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01 Sep 19 UHJ Devotional Gatherings
Universal House of Justice
(c) 2006 Bahá'í World Centre
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M E M O R A N D U M

To: The Universal House of Justice Date: 19 September 2001

From: Research Department
Definition and Scope of “Devotional Meetings”

The Research Department has studied the questions concerning the concept of the

devotional meeting raised by Mr. … in his email of 4 August 2001 to the Universal House of

Justice. Mr. … mentions a recent meeting called by the Local Spiritual Assembly of … in

which representatives of the Bahá’í institutions who are resident in … participated. He reports

that one important area of consultation was the devotional meeting. In light of this gathering,

Mr. … enquires whether the Universal House of Justice has specified in any detail “what a

Devotional Meeting looks like”. He is particularly interested in “the definition and scope of

such a meeting”. We provide the following response.

As to the nature of the devotional meetings referred to in recent letters of the House of

Justice, in response to a similar question raised by one of the believers, the House of Justice in a

letter dated 13 March 2001 written on its behalf, provided the following general guidance:

Regarding your email message dated 14 February 2001, which has … been

received at the World Centre, questions concerning local devotional meetings

should be referred to your Local or National Spiritual Assembly.

While the Research Department has, to date, been unable to locate any comprehensive

definition of the nature and scope of devotional meetings, we have assembled, for Mr. …’s

information and study, a short compilation entitled “Selected Guidance Concerning Devotional

Gatherings”. The compilation consists of extracts from letters written by and on behalf of the

Universal House of Justice. A number of themes emerge from perusal of the extracts contained

therein. For example:

 Care should be taken to avoid developing rigid practices and rituals (extracts 1 and 6).

 Bahá’ís are encouraged to use the revealed prayers of Bahá’u’lláh and the Báb as well as

those of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. It is permissible to have prayers and readings from the Sacred

Scriptures of other religions (extracts 2 and 7).

 The form of programme would appear to depend in part on the setting, the occasion, and the

purposes of the gathering (extracts 6 and 7).

 The practice of collective worship is one important ingredient in the flourishing of

community life. It also reinforces individual spiritual development (extracts 3, 4, and 5).

Given Mr. …’s interest in the subject of devotional meetings, it is suggested that he might

find it helpful to refer to the general compilation entitled “Prayer, Meditation, and the

Devotional Attitude”, which was compiled some time ago by the Research Department, and

Page No 2

Definition and Scope of “Devotional Meetings” 19 September 2001

Page 2

published by a number of Bahá’í publishing trusts. The compilation is also included in

“Compilation of Compilations” (Maryborough, Victoria: Bahá’í Publications Australia, 1991),

volume II.