Joint Devotional Meetings in Two Clusters

Amelia Taeed, Assistant to the Auxiliary Board member for Protection in the Netherlands writes:

Two clusters (Deventer/Diepenveen and Apeldoorn) hold joint devotional meetings once a month. In Dutch the meetings are called ‘Prayer Meetings’. The prayers and readings are chosen mostly from the Bahá’ís Writings. Also sometimes from other Sacred writings or even from some philosophers. Some chant a Bahá’í song. Everyone participates actively in this program, even the non-Bahá’ís. It goes around in a circle. We finish this part with 'Is there any remover of...' The prayers are always said in four or more different languages; including Persian /Arabic chanting (everyone appreciates that). We start and end with music, usually classical western music or Bahá’ís music, from a CD.

The second part is a spiritual training from the book 'Discover your own Spirituality'.

One person, who has followed the tutor training, takes the role of the tutor.

Most of the contacts are friends of the Bahá’ís or become friends through firesides and some are non-Bahá’í partners. Recently some Iranian asylum seekers who are interested in the Faith have been participating. Further we have an Iraqi friend and a Polish neighbour who comes every 3 months to the Netherlands. Also a Caribbean person has recently declared. People come from different places and towns. This devotional meeting has been in Apeldoorn (cluster 6) for more than 25 years, but it has been changed from its original form.

For a long time, this gathering was held one month in cluster 5 and the next month in cluster 6 at two families' homes. However a while ago, one of these two families requested to have the meetings at their home all the time so that her non-Bahá’í husband would be able to participate.

There are children and youth from 4 to 21 years old who participate in the first part of the program, and then they go to another room to have their children and youth classes. During the consultation with the youth, they indicated that they would like to have a Ruhi study circle during the children’s classes so they can take their non-Bahá’í friends as well; so we are considering to add that to their class.

The atmosphere of spirituality is felt very much and it is usually attended by more Bahá’ís than is the case with the other gatherings! We think it is a successful activity, since during all these years there has been no break, and also the fact that, in relation to other meetings, that more people attend this gathering gives the impression that it has its effect.