On a Prayer for the Departed: Remembering Ernie Lobato
Ernie died on Tuesday at home surrounded by his family. Last night the friends gathered to say the Baha'i Prayer for the Departed and to share memories of him. -gw
Friday, June 11, 2010
On a Devotional for Young Soccer Aficionados: Baha'i soccer
[Whisper, whisper] ... World Cup ... soccer fans ... you might be interested in this... -gw
From: Facebook
Date: Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 11:42 PM
Subject: Jheniefeer shared a link on your Wall...
To: George Wesley Dannells hi george! i thought you might like this...BIFA
http://www.facebook.com/l/70284;bahaisoccer.blogspot.com/ The past couple of weeks Ottawa has started a weekly soccer
devotionals and has been very successful.
On Support from India: June 12th event for the Yaran in Madurai, India
Tomorrow is the announced day of the 4th session of the trial of the seven Baha'i leaders in Iran. -gw 
From: praveen Subject: Demonstration for the Yaran in Madurai by Peoples Watch Group
- Fascinating to see that there is a 12 June event for the Yaran in Madurai , TN by people's Watch Group. details at http://12june.org/?p=236
- About the 12 June Movement http://12june.org/?cat=12
- Message from Shirin Ebadi for the program http://12june.org/?p=787
Thursday, June 10, 2010
On Maintaining the Health of the Body and Soul: Get some exercise, in nature
I worry about the health of my friends. Sometimes they don't look well-rested. Like they are moving up the date of their arrival in the Abha Kingdom by not taking a breather. I want to tell them to go do something fun. Get some exercise. In nature, preferably. It can be positively prayerful. -gw
Since the body is the vehicle of the rational soul in this life on earth, it is important to maintain and care for it. Bahá'u'lláh strongly discouraged any form of asceticism or extreme self-denial. His emphasis was on healthy discipline. Therefore the Bahá'í writings contain a number of practical laws relating to the care of the human body: proper nutrition, regular bathing, and so forth. Underlying these, as with many other aspects of Bahá'í belief, is the principle of moderation: things that are beneficial when kept within the limits of moderation become harmful when taken to extremes.
On Compromise As a Lost Art in American Politics: The world has a tough row to hoe to get to unity
I was minding my own business and eating my lunch in the staff room at work, looking at an issue from February 2007 of Behavioral Healthcare, a trade magazine for the mental health field, which I'm in. I found an editorial in the magazine to be rather prophetic, predicting that universal healthcare in the U.S. would face "an uphill battle." What really caught my eye was the following:
Political compromise for the greater good seems to be a lost art in current American politics, and such an ambitious expansion of heacare coverage would require broad support from lawmakers (and their supporting interest groups) on both the left and the right. Such consensus doesn't seem likely after what probably will be a very contentious presidential race.
The world has a lot to learn from the Baha'i way of avoiding conflict and contention and getting to agreement. Consultation is a spiritual art practiced among believers looking to build a new world order. As pointed out in a recent post on the subject, as covered in Ruhi Book 8, defensiveness, a lack of generosity, contempt for other people's ideas, and a lack of faith in other people, all fuel contention. The world has a tough row to hoe to get to unity. -gw
On Top Requested Baha'i Song: I Loved Thy Creation
I'd say this song, caught in live performance during our Ruhi Book 8 Study Circle and posted below, is the Top Most Requested Baha'i Song in our region currently. It's a remake, I believe, of an old song from the mass teaching days of the 70's.
And more study circle flava... -gw
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
On the Attributes of Youth: An altruism, an acute sense of justice, and eagerness to learn
The recent message from the Universal House of Justice says it all. -gw
The rapid spread of the programme for the spiritual empowerment of junior youth is yet another expression of cultural advance in the Bahá’í community. While global trends project an image of this age group as problematic, lost in the throes of tumultuous physical and emotional change, unresponsive and self- consumed, the Bahá’í community—in the language it employs and the approaches it adopts—is moving decidedly in the opposite direction, seeing in junior youth instead altruism, an acute sense of justice, eagerness to learn about the universe and a desire to contribute to the construction of a better world. Account after account, in which junior youth in countries all over the planet give voice to their thoughts as participants in the programme, testifies to the validity of this vision. There is every indication that the programme engages their expanding consciousness in an exploration of reality that helps them to analyse the constructive and destructive forces operating in society and to recognize the influence these forces exert on their thoughts and actions, sharpening their spiritual perception, enhancing their powers of expression and reinforcing moral structures that will serve them throughout their lives. At an age when burgeoning intellectual, spiritual and physical powers become accessible to them, they are being given the tools needed to combat the forces that would rob them of their true identity as noble beings and to work for the common good.
The Universal House of Justice, Ridvan 2010
On the Circle of Security: Trustworthiness is the door of security for all that dwell on earth
The fourth Taráz concerneth trustworthiness. Verily it is the door of security for all that dwell on earth and a token of glory on the part of the All-Merciful. He who partaketh thereof hath indeed partaken of the treasures of wealth and prosperity. Trustworthiness is the greatest portal leading unto the tranquillity and security of the people. In truth the stability of every affair hath depended and doth depend upon it. All the domains of power, of grandeur and of wealth are illumined by its light.
The Circle of Security is a program that has had a great influence on my work with young children. Our sense of trust develops in the earliest days of life. Visit www.circleofsecurity.org.
Saturday, June 05, 2010
On Ten Deadly Sins: Causes of contention and conflict in community
Wikipedia: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things is a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, completed in 1485
What is destructive of community? My Ruhi Baha'i study circle is currently addressing the subject, our workbook listing ten "traits of character and individual shortcomings that are often causes of contention and conflict."
1. Desire to dominate others
2. Desire to control everything
3. Desire to be the center of attention
4. Ambition for prestige
5. Inflexibility
6. Defensiveness
7. Jelousy and envy
8. Lack of generosity
9. Contempt for other people's ideas
10. Lack of faith in other people
As obviously bad as these 10 "deadly sins" are, to attribute these qualities to an individual is contrary to the Baha'i teachings. That, in itself, would contribute to disharmony. We are invited to, instead, in the words of the Ruhi book, "view such characteristics as signs of immaturity or as habits of thinking and behavior that individuals carry with them into the Faith." But even then, we should not "dismiss others as immature." We are all on a path towards greater maturity, afterall, and this immaturity is simply "one of the features of the current stage in the unfoldment of our collective life." -gw
Friday, June 04, 2010
On Thursday Afternoons at Salishan: Baha'i children's class
I arrived late, but not so late I wasn't able to catch the flavor of the Thursday Salishan Baha'i children's class facilitated by Deb, Chris & Lisa. After class the children were taken to their homes on the "walking bus." And finally Lisa had her home all to herself once again. -gw
On Passivity and It's Opposite: More reflections on the Ridvan Message
This from a blogger who became a Baha'i in Korea and is now living in the States. -gw
We also went over the Ridvan (pronounced riz-wan) message today.Each year our [Univeral House of Justice] writes a message for us- Army folks, think of it as an AAR of sorts. It's comprised of what we've done, what we intended to do, and what our strengths and weaknesses are. We, as a global community, are told what we need to focus on to strengthen our communities and spirits. This year's message was quite long, and, so, we only got to go through a couple paragraphs today.
This passage caught my attention and hit me like a sucker punch hits a drunk: "Let no one fail to appreciate the possibilities thus created. Passivity is bred by the forces of society today. A desire to be entertained is nurtured from childhood, with increasing efficiency, cultivating generations willing to be led by whoever proves skilful at appealing to superficial emotions."
Tell me that's not the truth. This sprung a conversation amongst our group about the state of music today. Music is now an industry, whereas it was once an event, a practice, a ritual. Mrs. Yoon, a very kind lady of a generation before my own, commented that she went to a festival at the local college not so long ago and it was almost upsetting to her to see these younger folks sit, separated, and watching people dance. 'I felt the generation gap,' she told us, as she explained that music has always been a participatory thing to her, and here were these young people passively letting themselves be entertained by watching someone else enjoy music. I couldn't help but agree.
On the Adornment of the Superstructure of the Shrine of the Bab: 11,000 new guilded tiles will last two centuries
Uploaded on February 15, 2010 by Ezra S F on flickr
With gladdened hearts, we hasten to share with you the attainment of a significant milestone in the restoration work being undertaken on the Shrine of the Bab. Following an extensive and exacting search for a suitable manufacturer--a search that ended successfully in Portugal--a contract has been signed for the production of eleven thousand gilded tiles to cover the dome of that exalted Sepulchre, replacing the set which, after nearly sixty years' exposure to the elements, had suffered irreparable erosion. Stringent laboratory tests on the replacement tiles indicate that they will be fit to adorn the superstructure of the Shrine for no less than two centuries.
Word from the Baha'i World Centre. -gw
On a Persian Poetry Celebration in Tacoma: I'm thinking Persian roses & nightengales
The Persian arts, both poetry and music, are being celebrated in my town. Thanks, Deb, for passing on this item from the Arts Tacoma listserve. -gw
Monday June 21, 2010 from 6:00pm - 9:00pm.Enjoy food, ...music, and Persian poetry as United for Peace of Pierce County and People for Peace, Justice, and Healing hold a joint fundraiser in a beautiful enclosed rose garden in North Tacoma. We'll celebrate poetry that has deeply infused Persian culture and inspired many other cultures, including that of the West. Our celebration, with classical and modern poetry read both in English translation and in the original, will allow ample time for conviviality, music, and refreshment. A fascinating program will include Solh Tours founder Abdi Sami, cinematographer for "Life in Iran with Rick Steves."
United for Peace of Pierce County
The oldest of the historic monuments in Tehran, the Golestan Palace (The Rose Garden Palace) belongs to a group of royal buildings. Uploaded on April 11, 2010 by CsabX on flickr
+
Read mystical poet Hafez while gathered in a circle in the gardens of the Mausoleum of Hafez in Shiraz… Join young people singing Persian songs of longing under the glowing arches of the seventeenth-century Khajoo Bridge in Esfahan by night...
+
I would love to do this and more: Visit freely the Baha'i Holy Places in Iran. The time will come. -gw
On Finding Room for Football: The cadence of life
It's been a while since I have been able to visit with Coach Charles, so I slipped over to the Tacoma Invader's practice. Deb was able to come by, too; Deb was the first person to be able to meet Charles at his doorstep during a previous Baha'i intensive teaching campaign.
The Invaders quaterback was injured a few games ago so the team has encountered a rough patch, but there are a bunch of games left in the season, and Coach Charles is positive.
In case you hadn't figured it out, football is in his blood. He and his buddy William are now coaching little league football on Wednesdays and Saturdays.. The Invaders have their team meeting on Monday, practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays, have their team walk-through on Fridays, and play on Saturdays. Charles said he is going to try to join the Rui Book 1 Baha'i study circle at Jeff's on Fridays after walk-through. -gw
Thursday, June 03, 2010
On Bruce Answered Questions: The Return was of the Christ Spirit, not of the man Jesus/Yeshua
Bruce on Religious Forums, responding to participants on the thread "Is Bahaullah the Promised Messiah?" -gw
It is quite true that Baha'u'llah didn't fulfill the prophecies of the Second Coming literally!But what is being overlooked here is that Jesus didn't literally fulfill the prophecies of the First Coming, either, because that's now how these scriptural prophecies work! His name wasn't Emmanuel; He never reigned as King over Israel; and so forth and so on....But He Himself pointed out that prophecies aren't to be taken literally, as when He assured others that John the Baptist was indeed the return of Elijah/Elias despite John's own denial of this! And just as the "whole earth" didn't see the Second Coming (when Baha'u'llah appeared), so the whole earth didn't "see it together" when Jesus Christ appeared. These are spiritual and metaphorical statements, not literal ones. The Return was of the Christ Spirit, not of the man Jesus/Yeshua. As to personal characteristics, Baha'u'llah was indeed renowned for His selflessness and charitable works even before His ministry began--which works were largely terminated when the Persian government arrested Him for His religious activities and confiscated everything He owned. I will also point out that BOTH the Jewish and Christian scriptures promise that the Spirit will have a New Name! I refer you specifically to Isaiah 62:2, Revelation 2:17, and Revelation 3:12. So the literal Return of the man Jesus isn't expected even by Baha'is. Finally, we Baha'is accept the Bible as legitimate, God-sent scripture and therefore fully agree with its warning about false prophets to come!But what folks are overlooking is that it ALSO gives criteria for recognizing TRUE prophets: both the "fruits test" (and the related list of spiritual fruits in Galatians), and the key criterion in First John 4:2, which states clearly that someone affirming that Christ came in the flesh is of God (which Baha'u'llah clearly does stipulate)! So I invite all and sundry to investigate the Baha'i Faith sincerely and without prejudice ("pre-judging") and come to informed conclusions absent influence from others--be then friends, family, or clergy! Here are a few Baha'i sites that will assist in this (there are many others that I won't list here):www.bahai.org
www.bahai.us Many regards, and please feel free to keep the questions coming: we LOVE 'em! :-) Bruce
Wednesday, June 02, 2010
On Baha'i Cast As an Infidel: What a concept for a movie
Is Omid Djalili's Film , The INFIDEL a ground breaking film?
OK, is it? You decide. -gw
I just watched THE INFIDEL, it's a comedy with substance, about the superficial absurdities of dogmatic Religion that divides all peoples.
It is a film that speaks to the times we live in with intelligence and humour; hopefully it will make people think about our human similarities and heightens our awareness about those who have always been the cause of religious dogma and division, solely for power and self gain.
On He Was a Baha'i & a Lousy Liar: Surprisingly successful despite the handicap of honesty
Uighur men bargaining over veggies, Kashgar Sunday Market, Kashgar, NW China. Uploaded on December 17, 2006 by EJ Waterhouse on flickr
I went to get my manager, a kind and generous man who was a good teacher and a lousy liar, and surprisingly successful in the car business despite the handicap of honesty.The tropical fish exporter sized him up immediately."You are from Iran.""Persian, yes.""But not Islamic.""No, I am Baha'i"The Israeli gave him a nod, satisfied.They settled in to an exchange of stories, laughter and the most agreeable conversation possible. Only...underneath it all...you could feel an age old dance, a negotiation that was working on levels I understood on a primal level, like an ancient part of my DNA responded to it, but my Western "civilized" middle class brain was not fully grasping.The car was sold. The tropical fish exporter happy. Both men exhilarated and exhausted, as if satisfied to have engaged in a form of combat that left them both richer.
Like he said, some people know how to bargain. -gw
On Paula Proclaims She Is a Baha'i: To avoid going to Mass
Ah, the challenge of interfaith marriage. -gw
Paula gets bored at Mass and begins to fidget. Joel tells her to sit still. She plays with the kneeler. Joel begins to get angry. He threatens to take her outside if she doesn't behave. This sounds great to her! Joel has lost his temper with her almost every time they've gone to Mass and on at least one occasion she's been spanked. What is my role in this debacle? I'm not Catholic, and as far as I'm concerned I have no jurisdiction when it comes to how Joel wants to share his Faith with his daughter. He certainly doesn't interfere with the Baha'i children's classes, Feasts, study circles, holy days and other events Paula and I regularly participate in. Paula enjoys going to the Baha'i events. She proudly proclaims that she is a Baha'i and she follows Baha'u'llah. This morning she used this rationale in an attempt to avoid going to Catholic Mass. I told her that as a Baha'i she is also a follower of Jesus, that worshiping God in Jesus' house is an act that pleases Baha'u'llah. I told her to show everyone there what it means to be a Baha'i child: reverent, respectful, full of love. I also suggested she take a small notebook in which to draw or write when she got bored so she wouldn't bother others.
On Desert Experiences in Washington State: The perfections of God are like the sun, which is respendent in the desert
Without doubt each being is the center of the shining forth of the glory of God: that is to say, the perfections of God appear from it and are resplendent in it. It is like the sun, which is resplendent in the desert, upon the sea, in the trees, in the fruits and blossoms, and in all earthly things.
We live in Washington State and love the desert. Figure that, in a state known for RAIN. But there are plenty of desert experiences to be found on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains. See: http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washington/recreation/default.aspx
The first group of photos from the trip Bonita and I took to Jameson lake over the Memorial Day weekend for canoeing and camping are up on flickr. -gw
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
