seek an object to love. God, whose essence is heart, feels joy when he can love an object that he created. DP, Level 4 • What kind of object? One in his image and likeness – male and female

8. How can we become ‘like God’,? “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”Ephesians 5:1

9. What is God like? • Heart • Intellect, emotion, will • Logos • Reason and law • Ethics - relationships of ordered love • Four Great Realms of Heart • Creativity To become like God, God gave human beings the Three Great Blessings

10. The three great blessings And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:28 God Heart Logos Creativity Fruitful Dominion Multiply Human

11. First blessing - be fruitful Body Mind The ability to create and complete our character “Be complete as yourheavenly Father is complete.” Matthew 5:48 We create our character through our thoughts, words and deeds God Sensitivity to the Heart of God Fulfill potential Joy Meditation Concentration Subject Object Virtuous The physical desires express spiritual values ☀ Bodily functions ☀ Eat ☀ Sleep ☀ Sexual desire Keep promises Don’t drink, smoke True Person Unity of mind and body Words and deeds are one

12. Second blessing - multiply God The ability to create a family Four Great Realms of Heart Joy Wife Husband True Love Family is the basis of society “If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” I John 4:12 Child The love of God and the love of man are not two loves, but aspects of the same unifying love. St Maximus the Confessor Family Society Family is the school of love Nation World

13. God’s love - God Woman Man Children Expressed and experienced through the family Love, life and lineage Child’s love Sibling love Conjugal love Parental love By having children man can feel the vertical love that God feels toward man. Husband Father Wife Mother True Love Son Brother Daughter Sister

14. MatureWoman Mature Man Blessing in divine marriage I am the daughter of God. Perfect expression of femininity of God I am the son of God. Perfect expression of masculinity of God God Love Life Lineage Children When husband and wife are united in marriage, they are no longer seen as something earthly, but as the image of God Himself. St John Chrysostom

15. What is marriage? • A divine and socially recognized eternal union of a man and woman for • love • companionship • mutual support • procreation • upbringing of children

16. Why do we marry? It is so that we may resemble God’s image. Because men and women are projections of God’s divine characteristics, their destiny is to form a union as one body and return to oneness with God’s original character. So the purpose of marriage is to bring into oneness the realm of heart of one man, representing the world, and one woman, representing the world, so that they may perfect the love between a man and a woman. Father, 21.8.2004

17. Why is marriage important? It is because it is the path by which we seek true love. It is because it is the path for creating life. It is because it is the path on which the lineage of a man and woman are co-mingled. Father, 21.8.2004

18. When you marry you get . . . • God’s blessing on the relationship • God’s permission and wholehearted support for the relationship • Potential to experience God in every aspect of the relationship leading to complete oneness • Your parent’s and family’s and community’s blessing and support • Much more likely to be successful

19. Sexual love • Sex should be an expression of love • The deeper the love, the more satisfying the sexual relationship • Sex without love leads to emptiness and is de-humanizing

20. What is the meaning of sex? • Deep intimate personal encounter with another person • Many different levels • Way to express and receive love • Mystical experience – an encounter with God • When a husband and wife embrace each other in true love, it is the equivalent of the universe becoming one body. This is the original image of creation brought into substantial reality in the context of God’s ideal. Father, 21.8.2004

21. Good Environ-ment Third blessing: take dominion Right of dominion over the creation Harmony with nature God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. Genesis 2:15 God The creation waits for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8:19 Microcosm Natural World Person Joy Stewards Lords of Creation Whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19 Inherit God’s creativity

22. Purpose of life – three blessings God God God True Love Person Body Things Mind True Love True Love Husband Wife Mature Person Good Environment Child Multiply Be ‘Fruitful’ Have Dominion Family Society Nation One World Family

23. In practice . . . • Mature person • Mind – body unity • Trustworthy and virtuous • Rounded person • Relate freely in every direction • Creative person • Responsible job • Owner

24. What went wrong?

25. The story of Adam and Eve

26. What happened at the fall? • Eve was traumatized by her relationship with Lucifer • Sexually, emotionally, psychologically damaged • Sense of worthlessness and being needy • Hurt, vulnerable, wanting to be loved • Adam was damaged by his relationship with Eve • Inherited the archangelic nature • Weak and hard to respect

27. Different fallen natures • Men have inherited the fallen archangelic nature to want to control and possess and have sexual relationships with women for their own pleasure and gratification. Lust, not love • Droit du seigneur – ‘lord’s right’ • Sexual harassment and worse • Women have inherited the tendency to be seduced by powerful men

28. What happened at the fall? • All the relationships of the Four Great Realms of Heart were corrupted and distorted • Man – woman • Husband – wife • Parents – children • Sibling – sibling • Restoration is putting all these relationships right

29. What is restoration? Restoration occurs when you find yourself in a similar position to Adam, Eve, the archangel, Cain or Abel etc. And you have to face the same temptation to make the same mistake that they did and continue the pattern of fallen history But you choose not to do so and instead of acting out of your fallen nature you act according to your original nature and follow your conscience. You break the cycle of abuse and pattern of fallen history

30. To purify the lineage of fallen nature in each relationship • Adam – Eve – Lucifer • Abraham – Sarah - Pharaoh • Lucifer – Adam • Cain and Abel • Esau and Jacob • Joseph and his brothers • Parent – child • Noah and Ham • Abraham and Isaac • Rebecca and Jacob • Husband and wife • Isaac and Rebecca • Sister – sister • Sarah and Hagar • Rachel and Leah

31. What is the process of the change of lineage in Christianity? Change of lineage is change of identity Being adopted into the family of God Becoming, feeling and knowing that one is a child of God

32. The way back • The parable of the prodigal son • “My son who was lost if found again” • Ignorance of who one is to knowledge that one is a child of God

33. The way back • Recognition of sin • Missing the mark or target, go astray • An act, not a state of being • Breaking divine law • Damages self, the other and relationship • Repentance • To feel sorry and return to God, change of mind • Atonement • Rectify wrong doing to best of ability • Conditions of lesser indemnity • Forgiveness • Reconciliation

34. Sacraments • An outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace • Human beings are sacramental beings • Invisible realities expressed through outward signs • Rituals are creative • Words can be performative utterance • Sacraments change a person • Condition of lesser indemnity EDP, 177

35. Baptism • Sacrament through which a person is made Christ’s • Change of ownership, lineage, identity • Water - outward sign • Life giving, cleansing • Flood judgment • Church is the Ark • Crossing Red Sea • Slavery to freedom • Death to life • Buried with Christ • Resurrected with Christ

36. Gifts of Baptism • Sign of the Cross • Jesus’ victorious life • Receive a ‘Christian name’ • New identity • God knows us personally • Member of Christ • Union with Christ • Metaphor of the vine • Child of God • New birth into God’s family • Brothers and sisters in Christ • Inheritor of God’s Kingdom • Forgiveness of original sin By making the indemnity condition of baptism by water, we can be spiritually born anew through Jesus and the Holy Spirit. EDP, 177

37. Last Supper • "Take and eat; this is my body." • “Drink of it, all of you, this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” • “Do this is remembrance of me”

38. Sacrament of Eucharist By taking a piece of bread and a cup of wine at the sacrament of Holy Communion, we receive the precious grace of partaking in Jesus’ body and blood. EDP, 177 • Outward sign • Bread and wine • Inward grace • Body and blood of Christ • Com-panion of Christ • Share bread with Christ & fellow Christians • I am sharing in the life of Christ • Drink from a common cup • “I am the vine, you are the branches” • Christ’s blood, Christ’s life, flows through my veins • Christ lives in me

40. Sacrament of marriage • Sanctification of the union of a man and a woman for a Christian life together and for procreation • The spouses confer the sacrament on each other • A blessing they give to each other • They are each other’s ‘messiah’ • Sacrament to restore chastity lost at the fall

41. Conditions for marriage • Both spouses are Christians • They can have a shared spiritual life • Freely entered in to • No forced or arranged marriages

42. Service - Preface In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we have come together to witness the marriage of N and N, to pray for God's blessing on them, to share their joy and to celebrate their love.Marriage is a gift of God in creation through which husband and wife may know the grace of God. It is given that as man and woman grow together in love and trust, they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind, as Christ is united with his bride, the Church.

43. Freely entered into N, will you take N to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

44. Vows I, N , take you, N , to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law. In the presence of God I make this vow. A pledge of unconditional love

45. Exchange of rings Heavenly Father, by your blessing let these rings be to N and N a symbol of unending love and faithfulness, to remind them of the vow and covenant which they have made this day through Jesus Christ our Lord. N, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I worship you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

46. Purpose of marriage • Place for conjugal love, mutual support and comfort • Proper place for sexual intercourse • For procreation and raising of children When husband and wife are united in marriage, they are no longer seen as something earthly, but as the image of God Himself. St. John Chrysostom

47. Marriage and family • Marriage lays the foundation for the family which is a "home" or "domestic" church headed by married priests—the parents.

48. Marriage blessing of True Parents