The National Spiritual Assembly has announced the result of the elections for the four Bahá'í Councils in the United Kingdom. Elected to the Council for Northern Ireland are:
Edwin Graham (28 votes) Keith Munro (26 votes) Patricia Jamshidi (23 votes) Eddie Whiteside (23 votes) Edwina Agahi (19 votes) Lesley Taherzadek O’Mara (19 votes) Patrick O’Mara (19 votes) Patricia Irvine (17 votes) Iain Palin (17 votes)
The National Spiritual Assembly pays tribute to the great service rendered on the Council by Marion Khosravi for many years—in fact since it was first established. The Council wholeheartedly agrees with these sentiments.
Dearly-loved friends,
At a recent meeting of the Council we consulted on the progress and development of the community. In reading the guidance of the Universal House of Justice, we are urged to multiply the number of study circles, devotional meetings and children's classes in our efforts to foster growth in our communities. Great strides have been made in recent years in multiplying the number of study circles. We have also seen a large increase in the number of children's classes in the last two to three months. We wish to convey our admiration for the wonderful achievements of the friends engaged in these core activities.
The Council feels, however, that we would benefit from the spiritual nourishment that an increase in the number of devotional meetings would provide. In the remaining months of the Plan therefore, we would urge individuals, communities and Institutions to consider how to foster a multiplication of this third core activity.
There are a myriad ways of holding a devotional gathering. They can be regular or once off, public or private; open to friends or strangers, family or work-colleagues. They can be a small gathering in one's home or in the home of friend, or a larger event in a hall or community centre.
Tranquillity Evenings or Tranquillity Zones gave an opportunity of including music, the use of light, arrangements of flowers, or singing and dancing to uplift the souls of the participants. The chance for a wide diversity presents itself, such as one for a friend who has died or a celebration for some other life event. Central to them, of course, will be the words of Bahá'u'lláh and the Master and there are many ways of sharing these in a devotional gathering.
We hope that you will take the opportunity of consulting and sharing experiences on this theme at Feasts, reflection meetings, Spiritual Assembly meetings and amongst friends and family. Of course a multiplication of devotional meetings will ultimately result from the initiative of individuals.
We leave you with few quotations for your reflection:
The Word is the master key for the whole world, inasmuch as through its potency the doors of the hearts of men, which in reality are the doors of heaven, are unlocked. (Bahá'u'lláh, Tablets of Bahá'u'lláh, p. 173)
Intone, O My servants, the verses of God that have been received by thee, as intoned by them who have drawn nigh unto Him, that the sweetness of thy melody may kindle thine own soul, and attract the hearts of all men. Whoso reciteth, in the privacy of his chamber, the verses revealed by God, the scattering angels of the Almighty shall scatter abroad the fragrance of the words uttered by his mouth, and shall cause the heart of every righteous man to throb.(Compilations, Bahá'í Prayers, p. ii)
With loving greetings, Bahá'í Council for Northern Ireland.
NOTES:
The Council was delighted at a recent meeting to hear reports of the successes that had been achieved by Lights of Unity in a very short space of time. The group has, through the medium of the arts, been able to stimulate discussion around many of the key principles of the Faith in a way that has never before been achieved in Northern Ireland. They have reached audiences that we previously imagined unreachable. They have touched the hearts of many souls. The group is impressive in its youthfulness and in its dynamism. But it also seems that the nine cast members are making a powerful impact because of the way they are living the life – working together very effectively as a team and putting the Bahá'í Teachings into practice.
We are highly privileged to have such a wonderful band of young people in our midst, dedicating themselves to Bahá'u’lláh. Profound results have flowed everywhere the group has performed. We are particularly impressed to see the way that the group has been able to link their activities with the three core activities by stimulating junior youth programmes, hosting devotional gatherings, and by undertaking the completion of the entire Ruhi sequence.
The Council urges all the believers in Northern Ireland to seize the opportunities that are being presented by these young people and to continue to support them in their meritorious endeavours.
BACK TO CONTENTS PAGE