When the House of Justice first called for these devotional meetings there was some natural initial reservation among some of the Bahá’ís if people would be interested and even attend a prayer meeting. Then 9/11 happened and the candlelit prayer meetings that took place spontaneously throughout the whole world brought the realization that the House of Justice does not ask us to do something without a reason.

Gradually some ‘prayer meetings’ (there is not a word for devotional in Dutch) as they are called in Dutch began to be held with only Bahá’ís attending. Some communities had already been holding prayer meetings for the Bahá’ís on Sunday mornings. Things did not really go forward as they should till the Memorandum came from the World Centre as how the devotional meetings were meant to be held and suggestions. Slowly the concept began to be more understood. Several communites/clusters changed the name from prayer meetings to inspirational or meditative meetings which was more attractive to a wider range of people.

The communities that held the meetings still had to open the doors to everyone. It needed some courage and reaching out. In some communities collaboration with inter-religious dialogue and organizations provided an opening to invite people to the devotionals. Gradually, through the encouragement of the National Assembly and the assistants in each cluster more and more this concept began to develop and grow. Soon friends and neighbors were being invited. We were getting the idea.

In addition, due to starting devotional meetings were to be the result of Ruhi Book 1 study circles, this further stimulated the process and things began moving. Several communities combined devotional meetings with children’s classes very successfully, with lunch added at end! The most successful devotional meetings to date are included here.

We still have a way to go till we invite more and more non-Bahá’ís but we are getting there. As word gets around of how much non-Bahá’ís are drawn to the spiritual, peaceful atmosphere of the meetings, more and more are springing up. The Netherlands has a high percentage of non-Church goers and people miss the devotional atmosphere and community life. If we become more attractive as well in our communities surely more and more souls thirsty for spirituality and mediation will come.