Coming together to meditate, sing, pray, and reflect in a casual setting where there is love, acceptance, and support for one another —this is a devotional. |
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Devotional meetings spring up naturally in communities where there is interest in the spiritual elements of life. Hosted at home, in parks, or in community spaces, Bahá’ís and their friends and families come together with prayer, music and readings in an informal yet respectful atmosphere where all people and faiths are welcome and everyone is equal. These can be lighthearted, creative, meditative, reverent; each is different and the feel and intention of the gathering is up to those that are participating.
While there are no rules about what must be part of a devotional, the gathering consists largely of meditation and sharing prayers and passages from Bahá’í and other sacred texts. The spirit of communal worship at the devotional can begin to permeate the community’s collective endeavours. Today thousands upon thousands of these devotional meetings are held regularly throughout the world —in urban and suburban neighbourhoods, in hamlets and villages. Many times, coming from these gatherings, the group will come together in both service and worship —the two distinct, yet inseparable elements that propel the community forward. The Universal House of Justice writes that these gatherings are “open to all the inhabitants of a locality irrespective of their religious affiliation, background, ethnicity, or gender and a haven for the deepest contemplation on spiritual reality and foundational questions of life, including individual and collective responsibility for the betterment of society. Men and women, children and youth, are held in its embrace as equals.” We invite you to join us —or initiate— a gathering in your neighbourhood and experience the restoring energy. |
