The Five Year Plan 2011-2016 (Summary)/Houses of Worship
 | The text below this notice was generated by a computer, it still needs to be checked for errors and corrected. If you would like to help, view the original document by clicking the PDF scans along the right side of the page. Click the edit button at the top of this page (notepad and pencil icon) or press Alt+Shift+E to begin making changes. When you are done press "Save changes" at the bottom of the page. |
The previous sections of this chapter
have demonstrated how clusters with
programmes of growth, at varying levels
of intensity, are moving along a dynamic
continuum and together represent a single
forward movement towards building a better
world. This collective movement reflects
the achievement of the friends in all parts of
the globe to combine the spiritual and social
elements of the Plan in a coordinated, unified
effort. Nowhere is the union of worship
and service, the “two essential, inseparable
aspects of Baha’ life’’,** more evident than
in those countries and clusters which the
Universal House of Justice designated at
Ridvan 2012 as having met the criteria for
establishing Houses of Worship. Before
describing the inspiring progress of the
development of the Houses of Worship and
the advances in community building in these
Design of the local Bahai House.of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia.
communities, it is worth recounting a brief history of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, referred to by Shoghi Effendi as the “crowning institution in every Baha’i community”.“ Over one hundred years ago in ‘Ishqabad, Turkistan, the Baha’is raised up, under the close and loving guidance of ‘Abdu’l-Baha, the first Mashriqu’|-Adhkar in the world. The opportunity to establish a House of Worship in Wilmette, United States,
also arose during the Ministry of ‘Abdu’I-Baha, and the dedication of the Mother Temple of the West took place in 1953. It was followed by the establishment of other continental Temples in Kampala, Uganda (1961); Sydney, Australia (1961); Frankfurt, Germany (1964); Panama City, Panama (1972); Apia, Samoa (1984); and Delhi, India (1986). This process came
70 The Five Year Plan 2011-2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning
[Page 71]
close to completion during this Five Year
Plan, as construction proceeded on the
last of the continental Houses of Worship, the Mother Temple of South America, located in Santiago, Chile, on the foothills of the Andes. The friends in Santiago
and the surrounding region laboured to intensify community-building endeavours and prepare the local population for the erection of the Temple, a sacred place where souls could gather for communal worship “harmoniously attuned one to another” and from which “the voice of praisings
may rise to the Kingdom”.** Parallel to the flourishing activities within communities in both the immediate region and across the continent, stunning progress was made on the construction itself, given the complex design, budgetary limitations, and severe seismic conditions. The Universal House of Justice announced that the dedication of the House of Worship in Santiago would be held in October 2016.
Soon after the Fifth Epoch of the Formative Age of the Faith was inaugurated in 2001, the Universal House of Justice announced in its Ridvan message that one of the new epoch’s features would be “the enrichment of the devotional life of the community through the raising up of national Houses of Worship”.”” Then at Ridvan 2012 the entire Baha’i world rejoiced at learning that two National Houses of Worship would be built—one in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the other in Papua New Guinea, countries where “the response of their peoples to
the possibilities created by the current series of Plans has been nothing short of remarkable”.** The message created further excitement with the news that five local Houses of Worship would be established in advanced clusters in Cambodia, Colombia, India, Kenya, and Vanuatu. In all these communities one finds a correlation of worship and service that has given rise to
Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops
a rich tapestry of community life, growth
in size and vitality, and engagement in social action. “In every case,” the House
of Justice described the Temple locations, “these dawning places of His remembrance represent the rising influence of the Faith of God in society.”
Since the announcement in 2012, the friends in each of the designated communities
have demonstrated “their immediate and heartfelt commitment to lend their share in carrying out the critical work at hand”.°° The tasks included finding a suitable
piece of land, preparing a design for the Temple edifice, forming a committee in each country, and opening a construction office—steps bolstered by the sacrificial contributions of believers everywhere. No less important were the efforts taken to raise
Construction advances on the Continental House of Worship for | South America, in Santiago, Chile.
71
[Page 72]
Local authorities review the design of the House
of Worship in Battambang, Cambodia.
the consciousness of the local population of the significance of such an edifice being raised up in their midst, which is above all a spiritual enterprise. In 2012, the Office of Temples and Sites was created at the Baha’i World Centre to offer support to each community preparing for the erection of a House of Worship. The accounts below provide a glimpse of the steady progress being made in diverse settings around the world in the development of these Temples and the surrounding communities.
During this Five Year Plan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo made great strides in extending the process of expansion
and consolidation throughout the country, reaching 541 clusters, in some 60 of
which large numbers were participating
in the activities. The committee tasked with preparing the community for the construction of the National House of Worship in Kinshasa organized a countrywide prayer campaign and called on the assistance of the entire national community to help lay the necessary material and
spiritual groundwork to bring it to fruition. To promote the spiritual conditions befitting the presence of such an institution in the country, the committee followed
the efforts of the friends to multiply devotional gatherings—in both number
and participation—while sharing what had been learned about improving the quality of these gatherings. In addition, the committee promoted a deepening programme designed to advance understanding of the nature
and influence of a House of Worship and
to stimulate reflection on the attitude to adopt when one enters the Temple. It also encouraged choirs in the country to compose songs on the purpose of the
House of Worship, an effort which resulted in the release of a compact disc with six original songs.
In response to the bounty of their country being selected as a site for a national House of Worship, the believers throughout Papua New Guinea translated their enthusiasm and spirit into action in this Plan by expanding the number of clusters with a programme of
72 The Five Year Plan 2011-2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning
[Page 73]
growth from 27 to 99. The friends in Port
Moresby, where the Temple will be built,
intensified their community-building efforts,
which led to some 150 core activities being
sustained by the end of 2015. Elsewhere
in Papua New Guinea, the activity in
some 15 clusters attained similar levels of intensity, and the friends advanced well in their capacity to embrace large numbers, particularly in the Daga cluster, where nearly 4,000 participants are engaged in core activities. Against this backdrop of a flourishing pattern of community life, the National Spiritual Assembly set a goal of extending the conversation on the purpose and significance of the Mashriqu’|-Adhkar to some 10,000 souls throughout the country. In addition to the special occasions organized to raise awareness
of the construction of the National House of Worship, those teaching children’s classes, facilitating junior youth groups, hosting devotional gatherings, and facilitating study circles learned to weave the topic naturally into their interactions with
others. In the course of these conversations, many among the local population connected with the concept of a House of Worship
as an institution that welcomes people
of all backgrounds within its warm embrace. They came to understand
the act of worship as wedded to practical service to one’s community.
In Battambang, Cambodia, a celebration in July 2015 to unveil the design for the
Community members study guidance on the institution of the Mashriqu'‘l-Adhkdr in Papua New Guinea.
Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops
local House of Worship opened with prayers at dawn. The events of the day involved dignitaries as well as inhabitants of the surrounding communities, with attendance reaching over 300. In the evening, a reception was held for local and regional authorities, including the governor of the Battambang region and the Chairman of the Battambang Provincial Council. In November of that year, some 200 people from the region participated in a groundbreaking ceremony that also opened with a programme of dawn prayers. This was the first ever ground-breaking event for a local House of Worship, and it coincided with the first time the entire Baha’i world celebrated the Twin Anniversaries of the Birth of the Bab and the Birth of Baha’u’llah according to the Badi‘ calendar. Before the end of the Plan, the earthworks of the Temple property were completed, construction of the central edifices was scheduled to begin shortly after, and service projects took place on site. Several hundred friends participated in at least four major activities as part of an effort to involve and connect the local population with the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, including creating a plant nursery, contributing to the raising up of a fence using locally sourced materials, and planting trees to beautify the gardens and provide shade.
Musicians prepare to share songs at community-wide devotional gatherings in Bihar Sharif, India.
713
[Page 74]
A Stream of Joyous Souls
The following is a story of
a participant at the groundbreaking ceremony for the local House of Worship in Norte del Cauca, Colombia.
At midday, a young man residing in a rural community in the Norte del Cauca cluster got ready to leave his house in the municipality of Mingo. This day was to be one of the most special days in his life. He had grown up learning from his parents to work and value the land. From his grandparents, he had inherited a deep love for the traditional finca, or small farmer holding. He spent most of his time in the finca and thanks to it was able to provide for his family. On this day, he was going to represent his community at a special celebration for the laying of the cornerstone of the local House of Worship. On his bicycle he began his journey to Agua Azul to attend this historic occasion. After arriving, his eyes were drawn to a hand-made clay vase that had been set on a table in front of a stage decorated with flowers and plants typical of the region. He fondly remembered his grandmothers kneading the clay to make such vases. A stream of joyous souls made their way into the tents on the site of the future Temple.
As the young man reflected on the inspiring words shared in the opening remarks, he was moved by how closely the House of Worship was related
74
to his people’s history and their journey to freedom. He was reminded of the small farmers of the region and their suffering; his eyes filled with tears and his chest heaved with pain. When the name of the first community to deposit its soil sample in the big clay vase was mentioned— Primavera—his heart pulsated with great emotion. It was soon going to be his turn to stand
up. He held the small bag with the soil from his community. And then the speaker of the ceremony called out, “The Mingo community will now deposit its sample!” The young man eagerly got up and advanced towards the vase to empty the soil in it. Many other friends then followed. Women, children, youth, and the elderly proceeded in reverence to fulfil this special
privilege that their communities had bestowed on them. With this symbolic act, 60 communities sealed their solemn promise to always maintain their connection with this spiritual centre in
their midst.
When the celebration came to its close at sunset, the young man from Mingo glanced one last time at the clay vase full of soil and started his journey home. On the way, many images and words from the event came to his mind. He realized that his participation in the ceremony for laying the cornerstone of the local House of Worship in Norte del Cauca would remain in his heart as one of the most precious moments of his life, one that would assuredly be called to mind by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Five Year Plan 2011-2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning
[Page 75]
The friends in several regions in India,
with the aid of the institutions, set out to
deepen their awareness of what the edifice
of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar represents and
how their actions today, however humble,
foreshadow the appearance, in the fullness
of time, of a House of Worship in every
locality. With these thoughts in mind, the
friends studied the | August 2014 message
of the Universal House of Justice to the
Baha’is of the world about the significance
of the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar,
along with other messages of the Supreme
Body. They pledged to contribute to the
Temples Fund, hold devotional gatherings,
and assist with the construction of the local
House of Worship in Bihar Sharif. In Bihar
Sharif itself, regular community gatherings
were held to raise the consciousness of the
local community of the significance of the
Temple to be built. As appreciation for the
purpose of the sacred edifice grew, so too
did the number of devotional gatherings
held at dawn throughout the community. In
addition, a team was formed at the cluster
level to organize community-wide devotional
meetings that incorporated songs and dances
expressing love for God and His creation.
The participation of over 3,300 youth at the 2013 youth conference in the Matunda Soy cluster in Kenya, together with the follow-up efforts by the youth and the institutions, gave great impetus to the community-building process throughout the country. Naturally, the enthusiasm of the friends also increased as preparations for the construction of a House of Worship unfolded. With the help of the Temple committee and regional and local institutions, a gathering was held in the cluster with nearly 1,000 participants
to offer supplications to the Almighty
for such a bounty. The occasion was also used to increase awareness of the spiritual significance of establishing this divinely ordained institution in their community. As a first step in raising up the facilities that will be erected in the vicinity of the House of Worship, the friends constructed modest facilities on the Temple site to serve the needs of the training institute and the
local community.
In its 2014 Ridvan message, the Universal
House of Justice described the community of Tanna, Vanuatu, in great detail, noting it as an example of “a collective movement
Community members consult about the layout of a simple facility on the Temple site in Matunda Soy, Kenya.
Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops
75
[Page 76]
Community members in Tanna, Vanuatu, consult on the |
significance of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkaér.
towards the vision of material and spiritual prosperity set forth by Him Who is the Lifegiver of the World”:
The friends who reside on the island of Tanna have made a supreme effort to raise consciousness of the planned House of Worship, and have already engaged no less than a third of the island’s 30,000 inhabitants in an expanding conversation about its significance in a variety of ways. The ability to sustain an elevated conversation among so many people has been refined through years of experience sharing the teachings of
Baha’u’llah and extending the reach of background of ongoing expansion and a vibrant training institute.... There is consolidation—the thirtieth cycle of much here to indicate that, when the the intensive programme of growth has elements of the Plan’s framework for recently concluded—that the friends action are combined into a coherent are actively exploring, with the rest of whole, the impact on a population the island’s inhabitants, what it means
for a Mashriqu’l-Adhkar, a “collective centre for men’s souls”, to be raised up
can be profound. And it is against the
Vi
Youth contribute to the construction of benches near the land of the House of Worship in Norte Del Cauca, Colombia.
76 The Five Year Plan 2011-2016: Summary of Achievements and Learning
[Page 77]
in their midst. With the active support of
traditional leaders, Tanna islanders have
offered no less than a hundred design
ideas for the Temple, demonstrating the
extent to which the House of Worship has
captured imaginations, and opening up
enthralling prospects for the influence it
is set to exert on the lives lived beneath
its shade.°!
In Norte del Cauca, Colombia, the design of the central edifice of the local House
of Worship was unveiled at a gathering in September 2014, where one of the architects said that over the course of several months his team had visited communities and groups in Norte del Cauca, listening to their ideas, thoughts, and aspirations and had participated in their community-building activities. At the ground-breaking ceremony several months later, an inhabitant of a nearby community, and a direct descendant of the first generation of believers there, said
Advancing the Process of Entry by Troops
Community members study guidance on the institution of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
that since learning about the Baha’i Faith
as a junior youth she had been motivated
by a deep concern for the development of her people and an eagerness to know how best to serve the communities of the region. With deep emotion, she stated, “The event today has a backstage story, the history of a people, our North Cauca people! ... We are here because it is the destiny of our people. We are here because this destiny was one day illumined by the light emanating from the presence of a Prisoner [Baha’u’llah].” Communities from the surrounding region brought soil samples for the long-awaited moment when the cornerstone was laid, which symbolized how the communities are connected with this institution. A native forest on the Temple grounds will display the beauty and rich diversity of the indigenous trees in the region and serve as a place of learning, research, and training for children, youth, and adults. It will nurture among the local inhabitants a heightened consciousness of their responsibility to cultivate and protect their natural environment and its relationship to the spiritual and social well-being of the population. The forest will also become an uplifting, verdant setting for the enjoyment of the entire community.
Ld
