House of Worship-devotional benefits - unity-fellowship
A temple for meeting is to be conducive to unity and fellowship[edit]
"...an edifice or temple is to be built in order that humanity might find a place of meeting, and this is to be conducive to unity and fellowship among them."
Unity and affection shall grow and flourih as a result of people harmoniously attuned to one another in prayer at a given hour[edit]
"Thou hast asked about places of worship and the underlying reason therefor. The wisdom in raising up such buildings is that at a given hour, the people should know it is time to meet, and all should gather together, and, harmoniously attuned one to another, should engage in prayer; with the result that out of this coming together, unity and affection shall grow and flourish in the human heart."
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 58, pp. 94-95)
Meetings for medtation and prayer help foster fellowship among the believers[edit]
"The Guardian wishes me to assure you that he sees no objection to the friends coming together for meditation and prayer. Such a communion helps in fostering fellowship among the believers, and as such is highly commendable."
- (On behalf of Shoghi Effendi, Prayer, Meditation, and the Devotional Attitude, no. 1766; also in Lights of Guidance, vol. iii., no. 1518)
The gathering together of people for prayer brings united spiritual feelings (which help each other)[edit]
"Man may say: 'I can pray to God whenever I wish, when the feelings of my heart are drawn to God; when I am in the wilderness, when I am in the city, or wherever I may be. Why should I go where others are gathered upon a special day, at a certain hour, to unite my prayers with theirs, when I may not be in a frame of mind for praying?' To think in this way is useless imagination, for where many are gathered together their force is greater. Separate soldiers fighting alone and individually have not the force of a united army. If all the soldiers in this spiritual war gather together, then their united spiritual feelings help each other, and their prayers become acceptable"
- ('Abdu'l-Bahá, from notes taken by Miss Ethel J. Rosenberg) (quoted in Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era, p. 93-94)
The Mashriqu'l-Adhkár forges bonds of unity[edit]
"Although to outward seeming the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar is a material structure, yet it hath a spiritual effect. It forgeth bonds of unity from heart to heart; it is a collective centre for men's souls. Every city in which, during the days of the Manifestation, a temple was raised up, hath created security and constancy and peace, for such buildings were given over to the perpetual glorification of God, and only in the remembrance of God can the heart find rest. Gracious God! The edifice of the House of Worship hath a powerful influence on every phase of life. Experience hath, in the east, clearly shown this to be a fact. Even if, in some small village, a house was designated as the Mashriqu'l-Adhkar, it produced a marked effect; how much greater would be the impact of one especially raised up.
- (Selections from the Writings of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, sec. 60, pp. 95-96)
The gathering together of all men depends upon the Word of God (as at community dawn prayers/devotional meetings)[edit]
"Can daily early morning prayer sessions be held? If so, where and when? (If this is not feasible every day, an effort could be made to hold such sessions less frequently. At such devotional meetings not only prayers, but suitable selections from the Sacred Writings could be read. Bahá'u'lláh has pointed out that upon the Word of God "must depend the gathering together and spiritual resurrection of all men," that "every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God is endowed with such potency as can instill new life into every human frame," and that were man to "taste the sweetness of the words which the lips of the All-Merciful have willed to utter, he would, though the treasures of the earth be in his possession, renounce them 'one and all, that he might vindicate the truth of even one of His commandments." It is because of such considerations the the Five Year Plan calls for the friends to memorize selections from the Writings. If the believer finds it difficult to memorize, he may be encouraged to make for his own use a selection of extracts, however brief, which he could reread and enjoy at his own leisure, to satisfy his inner soul."
- (Universal House of Justice, From a letter addressed to a National Spiritual Assembly, offering examples of local goals that Local Spiritual Assemblies may wish to consider, Developing Distinctive Bahá'í Communities, p. 7.24)
Periodic meetings should be aimed at raising the believers' awareness of their identity as a community[edit]
"Concerted effort must be made to help the individual believers, men and women alike...bring them together in the Ninteen Day Feast as well as periodic meetings aimed at raising their awareness of their identity as a community."
- (Universal House of Justice, Four-Year Plan, 26 December 1995, to the Conference of the Continental Boards of Counsellors, at https://bahai-library.com/published.uhj/counsel.html#22 )
The flourishing of the community depends upon patterns (such as regular devotional meetings) by which the collective expression of the virtues of the individual members and the functioning of the Spiritual Assembly are manifest in the unity and fellowship of the community[edit]
"As we have said in an earlier message, the flourishing of the community, especially at the local level, demands a significant enhancement in patterns of behaviour: those patterns by which the collective expression of the virtues of the individual members and the functioning of the Spiritual Assembly are manifest in the unity and fellowship of the community and the dynamism of its activity and growth. This calls for the integration of the component elements - -- adults, youth and children -- in spiritual, social, educational and administrative activities; and their engagement in ocal plans of teaching and development. It implies a collective will and sense of purpose to perpetuate the Spiritual Assembly through annual elections. It involves the practice of collective worship of God. Hence, it is essential to the spiritual life of the community that the friends hold regular devotional meetings in local Baha'i centres, where available, or elsewhere, including the homes of believers."
