Tampa Baha'is for World Peace and Spirituality

 
 
 

Tony Ballard normally performs at the Clearwater Bahá'í Center in Florida, but more recently performs Sunday devotionals from his home. Tony is an accomplished recording artist. His first CD is available from CDBaby.com, entitled "Dawn Moth ~ Soul Goes On". He performs Sunday devotionals with readings from the writings of the Bahá'í Faith along with his own original compositions. The writings come mostly from the Bahá'í Prophet, Bahá'u'lláh.

Tony's live video feed for Sunday Devotionals can be seen on Facebook.com. To access, log into your own FB page, then enter the link:

https://www.facebook.com/ballard.anthony/

Next look for the icon that says "Live Video" and click on it.

These videos are also saved on Tony's FB page, and can be viewed at any time after the live performance.

 
 
 

This Sunday's Theme: Understanding

Our devotionals include readings and prayers, mostly from the Bahá'í Faith. Members of all Faiths are welcome.

The Passcode required to join the Zoom meeting is "Jutta" (do not include the quotation marks). The Zoom link will become visible after you send your RSVP.

 
 
 

Online Presentation and Discussion:

Sundays 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

Topics will be announced here a few days before the presentation and on https://www.facebook.com/clearwater.bahais

Please use the following link to join the Zoom meetings. This link will be used repeatedly on a weekly basis, starting May 28, 2023, until further notice.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89242672087/
Meeting ID:[masked]

New Discussion Topics Weekly.
When: June 04, 2023, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: The Purpose of Creation Part 2.
"The Purpose of Creation," is a compilation by Kambiz Hakim that illustrates the Love relationships between God and Humanity with the Manifestation of God as the central point and connection between us to our Creator. In this Part 1 of 3, we will discuss the 4-Loves:

1.)Love of the Creator for His Creation.
2.)The Love of the Creation for its Creator.
3.)The Love of the Creation for the creation.
4.)The Love of God for His own Self, that is, the love of the Creator for His own attributes reflected in His creation as an image in a mirror.

This will be a deep dive into the Mystery and Beauty of the spiritual reality of Creation and we hope it will illuminate some of the misconceptions current, "AMONG US," in present society.

Download Mr. Hakim's writing in a document called "The Purpose of Creation" using the following link:
https://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=bZyRBn&m=ixzaqAggaoQoENo&b=_A_rCutQHeXaYj8vdh3zcw

Mr. Kambiz Hakim was born in Tehran Iran, at the age of fourteen, He went to England for his education. In 1968 He moved to New York and studied Engineering at the New York University School of Engineering, which He graduated from in 1972. He lived and worked in New York until 2009, during that time he served on the Local Spiritual Assembly for 28 years. In 2009 He moved to Los Angeles CA where he currently lives today. The subject of the Purpose of Creation has always interested him, and finally, after many years of studying the Baha'i writings, He was able to bring together what he believes to be the most relevant aspects of his personal journey and understanding in this compilation booklet titled, "The Purpose of Creation."

 
 
 

دوستان عزیز ایرانی تبار. ما در حال معرفی یک وب سایت جدید به فارسی هستیم. تمام مواد این وب سایت به زبان فارسی است.

وب گاه جدید، گنجه پنهان (www.ganjepenhan.com) استاد محبوب، به ایرانیان به نوان با هدف معرفی عبدال بها، گنجینه پنهان» است. عبدال بها پسر پیامبر بنیان گذار دیات به بهی به نام بهائل بود.

To all Persian-speaking
Bahá’ís in the United States [And Persian Speakers not yet Bahá’ís]

Dear Bahá’í Friends [and Friends of Bahá’ís],
As we advance through the current ...[year of the centenary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 2021] with "…profound reflection on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá," we are delighted to inform you of the launch of a new website, Ganje Penhan (www.ganjepenhan.com), which aims to introduce the beloved Master to Iranians as a "Hidden Treasure." Developed as an individual initiative of a few Bahá’ís, the website presents a constructive response to the relentless attempts of the Iranian authorities, over the past century and a half, to subvert and hide the unifying teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and the indisputable contributions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá toward advancing that country to a glorious future. Now that most Iranians of every walk of life are awakening to the unjust treatment of Bahá’ís at the hands of the Faith’s adversaries, and are desperately searching for solutions to transform the future of that blessed country, it is propitious to offer ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as a unique Exemplar, a true lover of Iran and all humankind, and a prodigious spiritual and intellectual Figure who unfurled the "secret of divine civilization" not only for Iran, but for the entire human race.

This website—with its diversity of articles, videos, and podcasts—introduces ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings on peace, science and religion, moral philosophy, education, justice, art, and foundations of social progress, among many other themes. Its message is presented in a language that is easily understandable by the rank and file of Iranians. Most importantly, however, the website strives to reveal a Hidden Treasure of Iranian descent, Whose profound impact on Iran and the world is yet to be fully recognized and appreciated.
While this website does not intend to teach the Bahá’í Faith, it provides Persian believers with a most suitable means to share ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s insights, teachings, and principles with their families, friends, and the larger Iranian society, with the hope that His healing message will be a source of inspiration, progress, and prosperity for a country that for too long has been deprived of the blessing of knowing about Him.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary
National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of the United States

PLEASE NOTE: All materials on this website are in the Persian language, known as Farsi.

This is not an event. You may go to the website and view videos and photos of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at your leisure, anytime. It was necessary to set it up this way to get it on Meetup.com, but AnyRoad, AnyTown, AnyState, 91919, AnyCountry is wherever you live. This is such important news, we wanted to share it any way we could, to help the people of Iran, where the Faith was born, because their government is not allowing them any information about the Bahá'í Faith or its founding members, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, and its perfect exemplar and guardian, Abdu’l-Bahá’.

 
 
 

An open discussion group ONLINE to answer questions about the Bahá'í Faith;
Sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Eastern Hillsborough County
Facilitated by Bill and Lori Wilson

Dates: Every Thursday Evening at 7:00 PM.

Upon request by the discussion group participants, the Bahá'ís of Brandon, Florida, will follow up the online meetings with in-person meetings at the home of Bill and Lori Wilson in Valrico, FL. Please request a follow-up meeting during the online discussion group meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82502955583?pwd=azJGemVMbWRIT3NTMy9WMmgzZXdxdz09
Meeting ID:[masked]
Passcode:[masked]

One tap mobile
[masked],,[masked]#,,,,*206169# US
[masked],,[masked]#,,,,*206169# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
[masked] US
[masked] US (Chicago)
[masked] US (New York)
[masked] US (Washington DC)

“The endowments which distinguish the human race from all other forms of life are summed up in what is known as the human spirit; the mind is its essential quality. These endowments have enabled humanity to build civilizations and to prosper materially. But such accomplishments alone have never satisfied the human spirit, whose mysterious nature inclines it towards transcendence, a reaching towards an invisible realm, towards the ultimate reality, that unknowable essence of essences called God. The religions brought to mankind by a succession of spiritual luminaries have been the primary link between humanity and that ultimate reality, and have galvanized and refined mankind's capacity to achieve spiritual success together with social progress.”
~ Bahá’í Universal House of Justice, Bahá’í World Center, Haifa, Israel, 1985

“To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world, to love humanity and try to serve it, to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.” – ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as attributed in Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, by Dr. J.E. Esselmont, pg. 71.

“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization." ~Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Author: Bahá’u’lláh, Source: US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990 pocket-size edition, Page: 215

"The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 215)

The Prophets, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, taught that some of the requirements for peace include: renewed spirituality, elimination of racism and prejudice of all kinds, universal education, equality of women and men, reconciliation between members of different religions, and the eradication of extremes of poverty and wealth. Principles of peace and methods of nonviolent social change promoted by the Bahá’í prophets in the 1800s inspired such authors and leaders as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Practices of consultation promoted by the founders of the Bahá’í Faith, and proposals to establish a world government to prevent war, foreshadowed the creation of the League of Nations, followed by the United Nations.

 
 
 

This Sunday's Theme: Potency

Our devotionals include readings and prayers, mostly from the Bahá'í Faith. Members of all Faiths are welcome.

The Passcode required to join the Zoom meeting is "Jutta" (do not include the quotation marks). The Zoom link will become visible after you send your RSVP.

 
 
 

Tony Ballard normally performs at the Clearwater Bahá'í Center in Florida, but more recently performs Sunday devotionals from his home. Tony is an accomplished recording artist. His first CD is available from CDBaby.com, entitled "Dawn Moth ~ Soul Goes On". He performs Sunday devotionals with readings from the writings of the Bahá'í Faith along with his own original compositions. The writings come mostly from the Bahá'í Prophet, Bahá'u'lláh.

Tony's live video feed for Sunday Devotionals can be seen on Facebook.com. To access, log into your own FB page, then enter the link:

https://www.facebook.com/ballard.anthony/

Next look for the icon that says "Live Video" and click on it.

These videos are also saved on Tony's FB page, and can be viewed at any time after the live performance.

 
 
 

Online Presentation and Discussion:

Sundays 11:00 A.M. to 12:30 P.M.

Topics will be announced here a few days before the presentation and on https://www.facebook.com/clearwater.bahais

Please use the following link to join the Zoom meetings. This link will be used repeatedly on a weekly basis, starting May 28, 2023, until further notice.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89242672087/
Meeting ID:[masked]

New Discussion Topics Weekly.
When: June 04, 2023, 11:00 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: The Purpose of Creation Part 2.
"The Purpose of Creation," is a compilation by Kambiz Hakim that illustrates the Love relationships between God and Humanity with the Manifestation of God as the central point and connection between us to our Creator. In this Part 1 of 3, we will discuss the 4-Loves:

1.)Love of the Creator for His Creation.
2.)The Love of the Creation for its Creator.
3.)The Love of the Creation for the creation.
4.)The Love of God for His own Self, that is, the love of the Creator for His own attributes reflected in His creation as an image in a mirror.

This will be a deep dive into the Mystery and Beauty of the spiritual reality of Creation and we hope it will illuminate some of the misconceptions current, "AMONG US," in present society.

Download Mr. Hakim's writing in a document called "The Purpose of Creation" using the following link:
https://clicks.aweber.com/y/ct/?l=bZyRBn&m=ixzaqAggaoQoENo&b=_A_rCutQHeXaYj8vdh3zcw

Mr. Kambiz Hakim was born in Tehran Iran, at the age of fourteen, He went to England for his education. In 1968 He moved to New York and studied Engineering at the New York University School of Engineering, which He graduated from in 1972. He lived and worked in New York until 2009, during that time he served on the Local Spiritual Assembly for 28 years. In 2009 He moved to Los Angeles CA where he currently lives today. The subject of the Purpose of Creation has always interested him, and finally, after many years of studying the Baha'i writings, He was able to bring together what he believes to be the most relevant aspects of his personal journey and understanding in this compilation booklet titled, "The Purpose of Creation."

 
 
 

دوستان عزیز ایرانی تبار. ما در حال معرفی یک وب سایت جدید به فارسی هستیم. تمام مواد این وب سایت به زبان فارسی است.

وب گاه جدید، گنجه پنهان (www.ganjepenhan.com) استاد محبوب، به ایرانیان به نوان با هدف معرفی عبدال بها، گنجینه پنهان» است. عبدال بها پسر پیامبر بنیان گذار دیات به بهی به نام بهائل بود.

To all Persian-speaking
Bahá’ís in the United States [And Persian Speakers not yet Bahá’ís]

Dear Bahá’í Friends [and Friends of Bahá’ís],
As we advance through the current ...[year of the centenary of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, 2021] with "…profound reflection on the life of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá," we are delighted to inform you of the launch of a new website, Ganje Penhan (www.ganjepenhan.com), which aims to introduce the beloved Master to Iranians as a "Hidden Treasure." Developed as an individual initiative of a few Bahá’ís, the website presents a constructive response to the relentless attempts of the Iranian authorities, over the past century and a half, to subvert and hide the unifying teachings of Bahá’u’lláh and the indisputable contributions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá toward advancing that country to a glorious future. Now that most Iranians of every walk of life are awakening to the unjust treatment of Bahá’ís at the hands of the Faith’s adversaries, and are desperately searching for solutions to transform the future of that blessed country, it is propitious to offer ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as a unique Exemplar, a true lover of Iran and all humankind, and a prodigious spiritual and intellectual Figure who unfurled the "secret of divine civilization" not only for Iran, but for the entire human race.

This website—with its diversity of articles, videos, and podcasts—introduces ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s writings on peace, science and religion, moral philosophy, education, justice, art, and foundations of social progress, among many other themes. Its message is presented in a language that is easily understandable by the rank and file of Iranians. Most importantly, however, the website strives to reveal a Hidden Treasure of Iranian descent, Whose profound impact on Iran and the world is yet to be fully recognized and appreciated.
While this website does not intend to teach the Bahá’í Faith, it provides Persian believers with a most suitable means to share ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s insights, teachings, and principles with their families, friends, and the larger Iranian society, with the hope that His healing message will be a source of inspiration, progress, and prosperity for a country that for too long has been deprived of the blessing of knowing about Him.
With loving Bahá’í greetings,

Kenneth E. Bowers
Secretary
National Spiritual Assembly
of the Bahá’ís of the United States

PLEASE NOTE: All materials on this website are in the Persian language, known as Farsi.

This is not an event. You may go to the website and view videos and photos of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at your leisure, anytime. It was necessary to set it up this way to get it on Meetup.com, but AnyRoad, AnyTown, AnyState, 91919, AnyCountry is wherever you live. This is such important news, we wanted to share it any way we could, to help the people of Iran, where the Faith was born, because their government is not allowing them any information about the Bahá'í Faith or its founding members, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, and its perfect exemplar and guardian, Abdu’l-Bahá’.

 
 
 

An open discussion group ONLINE to answer questions about the Bahá'í Faith;
Sponsored by the Bahá’ís of Eastern Hillsborough County
Facilitated by Bill and Lori Wilson

Dates: Every Thursday Evening at 7:00 PM.

Upon request by the discussion group participants, the Bahá'ís of Brandon, Florida, will follow up the online meetings with in-person meetings at the home of Bill and Lori Wilson in Valrico, FL. Please request a follow-up meeting during the online discussion group meeting.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82502955583?pwd=azJGemVMbWRIT3NTMy9WMmgzZXdxdz09
Meeting ID:[masked]
Passcode:[masked]

One tap mobile
[masked],,[masked]#,,,,*206169# US
[masked],,[masked]#,,,,*206169# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
[masked] US
[masked] US (Chicago)
[masked] US (New York)
[masked] US (Washington DC)

“The endowments which distinguish the human race from all other forms of life are summed up in what is known as the human spirit; the mind is its essential quality. These endowments have enabled humanity to build civilizations and to prosper materially. But such accomplishments alone have never satisfied the human spirit, whose mysterious nature inclines it towards transcendence, a reaching towards an invisible realm, towards the ultimate reality, that unknowable essence of essences called God. The religions brought to mankind by a succession of spiritual luminaries have been the primary link between humanity and that ultimate reality, and have galvanized and refined mankind's capacity to achieve spiritual success together with social progress.”
~ Bahá’í Universal House of Justice, Bahá’í World Center, Haifa, Israel, 1985

“To be a Bahá’í simply means to love all the world, to love humanity and try to serve it, to work for universal peace and universal brotherhood.” – ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, as attributed in Bahá’u’lláh and the New Era, by Dr. J.E. Esselmont, pg. 71.

“All men have been created to carry forward an ever-advancing civilization." ~Gleanings From the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, Author: Bahá’u’lláh, Source: US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1990 pocket-size edition, Page: 215

"The Great Being saith: O ye children of men! The fundamental purpose animating the Faith of God and His Religion is to safeguard the interests and promote the unity of the human race, and to foster the spirit of love and fellowship amongst men. Suffer it not to become a source of dissension and discord, of hate and enmity."
(Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 215)

The Prophets, the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, taught that some of the requirements for peace include: renewed spirituality, elimination of racism and prejudice of all kinds, universal education, equality of women and men, reconciliation between members of different religions, and the eradication of extremes of poverty and wealth. Principles of peace and methods of nonviolent social change promoted by the Bahá’í prophets in the 1800s inspired such authors and leaders as Leo Tolstoy, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Practices of consultation promoted by the founders of the Bahá’í Faith, and proposals to establish a world government to prevent war, foreshadowed the creation of the League of Nations, followed by the United Nations.