Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Last December at the Center.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Harrisburg Ruhi Experience.
Julian Morris Baby Shower
Julian Morris was born on October 30 2009, His Parent's are Cliff and Mary Morris. This are pictures of the Baby Shower celebrated this Sunday. All Blessings to this Baby.
P raised be Thou, O Lord my God! Graciously grant that this infant be fed from the breast of Thy tender mercy and loving providence and be nourished with the fruit of Thy celestial trees. Suffer him not to be committed to the care of anyone save Thee, inasmuch as Thou, Thyself, through the potency of Thy sovereign will and power, didst create and call him into being. There is none other God but Thee, the Almighty, the All-Knowing.
Lauded art Thou, O my Best Beloved, waft over him the sweet savors of Thy transcendent bounty and the fragrances of Thy holy bestowals. Enable him then to seek shelter beneath the shadow of Thy most exalted Name, O Thou Who holdest in Thy grasp the kingdom of names and attributes. Verily, Thou art potent to do what Thou willest, and Thou art indeed the Mighty, the Exalted, the Ever-Forgiving, the Gracious, the Generous, the Merciful. Bahá’u’lláh
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Celebrating a Holy Day
By Dee Dombach, Sentinel Correspondent, December 17, 2008
The evidence for the existence of Santa Claus was irrefutable — empty glasses of milk, trails of cookie crumbs and, once, a scrap of red flannel caught in the heating register. That red square was a sacred relic to me: a physical connection to Santa himself.
My family also taught me about Jesus, but Santa was much more exciting.
When my older cousin let me in on the Santa secret, I felt like the biggest fool on earth. I was angry with my parents for constructing such an elaborate deception, but more ashamed I had allowed myself to be so gullible. I vowed to be more careful in what I believed.
As I grew older, I saw Santa and all the holiday trappings as a diversion from the real reason for Christmas. The essence of Christmas was in the manger scene, in “Silent Night” sung in a candlelit sanctuary.
When my son was born, my husband and I agreed to teach him that Christmas was the celebration of Jesus’ birth, that Santa was make-believe. Gift giving was not extravagant, decorations were simple and cookie baking was limited to a few dozen favorites.
We remembered the poor, as many families do, by purchasing Angel Tree gifts, volunteering at the food bank and taking hats and gloves to the homeless shelter. We aspired to “all is calm.”
But the traditions, pageants and programming of church began to feel extraneous to me — God allows Himself to be heard in the still, small voice. I held to Jesus’ promise that, one day, we would no longer need to worship in the temple but would worship in “spirit and in truth.”
Then I encountered the Bahai faith. Everything Bahaullah taught struck a chord in me: that mankind is one and God’s dearest desire is for unity, that God unfolds His Cause to humanity through a process of progressive revelation, and individuals must come to the faith through an independent investigation of truth.
There are no churches, no clergy. All prejudice must be eliminated; humanity is reaching maturity and peace on earth will be possible. Even though it sounded like the voice of God to me, the crucial question was — what about Jesus?
Bahai teachings declare that Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin. God in His essence is unknowable, and Jesus and the holy ones who reveal God to us are like perfect mirrors reflecting the light of God to the world. Bahai holy days are celebrated by gathering in homes, reading from the holy writings and reciting prayers.
I continue to honor Jesus’ birth not as a holiday, but a holy day, and feel the warmth of the “radiant beams from His holy face.”
Dee Dombach and her husband, Scott, are members of the Carlisle Bahai Community. They welcome comments at carlislebahai@yahoo.com.
The evidence for the existence of Santa Claus was irrefutable — empty glasses of milk, trails of cookie crumbs and, once, a scrap of red flannel caught in the heating register. That red square was a sacred relic to me: a physical connection to Santa himself.
My family also taught me about Jesus, but Santa was much more exciting.
When my older cousin let me in on the Santa secret, I felt like the biggest fool on earth. I was angry with my parents for constructing such an elaborate deception, but more ashamed I had allowed myself to be so gullible. I vowed to be more careful in what I believed.
As I grew older, I saw Santa and all the holiday trappings as a diversion from the real reason for Christmas. The essence of Christmas was in the manger scene, in “Silent Night” sung in a candlelit sanctuary.
When my son was born, my husband and I agreed to teach him that Christmas was the celebration of Jesus’ birth, that Santa was make-believe. Gift giving was not extravagant, decorations were simple and cookie baking was limited to a few dozen favorites.
We remembered the poor, as many families do, by purchasing Angel Tree gifts, volunteering at the food bank and taking hats and gloves to the homeless shelter. We aspired to “all is calm.”
But the traditions, pageants and programming of church began to feel extraneous to me — God allows Himself to be heard in the still, small voice. I held to Jesus’ promise that, one day, we would no longer need to worship in the temple but would worship in “spirit and in truth.”
Then I encountered the Bahai faith. Everything Bahaullah taught struck a chord in me: that mankind is one and God’s dearest desire is for unity, that God unfolds His Cause to humanity through a process of progressive revelation, and individuals must come to the faith through an independent investigation of truth.
There are no churches, no clergy. All prejudice must be eliminated; humanity is reaching maturity and peace on earth will be possible. Even though it sounded like the voice of God to me, the crucial question was — what about Jesus?
Bahai teachings declare that Jesus is the Son of God, born of a virgin. God in His essence is unknowable, and Jesus and the holy ones who reveal God to us are like perfect mirrors reflecting the light of God to the world. Bahai holy days are celebrated by gathering in homes, reading from the holy writings and reciting prayers.
I continue to honor Jesus’ birth not as a holiday, but a holy day, and feel the warmth of the “radiant beams from His holy face.”
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Art Exhibition at marietta's Baha'i Center.
Several Artist from the Community got together for an Art Exhibition as part of the many activities during that year.
This pictures are from a few years but I want to publish them as a tribute to Suzette Arndt seven from left who winged her flight to the next world. She was ill for a very brief period before her heart gave way on December 30th/09.
"Let the angels of Thy loving-kindness descend successively upon her, and shelter her beneath Thy blessed Tree. Thou art, verily, the Ever-Forgiving, the Most Generous, the All-Bountiful." -- 'Abdu'l-Baha
Activities at the Center.
During the past year the Baha'i Center in Marietta's had been the focal point for numerous activities. This pictures were took in the first floor by the dinning area and Children class room.
Spiritual Spring
By Dee Dombach, Special to The Sentinel, March 12, 2009
It’s hard to remember the fragrance of lilacs or the yellow of daffodils in January. Signs of spring are excitedly shared in my family — from the first sighting of mergansers on the Conodoguinet to the faint calls of spring peepers. After a long winter, those first glimmers of springtime make our hearts glad and renew our hope. The world that has been cold, dull, and seemingly dead promises to burst into life again.
Spring also brings work. A warm, late-winter day finds me in the yard, pruning shrubs, raking dead leaves from garden beds and cutting the skeletons of last year’s flowers to allow new growth.
Spring is pregnant with meaning and metaphor.
Spiritually, springtime teaches us that God never ceases to renew the world. The great world religions recognize this truth — each one teaches that “God will never leave us nor forsake us.” Bahais recognize this process as Progressive Revelation. God makes His will and precepts manifest through the great prophets, pouring out His light and life, and the world is renewed.
Over time, as we travel further from the Light, the message becomes fainter, as we layer our traditions, doctrines and dogmas over the message and descend into spiritual winter. Then, in the fullness of time, God sends a Messenger. Each Messenger manifests God’s word for their day and time, and we believe Baha’u’llah has brought the message for today.
Abdul-Baha, Baha’u’llah’s son, said, “God leaves not His children comfortless, but, when the darkness of winter overshadows them, then again He sends His Messengers, the Prophets, with a renewal of the blessed spring. The Sun of Truth appears again on the horizon of the world shining into the eyes of those who sleep, awaking them to behold the glory of a new dawn. Then again will the tree of humanity blossom and bring forth the fruit of righteousness for the healing of the nations.
“I pray that you will all strive to bring each child of God into the radiance of the Sun of Truth, that the darkness may be dissipated by the penetrating rays of its glory, and the winter’s hardness and cold may be melted away by the merciful warmth of its shining.”
Just as mankind goes through spiritual cycles, so too do individuals. As I clear old debris from tender flower shoots, I think about what I have to clear out of my soul to allow new life to grow.
Christ said, “Ye must be born again.” If our spirits are to be reborn, we must do the hard work of clearing away the detritus which holds back our spiritual spring. Our job is to watch for the signs and to follow the light.
Dee Dombach and her husband, Scott, are members of the Carlisle Bahai Community. They welcome comments at carlislebahai@yahoo.com. Visit them on the Web at http://www.carlislebahai.wikispaces.com/.
Spiritual Spring
By Dee Dombach, Special to The Sentinel, March 12, 2009
It’s hard to remember the fragrance of lilacs or the yellow of daffodils in January. Signs of spring are excitedly shared in my family — from the first sighting of mergansers on the Conodoguinet to the faint calls of spring peepers. After a long winter, those first glimmers of springtime make our hearts glad and renew our hope. The world that has been cold, dull, and seemingly dead promises to burst into life again.
Spring also brings work. A warm, late-winter day finds me in the yard, pruning shrubs, raking dead leaves from garden beds and cutting the skeletons of last year’s flowers to allow new growth.
Spring is pregnant with meaning and metaphor.
Spiritually, springtime teaches us that God never ceases to renew the world. The great world religions recognize this truth — each one teaches that “God will never leave us nor forsake us.” Bahais recognize this process as Progressive Revelation. God makes His will and precepts manifest through the great prophets, pouring out His light and life, and the world is renewed.
Over time, as we travel further from the Light, the message becomes fainter, as we layer our traditions, doctrines and dogmas over the message and descend into spiritual winter. Then, in the fullness of time, God sends a Messenger. Each Messenger manifests God’s word for their day and time, and we believe Baha’u’llah has brought the message for today.
Abdul-Baha, Baha’u’llah’s son, said, “God leaves not His children comfortless, but, when the darkness of winter overshadows them, then again He sends His Messengers, the Prophets, with a renewal of the blessed spring. The Sun of Truth appears again on the horizon of the world shining into the eyes of those who sleep, awaking them to behold the glory of a new dawn. Then again will the tree of humanity blossom and bring forth the fruit of righteousness for the healing of the nations.
“I pray that you will all strive to bring each child of God into the radiance of the Sun of Truth, that the darkness may be dissipated by the penetrating rays of its glory, and the winter’s hardness and cold may be melted away by the merciful warmth of its shining.”
Just as mankind goes through spiritual cycles, so too do individuals. As I clear old debris from tender flower shoots, I think about what I have to clear out of my soul to allow new life to grow.
Christ said, “Ye must be born again.” If our spirits are to be reborn, we must do the hard work of clearing away the detritus which holds back our spiritual spring. Our job is to watch for the signs and to follow the light.
Dee Dombach and her husband, Scott, are members of the Carlisle Bahai Community. They welcome comments at carlislebahai@yahoo.com. Visit them on the Web at http://www.carlislebahai.wikispaces.com/.
Race Unity Day June 2009
Race Unity Day
In 1957, the National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States inaugurated Race Unity Day to promote racial harmony and understanding. It is celebrated annually on the second Sunday in June. In Harrisburg normally takes place along the
Susquehanna River in City Island.
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