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In the Name of Him Who hath been promised in the Books of God, the All-Knowing, the All-Informed! The days of fasting have arrived wherein those servants who circle round Thy throne and have attained Thy presence have fasted. Say: O God of names and creator of heaven and earth! I beg of Thee by Thy Name, the All-Glorious, to accept the fast of those who have fasted for love of Thee and for the sake of Thy good-pleasure and have carried out what Thou hast bidden them in Thy Books and Tablets. I beseech Thee by them to assist me in the promotion of Thy Cause and to make me steadfast in Thy love, that my footsteps may not slip on account of the clamor of Thy creatures. Verily, Thou art powerful over whatsoever Thou willest. No God is there but Thee, the Quickener, the All-Powerful, the Most Bountiful, the Ancient of Days.
-Bahá’u’lláh
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⋅ ComeUnity
Thursday March 14 at 7pm
Second Thursday of every month.
For more information, please email ComeUnity.SocialJustice@gmail.com
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⋅ Interfaith Devotions
Sunday March 10, 6-8 pm
Held at the Shahrokh residence. Please text (630) 805-1397 for the address.
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⋅ Fridays By The Fire
Friday by the fire are being paused until summer.
Fridays by the Fire is a gathering that was created with the current guidance from the Universal House of Justice in mind - the charge to build stronger and more vibrant Communities that are open to all... the yearning for meaningful conversations has been heightened by the Pandemic as loneliness and isolation surged through out the world. Creating a space for conversations was inspired by smaller conversations that were already happening in isolated spaces, so we decided to open our home where friends could learn more about how to transform small talk into meaningful conversations that enhance connectedness, our understanding of the world and our own true nature. These conversations have the power to penetrate humanity and to connect individuals to the social ,spiritual and ecological systems that impact them. They also enkindle fellowship and friendship throughout by creating bonds of trust and love.
Our particular gathering is music driven and snacks are served. We hope you will join us once summer begins again! |
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Contact Details for Area Teaching Committee
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⋅Meaningful Discussions
Join in on studying sections from the Baha'i writings to provide a spiritual perspective on challenges that are relevant to the community today.
Held Sunday mornings at 11AM at the Oak Park Baha'i Faith Community Center
124 Madison, Oak Park IL
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⋅ Hour of Prayer
Held every Sunday at 10AM at the Baha'i Faith Community Center
124 Madison, Oak Park and over Zoom. Go to this website for details and links for Zoom. https://opbahai.org/activities
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⋅Thursday Night Devotionals
Thursdays from 7:30pm-8:30 pm
Hosted by Karen Skaggs via Google Meet
Please message (815-546-6607) or Karenskaggs95@gmail.com for link.
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⋅Blended Sunday morning devotionals
Sundays at 9:00 am please join us on zoom or in person.
Hosted by Jim & Cheryl Dougherty
1848 Corregidor St Joliet, IL 60435
815-600-1335
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⋅Men's Breakfast
Come and enjoy some flapjacks & Mancakes, wash it down with a gallon of hot steaming java, and top that off with an ice cold cup of OJ. Now that's a breakfast!
Saturday March 9
2nd Saturday @ 8am
Uptown Cafe 24 E Miner St,Arlington Heights, IL 60004
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⋅First Friday Conversations
Friday, Marc h 1, 6:30pm-8:30pm at the McKee residence.
For the address contact Nancy@PizzaAndSocialJustice.org.
Zoom Link: https://zoom.us/j/326557993
⋅First Tuesday Conversations
Tuesday, March 5, 6:30pm – 8:30pm at Peoples Community Church, 650 Lambert Rd. Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Zoom Link:
https://zoom.us/j/664704223
⋅Third Monday Conversations
Monday, March 18 6:30-8:30
1st Congregational Church
535 Forest, Pilgrim Hall
Glen Ellyn, IL.
Zoom Link https://zoom.us/j/168998487.
Meeting ID 168 998 487
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If you feel ready to engage in meaningful conversations about racism, what it looks like in the world and in ourselves, and what we must do to begin rooting it out, this is the place to come.
We will be serving pizza, followed by discussion on a topic related to Racism/Social Justice.
The doors open at 6:30 with the meeting starting at 7:00 pm. Zoom will be active at 6:45 for those who wish to stay home or are to far away to join us in person.
Our goal is building a stronger community through sharing and conversation.
Pizza Served at 6:30 pm Meeting Start time: 7:00 pm
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A Potential Service Project
I visited the Westmont Peoples Resource Center Friday. I brought them 3 large bags of coats from myself and my clients. They took pictures of me with the bags and in their Clothes Closet. I also got the grand tour which was very impressive. They have amazing services for our County, too many to mention. They especially need Food Pantry and Spanish speaking volunteers.
They are in need of food, clothing, and funds. Soon they will be accepting Spring/summer items for the Closet.
The Wheaton facility is undergoing an expansion that will include a Clothes Closet but currently only at the Westmont location while Wheaton is under construction.
Definitely a worthwhile service opportunity for anyone!
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A Recent Conversation
I met with my friend for coffee a couple of weeks ago and we were talking about about how difficult life can be when one is in a multigenerational stage of life.... taking care and living with an elderly parent and also transitioning to parenting adult children who need support and encouragement. We talked about the principles of generosity- of both material and spiritual means, of unconditional love when difficult situations arise , and also of patience and forgiveness with ourselves and with others. We practiced what it would look like to pull the lens way back when we are struggling and to turn to our Beloved in prayer when we are feeling weak and sad. Now, you might think that there is nothing really interesting or uplifting about this particular story- but when I met my friend a few short years ago at a class, she had never reflected on her relationship with God or prayed for peace for her tender heart. Now we are striving to meet weekly to practice a little each time on how to bring the healing message of Baha'u'llah's teachings to a family in need of His love.
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This is a prayer put to music by youth at a youth gathering.
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On a very cold and damp Saturday evening in January of this year, 25 people gathered for the First Annual Race Amity Day potluck dinner, held at First Church of Lombard. Together we shared a wonderful meal and excellent conversations in a spirit of friendship. This was followed by a performance of Danza Jóskua de Michoacan. The Honorable Chantelle Porter, Circuit Court Justice, Juvenile Division, also provided an inspiring talk about her work in assisting those appearing before her to deflect out of the justice system and work towards a better future. On the whole, it was a very inspiring evening. This event was the most recent event in our cluster of the Race Amity Movement.
The Race Amity Movement originated in 1921 when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá directed the Bahá’í Community of Washington, DC, to collaborate with the First Congregational Church of Washington, the NAACP, and other organizations. Mrs. Agnes S. Parsons was the Bahá’í who spearheaded the convention that launched the Race Amity Movement.
Several thousand people of all backgrounds, races, and cultures attended the first event, the 1921 National Convention of Amity Between the Races, in May at the First Congregational Church of Washington, DC. The purpose of this three-day convention was race understanding. Additional conventions were held in major cities in the United States and Canada through the next decade.
Over the years, Race Amity Day (also called Race Unity Day) has been celebrated by Bahá’í communities throughout the United States in a variety of ways, including picnics, dinners, and public meetings. For several years, the Bahá’í community in Lisle held a Race Amity Day Picnic.
In 2011, the National Center for Race Amity was formed whose purpose was to both encourage community events at the local level to celebrate Race Amity Day, now the second Sunday in June, and to assist local communities to approach local and state governments to proclaim Race Amity Day. Their efforts led to the State of Massachusetts to make this proclamation in 2015. Several other states and many localities and counties have also proclaimed Race Amity Day.
Locally, the efforts of a collaboration of grass-roots organizations that include both Bahá’ís and members of the greater community that share the same vision of racial equality and justice have culminated in hosting picnics in Lombard (two years), Naperville (one year), and Northbrook (three years), IL. These communities are planning for events for Race Amity Day on June 9, 2024. The picnic in Lombard last year had 73 individuals in attendance while the picnic in Naperville had 41 individuals attending.
In addition, in 2023, the DuPage County Board officially proclaimed Race Amity Day and work is in process for the Board to make the proclamation again in 2024. Resolutions to proclaim June 9, 2024, as Race Amity Day and to support local activities for this day are currently being considered in both the Illinois State House and Illinois State Senate. The proclamation will also be presented to Governor Pritzker later this spring. Plans are also being made to approach the towns where members of our collaboration of grass-roots organizations reside.
Please see the Save the Date flyer for more information. If you are interested in assisting us or want more information, please feel free to contact Illinois Citizens for Race Amity at ILCit4RAD@comcast.net.
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Please send in any events, narratives, pictures, or arts that you would like shared! You can reach us at nib@nibahai.org
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Northern Illinois Baha'is
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2N500 Bernice Ave.
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
United States of America
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