Wanderings

While on a trip to New York City I was invited to a new type of event. Two hours before the usual 11:00am devotions, bagels topped with curiously-flavored cream cheeses, tea, coffee and friends (new and old) all converged in the basement of the NYC Bahá’í Center in historic Greenwich Village.

After we had finished nourishing our bodies, we moved to an intimate corner in order to nourish our souls. Moving around the circle, most everyone contributed a prayer, or read from the sacred writings. Much of what was read dealt with uniting mankind and the advancement of humanity. This set the mood for what was to follow…

In an effort to find more ways to strengthen the community, an open meeting was held to discuss ways in which to make the community more social and gregarious. Movie nights, a café, music concerts, and book clubs focusing on non-Baha’i books were all discussed. Furthermore, action was made that day by agreeing on principal contacts for a variety of approaches, and giving them the go-ahead to start making plans and even holding their first events. Although primarily designed to increase socializing amongst the Bahá’ís, people from outside of the community would always be welcome.

I really liked this approach to meeting, and then to addressing a need within the community. Although at any Bahá’í gathering, everyone attendance is entitled and encouraged to speak and to provide opinions, what made this special was that an action was decided upon that very day. There was no need to take the discussion to another authority, or to decide on how the building could be used. The proper authorizations had already been made and each group was able to plan, schedule and carry out their event as they saw best.

The meeting finished just in time to attend the usual devotions with the announcement that the meetings would continue every two weeks to help refine this initiative. Those not attending the devotions had the opportunity to begin cleaning the building. With more than three whole floors of meeting rooms, auditoriums, classrooms, libraries, etc., there was plenty to do to make the entire building a more orderly, inviting and comfortable place to socialize and, was the first community building event for the participants.

I have always enjoyed being a part of this community (although I am now just an occasional visitor), because of their interest not just growing the group, but making it stronger, by making it closer. Their initiative to make new events, and to try new approaches is an inspiration and I am always interested to hear what is happening and to be a part of it when I can.

TeacherJay Reflections community, friends, unity

I am in the midst of preparing curriculum for a weekend of Children’s Classes at the Green Lake Baha’i Conference at the end of the summer.  I am excited about this opportunity to be coordinating classes and planning the lessons and thankful that I was asked to contribute in this way.  As part of my responsibilities I was charged with recruiting my teaching team.  A friend from NYC whom I had previously taught with and I know to be highly capable and an inspiration to me was a natural choice.  She responded to my email with the same sentiment… thanking me for the opportunity to serve the Faith in such a capacity.  I noticed that we both felt this way and I suppose it has something to do with being happy to have a way to share in the Faith, and to contribute in a way that not only utilizes our skills, but is something we enjoy as well.  Such a refreshing change from feeling that service to the community is a burden, or an obligation.  Rather, for us, our service is the way that we become a part of the community.

TeacherJay Reflections children, community, human capacity, reflection, service

O Lord! Make this youth radiant, and confer Thy bounty upon this poor creature. Bestow upon him knowledge, grant him added strength at the break of every morn and guard him within the shelter of Thy protection so that he may be freed from error, may devote himself to the service of Thy Cause, may guide the wayward, lead the hapless, free the captives and awaken the heedless, that all may be blessed with Thy remembrance and praise. Thou art the Mighty and the Powerful.

~ Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i Prayer

One of the core beliefs of the Baha’is is to educate children.  This is a beautiful prayer asking God for assistance with that tremendous task of raising a child to be a shining light for others and to be in the service of the Lord.

I recall one morning at a devotional prayer meeting hearing a youth of about 13 years recite this prayer.  I liked it.  It felt like he was praying for himself, but by doing so in a group setting, he was drawing us all into his personal appeal to God.  I do not know if this was his intention, but the effect was a reminder that in any community, we are all responsible for the education—moral, spiritual and academic—of every child.  The future of the world depends upon it.

You can listen to (and even download) the Dawnbreaker Collective (MySpace, Official Website) setting this prayer to music below:

TeacherJay Abdu'l-Baha, Prayers children, community, education, music, prayer, youth