Strengthening the Devotional Life of Communities
“Worship is at the heart of the community life that Bahá’ís
in Hawaii and around the world are bringing into being. Devotional gatherings, often held in homes, bring family and friends together in prayer and meditation. This empowers them in
their service in all aspects of their lives.”
What it is
Service and worship are two distinct, yet inseparable elements that propel the life of the community forward. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá writes that, “Success and prosperity depend upon service to and worship of God”.
Prayer is integral to Bahá’í life, whether at the level of the individual, the community, or the institutions. Bahá’ís turn their hearts in prayer to God repeatedly throughout the day—imploring His assistance, supplicating Him on behalf of loved ones, offering praise and gratitude, and seeking divine confirmations and guidance. In addition, meetings of consultation and gatherings where friends have come together to undertake one or another project commonly begin and end with prayers.
Bahá’ís also host gatherings in which friends, Bahá’ís and others alike, unite together in prayer, often in one another’s homes. Devotional meetings such as these serve to awaken spiritual susceptibilities within the participants, and in concert with the acts of service they perform, lead to a pattern of community life that is infused with the spirit of devotion and focused on the attainment of spiritual and material prosperity.
A Devotional Gathering on Lanai Enters its 12th Year
“Our Sunday devotional gathering has been happening since 2012,” says Lorry Cornish of Lanai. “After my daughter Chelsea and I went on pilgrimage to the Bahá’í World Center in Israel, we decided to hold a devotional meeting and to dedicate it to the progress of the soul of my son Gavin, who died in a traffic accident.”
“Initially, we gathered for prayers weekly. Then after a few years, we changed to a monthly format and started to serve a light lunch as well.” The monthly gathering has now been going for about eight years. It is open to people of all faiths or none, and prayers and readings from all traditions are welcome. Each week the conversation is focused on a virtue, such as joy, with writings on that topic shared as well as videos and music.
Lorry reports that a few friends have been coming to the gatherings from the beginning. A couple of the women who attend have also joined Ruhi study circles to learn more about skills of community building, such as teaching children’s classes. A few have also attended Bahá’í Holy Day celebrations. After Lorry started an American Mahjong group, a few of the participants also joined the devotional gatherings.
“Recently, we have reached out to the mothers in the children’s spiritual education class.” A class that focuses on teaching virtues has been taught by another friend, Vala Welch, for the last four years. “We have also been having fun family dinners monthly with the children and their parents and it has nurtured wider friendships and trust.”
“One grandmother and child have been coming to the devotional meetings for a couple years and another mom with two children in Vala’s class just started coming to devotions in the past two months. We all love it when the children share prayers!”
The regular devotional gathering has provided opportunities to strengthen a sense of community, says Lorry. “We recently had an opportunity for visit with two parents—a mom and grandmother—and had a chance to explain the material used in the children’s class and also the junior youth spiritual empowerment program, one of the core activities of Bahá’í communities.”
Lorry says that a total of eighteen people attended the devotional gatherings for the last few months. “Hopefully it will continue and we can make a meaningful contribution to enriching the spiritual life of our community here on Lanai.”
How To Participate
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