FHU has moved to zoom to give you a better experience.
1. The platform has been unstable and we’ve gotten too many complaints from people not being able to log-on or be heard.
2. We are limited to 100 and have gone over it several times on the current platform and have no room for growth..
3. Our presenters are more familiar with zoom.
4. Night classes are in our future to accommodate working people.
5. Zoom offers options for break-out rooms, so more can share.
6. Facilitators can more easily share study materials on the screen.
FOR HELP REGISTERING, CONTACT KAREN VANKEUREN AT 240-347-0502 OR EMAIL
Studies of the Vignettes from the Life of Abdu'l-Baha
Tuesday team (Sandy Simmons, Aurora Ragston, Charli Smith, and Arnica Tucker)
ATTENTION TO ALL FACILITATORS. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR STUDY.
IF WE ARE SERIOUSLY COMMITTED TO THE MOST VITAL AND CHALLENGING ISSUE, THAT OF ELIMINATING RACIAL PREJUDICE AND WORKING TOWARDS TRUE RACIAL JUSTICE, TRUE RACIAL UNITY, AND TRUE RACIAL HEALING, HOW MIGHT WE VIEW THE TEXTS WE ARE STUDYING? ALSO, HOW MIGHT THESE VERSES BE ABUSED?
WORLD EMBRACING WEDNESDAYS
1ST- WELCOME AND STORYTELLING; (Clyde Herring and Carmen Brown)
2ND- FOCUS ON ARTISTS;
3RD- WEDNESDAY- TABLETS OF THE DIVINE PLAN
WITH GENE MARIE KENNEDY
FOR NOVEMBER 15, 2023
***SPECIAL Download PDF - Tablet 14 Prayer in context of Tablet 8 Conditions
4TH- 5TH WORKING ON ONENESS AROUND THE WORLD;
Presenters from different countries OR global perspectives.
Framework for Action
Thursday Team (Ladjamaya and Gwen Massey)
ATTENTION TO ALL FACILITATORS. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR STUDY.
IF WE ARE SERIOUSLY COMMITTED TO THE MOST VITAL AND CHALLENGING ISSUE, THAT OF ELIMINATING RACIAL PREJUDICE AND WORKING TOWARDS TRUE RACIAL JUSTICE, TRUE RACIAL UNITY, AND TRUE RACIAL HEALING, HOW MIGHT WE VIEW THE TEXTS WE ARE STUDYING? ALSO, HOW MIGHT THESE VERSES BE ABUSED?
ATTENTION TO ALL FACILITATORS. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR STUDY.
IF WE ARE SERIOUSLY COMMITTED TO THE MOST VITAL AND CHALLENGING ISSUE, THAT OF ELIMINATING RACIAL PREJUDICE AND WORKING TOWARDS TRUE RACIAL JUSTICE, TRUE RACIAL UNITY, AND TRUE RACIAL HEALING, HOW MIGHT WE VIEW THE TEXTS WE ARE STUDYING? ALSO, HOW MIGHT THESE VERSES BE ABUSED?
Spiritual Assembly Prayer Interlaced
with the "Second Condition" in Tablet #8
On Wednesdays in Foundation Hall University (FHU), we had been studying and consulting upon the Tablets of the Divine Plan.
It seemed fitting to return to the tablets addressed to the North American Baha'is as a whole (i.e., Tablets #6, 7, 8 & 14 to the U.S. and Canada) and revisit each prayer. As we were reviewing the prayer for Tablet #8, the "conditions" to attain the station of one to "become known as an Apostle of Baha'u'llah" captured our attention and impelled us to scrutinize these conditions more closely than we had the first time around. Soon it became clear that an intense focus on the second condition was warranted--
"fellowship and love amongst the believers."
As we dove into a deeper dive, we contextualized each session from the perspective of the three protagonists: the individual, the community and institutions. As we consulted through the lens of institutions, the incredible value of the prayer revealed for Spiritual Assembly as the members gather in the council-chamber and consensus compelled us to take an excursion to study and strive to memorize the prayer. Given that most all participants have access to a prayer book, it was not deemed imperative to immediately post the prayer on the website.
Upon further consultation with the Wednesday facilitation team, herein are the contents offered to assist in the study of the prayer and correlating it back to the "second condition" described in Tablet #8. To help redirect the focus through the lens of institutions, an excerpt from the Constitution of the Universal House of Justice was originally offered as a prelude; the closing line characterizing the relationship between assembly members "and all other Bahá’ís" is most compelling and essentially embodies the sentiment of the "second condition." As such, it is also worthy of conscientious attention, especially considering that any Baha'i in good standing could find themselves elected to serve in such an administrative position.
Below are the following items:
Source: The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice (signed 1972) https://universalhouseofjustice.bahai.org/constitution/constitution-universal-house-justice
IV. OBLIGATIONS OF MEMBERS OF SPIRITUAL ASSEMBLIES
Among the most outstanding and sacred duties incumbent upon those who have been called upon to initiate, direct and coordinate
the affairs of the Cause of God
as members of its Spiritual Assemblies are:
to win by every means in their power the confidence and affection
of those whom it is their privilege to serve;
to investigate and acquaint themselves with
the considered views,
the prevailing sentiments
and the personal convictions
of those whose welfare it is their solemn obligation to promote;
to purge their deliberations and the general conduct of their affairs
of self-contained aloofness,
the suspicion of secrecy,
the stifling atmosphere of dictatorial assertiveness
and of every word and deed that may savour of partiality,
self-centredness and prejudice;
and while retaining the sacred right of final decision in their hands, to
invite discussion,
ventilate grievances,
welcome advice and
foster the sense of interdependence and co-partnership,
of understanding and
mutual confidence
between themselves and all other Bahá’ís."
— “The Constitution of the Universal House of Justice"
NOTE: the foregoing was adapted from 18 October 1927 letter of the Guardian included in Baha'i Administration- https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/shoghi-effendi/bahai-administration/10#663804068
===========2. Prayer for Spiritual Assembly
Source: online, Prayers "Occasional Prayers" Section
https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/prayers/bahai-prayers/4#655557847
Whenever ye enter the council-chamber,
recite this prayer with a heart throbbing with the love of God and
a tongue purified from all but His remembrance,
that the All-Powerful may graciously aid you to achieve supreme victory.
O God, my God! We are servants of Thine that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face, that have detached ourselves from all besides Thee in this glorious Day. We have gathered in this Spiritual Assembly, united in our views and thoughts, with our purposes harmonized to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind. O Lord, our God! Make us
the signs of Thy Divine Guidance,
the Standards of Thine exalted Faith amongst men,
servants to Thy mighty Covenant,
O Thou our Lord Most High, manifestations of Thy Divine Unity in Thine Abhá Kingdom, and resplendent stars shining upon all regions. Lord! Aid us to become
seas surging with the billows of Thy wondrous Grace,
streams flowing from Thine all-glorious Heights,
goodly fruits upon the Tree of Thy heavenly Cause,
trees waving through the breezes of Thy Bounty in Thy celestial Vineyard.
O God! Make
our souls dependent upon the Verses of Thy Divine Unity,
our hearts cheered with the outpourings of Thy Grace,
that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and become merged together
as the rays of Thine effulgent Light; that
our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality,
manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world. Thou art the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate. —‘Abdu’l‑Bahá
==========3. Prayer interlaced with the "second condition" (Tablet #8)Source: Tablets of the Divine Plan (FHU formatting), lines 827-858 https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/99f7f601-a398-458f-8065-ee5ccf02b8e4/tablets%20of%20the%20divine%20plan-0003.pdf
O God, my God! We are servants of Thine
that have turned with devotion to Thy Holy Face,
that have detached ourselves from all besides Thee in this glorious Day.
[833-835: Should one soul from amongst the believers meet another, it must be as though a thirsty one with parched lips has reached to the fountain of the water of life, or a lover has met his true beloved. ]
We have gathered in this Spiritual Assembly,
to exalt Thy Word amidst mankind.
[838: The souls may come to know each other
and become intimate with each other...]
[When the most great bestowal
reveals itself in the hearts of the believers,
the world of nature will be transformed,
the darkness of the contingent being will vanish,
and heavenly illumination will be obtained.]
[849-850: Then the whole world will become the Paradise of Abhá,
every one of the believers of God will become a blessed tree,
producing wonderful fruits.]
1. that we may unite even as the waves of one sea and
become merged together
as the rays of Thine effulgent Light;
[840-843: ...the power of the love of God may make all of them the waves of one sea,
the flowers of one rose garden, and the stars of one heaven.]
2. that our thoughts, our views, our feelings may become as one reality,
manifesting the spirit of union throughout the world.
[845-848: When the most great bestowal reveals itself in the hearts of the believers, the world of nature will be transformed, the darkness of the contingent being will vanish, and heavenly illumination will be obtained.]
Thou art the Gracious, the Bountiful, the Bestower, the Almighty, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
[857-858: Could ye know how my soul glows with your love, so great a happiness would flood your hearts as to cause you
to become enamored with each other.]
=======4. Excerpt from Tablet #8, Tablets of the Divine Plan
Source: https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/tablets-divine-plan/9#393203111
The second condition: Fellowship and love amongst the believers.
The divine friends must
be attracted to and enamored of each other and ever
be ready and willing to sacrifice their own lives for each other.
Should one soul from amongst the believers meet another,
it must be as though
a thirsty one with parched lips has reached
to the fountain of the water of life, or
a lover has met his true beloved.
For one of the greatest divine wisdoms regarding the appearance
of the holy Manifestations is this:
The souls may come to know each other and
become intimate with each other;
the power of the love of God may make all of them
the waves of one sea,
the flowers of one rose garden, and
the stars of one heaven.
This is the wisdom for the appearance of the holy Manifestations!
When the most great bestowal reveals itself in the hearts of the believers,
the world of nature will be transformed,
the darkness of the contingent being will vanish, and
heavenly illumination will be obtained.
Then the whole world will become the Paradise of Abhá,
every one of the believers of God will become a blessed tree,
producing wonderful fruits.
O ye friends! Fellowship, fellowship!
Love, love! Unity, unity!—
so that the power of the Bahá’í Cause may appear and become manifest in the world of existence. My thoughts are turned towards you, and my heart leaps within me at your mention. Could ye know how my soul glows with your love, so great a happiness would flood your hearts as to cause you to become enamored with each other.
Prepared by: Wednesday Facilitators,
Foundation Hall University (FHU)
Worldembracing.net, 2023 Schedule
version: FHU-Wed-2023-1003
Letter to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ‘Abbás Coralie Franklin Cook
Friday Team (Barbara Talley, Carol Mansour, and Martine Hubbard)
ATTENTION TO ALL FACILITATORS. PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE AND AFTER YOUR STUDY.
IF WE ARE SERIOUSLY COMMITTED TO THE MOST VITAL AND CHALLENGING ISSUE, THAT OF ELIMINATING RACIAL PREJUDICE AND WORKING TOWARDS TRUE RACIAL JUSTICE, TRUE RACIAL UNITY, AND TRUE RACIAL HEALING, HOW MIGHT WE VIEW THE TEXTS WE ARE STUDYING? ALSO, HOW MIGHT THESE VERSES BE ABUSED?
March 20, 2023 (Universal House of Justice)
To disassociate the administrative principles of the Cause from the purely spiritual and humanitarian teachings would be tantamount to the mutilation of the body, a separation that can only result in the disintegration of its component parts, and the extinction of the Faith itself.
Book 8: Section 25
TODAY, APRIL 17, 2023, WE WILL BE STUDYING THE ANNUAL REPORT
In 1921, at the time of the passing of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, a relatively small Bahá’í community, though grieving, looked to the future with faith and courage, focused on the instructions that had been left by Him, the Centre of Bahá’u’lláh’s Covenant. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had provided clear guidance for how the Bahá’í community was to grow, develop and increasingly serve humanity. Since that time, the followers of Bahá’u’lláh have been striving, with unimaginable sacrifice, to implement that guidance, reaching the farthest corners of the globe. This film provides glimpses into a hundred years of endeavour and learning, carried out by a burgeoning Bahá’í community, and outlines the journey that has led to the community’s current efforts to contribute to the emergence of a world based on the principle of the oneness of humanity.
239 Days in America brings to light this important time in American history. It reconstructs ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s 1912 journey moment by moment, time-shifted to the present. You will encounter ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as Americans of the time did—little by little, day by day.
https://239days.com/2012/09/15/documenting-a-luminous-journey/
Director Tim Perry films a reenactment in Luminous Journey, a feature-length documentary on 'Abdu'l-Bahá's journey across America.
The Promulgation of Universal Peace is a collection of transcriptions of over one hundred talks delivered by ‘Abdu’l‑Bahá during the nine months in 1912 when He travelled across the United States and Canada.
'Abdu'l-Bahá in Their Midst is the story of the journeys of 'Abdu'l-Bahá
to Europe and North America over the period 1911 to 1913. Rather than focusing on the public talks he gave, inspiring though these were, it narrates how 'Abdu'l-Bahá affected and transformed the lives of those he met, described in their own words.
Vignettes from the Life of 'Abdu'l-Baha is a unique collection of stories, sayings, and comments, providing a special insight into the life, character, and station of Baha'u'llah's eldest son. The book is divided into three main sections, His Pure Heart, His Kindly Heart, and His Radiant Heart; and for those not already acquaninted with the main events of His life, there is a brief factual introduction. The book is enhanced by a mixed selection of rare and well-loved photographs, and is itself dedicated to 'Abdu'l-Baha.
Abdu’l-Baha, the eldest son of Baha’u’llah, led the Baha’i community after Baha’u’llah’s passing. Abdu’l-Baha is often referred to by Baha’is as ‘the Master’, but the title “Abdu’l-Baha” is Arabic for “Servant of Baha”, and He is considered the perfect example of how to live according to the Baha’i Teachings.
So in honor of Abdu’l-Baha, and in the interest of helping us learn more about His wonderful personage, this useful list is a small selection of resources which may assist us in learning more about His fascinating life. (Please note that this list does not include the Writings or talks of Abdu’l-Baha, of which there are many, but rather aims to look at the personage and life of Abdu’l-Baha).
To me, (Howard Colby Ives) a man of middle age, a Unitarian Clergyman, a student since youth of religions and philosophies, the experience had a disturbing quality somewhat cataclysmic. Why should this man be able so to upset all my preconceived notions and conceptions of values by His mere presence? Was it that He seemed to exude from His very being an atmosphere of love and understanding such as I had never dreamed? Was it the resonant voice, modulated to a music which caught the heart? Was it the aura of happiness touched at times with a sadness implying the bearing of the burden of all the sin and sorrow of the world, which always surrounded Him? Was it the commingled majesty and humility of His every gesture and word, which was perhaps His most obvious characteristic? How can one answer such questions? Those who saw and heard Abdu'l-Bahá during those memorable months will share with me the sense of the inadequacy of words to communicate the incommunicable.
This important and rarely seen video documents 'Abdu'l-Baha's efforts in establishing racial justice and race unity in America in the early 1900s, when the subject was seldom discussed in the U.S. and few had the courage to speak about it publicly. To that end, he instructed that Race Amity Conferences be held to encourage black and white Americans to collaborate with each other and gradually break down the social barriers that prevailed in the U.S. at that time. For the first Race Amity Conference, 'Abdu'l-Baha intentionally chose Louis Gregory (a young black Baha'i attorney in Washington, D.C.) and Agnes Parsons (a rich, white Baha'i woman who wasn't entirely ready to accept blacks as equals) to work together to plan and hold this conference. Through deeds (not words alone), 'Abdu'l-Baha modeled racial equality to the American Baha'is and they soon followed his example in accepting the self-evident truth that blacks and whites were equal. Senior Producer, Writer, and Narrator:
Kathy Lee Executive Producer: Artis Mebane Production Date: 2003
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