Celebration of Families Hosted by UPF Washington

Contributed by Raymond McCready, executive director of UPF Washington.

An overflow audience attended a Universal Peace Federation (UPF) event in Seattle, Washington which exalted the family as the school of love and concluded with a Marriage Blessing.

The UPF Washington chapter reserved a room for the April 16 “Celebration of Families,” and began with a prayer by Rev. David Roberts. His heartfelt invocation, a well targeted prayer for the American Blessed families, led into the theme of the program.

Afterward, Mr. Ray McCready, the UPF Washington Executive Director, gave a presentation on the concept of the family as the school of love. His talk underscored the message given at the founding of UPF in 2005 by co-founders Rev. Sun Myung Moon and Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. It also referred to the speech “God’s Model Ideal Family and Nation, and the Peace Kingdom,” which Dr. Moon gave during the 180-city speaking tour in 2006.

Mr. McCready’s presentation used brief but clear text messages and photos to illustrate the importance of marriage and family as seen from the point of view of six faith traditions.

Using stimulating quotes from Rev. Moon on love, life and lineage, Mr. McCready discussed the types of love experienced in the family. He described the efforts of the World Peace Family Movement to build one family under God, working through one family at a time. “Through this Marriage Blessing Ceremony, we offer our couple and our extended family to God for His Blessing upon our lineage,” Mr. McCready explained.

After a brief but helpful explanation of the steps of the ceremony by the officiators, Rev. David and Yoko Roberts, everyone participated in the World Peace Interfaith Blessing of Families. Among them were several couples who have been married for over 50 years. During lunch, several representative couples, especially those who have been together over 50 years, offered their testimonies.

Rev. Enoch Yisrael of the Holy Trinity Church of Tacoma, who with his wife attended the Peace Starts With Me Rally on April 6 in Los Angeles, described his experience there. Rev. Yisrael commented that he and his wife were surprised when the person sitting next to them, who was from Israel, brought out a shofar (ram’s horn) and blew it during the event.

The guests thoroughly enjoyed the program and felt very blessed to hear those testimonies and to take part in the Blessing Ceremony.