Celebrating God's Love - Neighborhood Devotions

What a beautiful gathering of friends! Sunday mornings devotions at the Rigden Senior Living Center was inspiring and joyous. Writings from the Sacred Faiths of God, Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity,  Islam and the Baha'i Faith. The theme, 'Behold, All Things Become New", was perfect for the second Sunday of Spring. The following is one of my favorite quotes from the mornings program,

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away....And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.... The former things are passed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." The New Testament: Revelation of St. John 21:1-5

What a beautiful passage!

Another profound exerpt from the mornings devotional is from 'Abdu'l-Baha, son of Baha'u'llah, 

"The divine Prophets are as the coming of spring, each renewing and quickening the teachings of the Prophet Who came before Him. Just as all seasons of spring are essentially one as to newness of life, vernal showers and beauty, so the essence of the mission and accomplishment of all the Prophets is one and the same. Now the people of religion have lost sight of the essential reality of the spiritual springtime...."

`Abdu'l‑Bahá: The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 127

Fellowship and visiting with friends was enlightening and a joy. One of the shared themes of the morning was very profound. It seems that there is a desire for an individual to serve God, but this particular person felt it difficult to contribute. Every single soul can share and contribute to the enhancement and transformation of our communities....the challenge is to develop and cultivate the skills and by using our God given talents. It was wonderful to share this vision of opportunity and plan to cultivate this desire within one of the friends. I am already looking forward to visiting her this week. Thanks so all who made Sunday such a joyful gathering, until next month....