Wednesday, November 15, 2006

On Baha'i Community Life: Study Circles, Devotional Meetings, and Ruhi Fever


Now working after graduation from school, utopiaherald is in a new community, an "A cluster," and he's loving it. -gw

What is a Baha'i Cluster? A Bahá'í cluster is a group of Bahá'í communities working together to enrich community while developing and fostering bonds of friendship through offering study circles, children's classes, youth activities, devotional services, and other activities which build fellowship and bonds of friendship throughout a designated area. http://www.cluster19.org/

It is so amazing to live in this cluster. Every day I am amazed (although I guess I shouldn't be) at the way in which everything that happens around me is just like the guidance of the House of Justice. I can't believe how easy it is. Living in C clusters for so many years, it seemed logical and reasonable that what I read about A clusters might happen someday, but it seemed so far off that I couldn't really connect to it. Now I see all around me people who start study circles in their homes and who invite one, two or dozens of people to share the Word to God with them. I see everywhere long time Baha'is with Ruhi Fever working so hard to finish the sequence and even more heartening, I see new Baha'is on fire in their love for Baha'u'llah and leading the community in service to the cluster as a whole.

I got to go to a devotional gathering last night that my friend Daniel hosted. It was so cute. He just became a Baha'i a couple of weeks ago and this was his first devotional. As soon as he became a Baha'i, he was ready to serve. I think he will teach me what it really means to give a home visit and he will teach me what it means to be unrestrained as the wind in my teaching.

How many Baha'is get a seeker at their first devotional gathering? How many Baha'is sit there and teach for an hour before even calming down enough to pray? He was so excited today that he called me three times during the day to ask about some little aspect of the devotional and to invite me to come early if I could and to tell me to come hungry because he was making dinner. I am so excited to live in a community with this kind of enthusiasm.

Utopiaherald, "Encouraged by the response their actions elicit....." Kam Kam. Ruz bih ruz: Little by little. Day by day
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{Re-posted with permission}

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