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Daily Devotions and Dialogue

Offered VIRTUALLY on the Most Vital and Challenging Issue facing America  (healing the spiritual disease of racial prejudice)

Baháʼu’lláh’s World Embracing Vision of the Oneness of Humanity

WELCOME

This prayer call has continued for eleven years!!!!  

Please join us for our daily conference call prayer hour offered 365 days a year as a service to humanity. The prayer call starts at 6am PST, 8am CST, and 9am EST. 

All all welcome to join us on the prayer hour.

FOUNDATION HALL UNIVERSITY

A consultative discussion on the elimination of racial prejudice (The Most Vital and Challenging issue) will immediately follow the prayer call each day. The goal is for the discussion to last approximately 90 minutes, although it may go longer.  The primary purpose is raise consciousness about our innate nobility and to restore dignity to people of African  descent designated in the Bahai Faith as “the pupil of the eye.“

“Freedom from racial prejudice, in any of its forms, should, at such a time as this when an increasingly large section of the human race is falling a victim to its devastating ferocity, be adopted as the watchword of the entire body of the American believers, in whichever state they reside, in whatever circles they move, whatever their age, traditions, tastes, and habits.” Advent of Divine Justice

The Milwaukee Baha’i Community has been hosting Feasts and Holy Days via the online conferencing program Zoom during May 2020. We will continue to do so for June 2020. To receive information about how to participate in these meetings, please email lsamilwaukee@gmail.com

The Whitefish Bay Baha’i Community is hosting weekly Zoom meetings each Friday at 7 pm to discuss racism / The Most Challenging Issue. To receive information about how to participate in these meetings, please email kmwurzer@gmail.com

Dearly Beloved Friends,

We want you to know that the Milwaukee Local Spiritual Assembly has been meeting weekly during this extraordinary period of crisis. We are meeting electronically and have consulted on directives provided by the National Spiritual Assembly and the Universal House of Justice.

This year’s election for the Local Spiritual Assembly of Milwaukee will be held primarily by mail. Adult members of the Milwaukee Baha’i Community will be receiving voting instructions and ballots through the mail soon. Included in the materials will be some information about the Milwaukee Baha’i Community over the past year. Most likely, this material will be in lieu of an annual meeting.

At this time, the Milwaukee LSA has decided to not schedule any community events for the month of April. However, the LSA will continue to meet weekly and monitor the situation. It is anticipated that the new LSA to be elected soon will decide when the next in-person Baha’i gathering in Milwaukee will be.

Each member of the Milwaukee Baha’i Community is in the thoughts and prayers of the LSA. The LSA can be reached at lsamilwaukee@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

David C. Mueller, Chairperson, LSA of the Baha’is of Milwaukee

Cancellations due to the COVID-19 virus outbreak

Dear friends:

In regards to the COVID-19 virus world-wide outbreak, our National
Spiritual Assembly has left decisions about whether or not to host
meetings to the local and regional Baha’i institutions. At the
national center, the NSA has cancelled the National Convention and has
instructed delegates to cast their votes by mail. The Baha’i school
sessions at Bosch, Green Acre, and Louhelen have been canceled through
the end of May. No decision has been made yet on holding the Annual
Choral Festival. These decisions were made after guidance from
experts and the advisories published by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC).

Due to our need to safeguard the health of all, especially our many
elderly Baha’is, and to do whatever we can to slow the spread of this
disease, the Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Milwaukee has
decided to cancel our Naw Ruz celebration and some upcoming Feasts as
well as the annual meeting.

We will not meet on March 20th for Naw Ruz or March 21st for the
Feast. Two 19-Day Feasts that would have been held in April will not
be observed at a community-wide gathering. Until we can host meetings
again, we plan to send you some Feast readings, the NSA’s Feast
letter, and links to Baha’i music so that you can hold a Feast in your
homes, either by yourselves or with a small group of friends. Can you
help? We need people to prepare sets of Feast “readings” and music
that can be sent out as we hold our in-home Feasts.

The annual meeting: Every year on the first day of Ridvan (April 20th
this year), we elect our Local Spiritual Assembly. This year,
Milwaukee will hold an election by mail-in ballot. If you are an adult
voting member residing in the City of Milwaukee, you will receive your
ballots and our Annual Report during the first week of April. Please
exercise your sacred right and responsibility to uphold the
administrative pillars of our religion; send in your vote and share
your thoughts.

In it’s recent letter to all LSA’s and registered Baha’i groups, the
National Spiritual Assembly offers encouraging words:

“Perhaps our best response to what we may face in the days ahead is to
meet it with the confidence, the positive attitude, the loving concern
and care for our spiritual sisters and brothers that our teachings
inspire…. Let us reach out to those around us to the extent that we
can and find ways to assist them; let us use the time to engage in
prayer, in reflection on the Word of God, and in meaningful
conversations with family members, friends, and neighbors. Let us show
them by our attitude and actions that bright hope and true shelter and
asylum from every dire adversity can only be found under the wing of
the ‘protection, preservation, guard and custody’ of the Divine
Physician, Baha’u’llah.”

Warm Baha’i love,
Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of Milwaukee
lsamilwaukee@gmail.com

From the Same Dust, after thoughtful reflection, has decided to
postpone the Eric Dozier events scheduled for April and early May in
metro Milwaukee, part of his Race Unity Road Trip. Postponement was
the consensus of the planning team, considering the National Spiritual
Assembly’s letters, uncertainty of the course of the COVID-19 virus in
our country, hosting organizations closing their facilities,
difficulty promoting when there is uncertainty, and safety for Eric’s
family and others who would participate in the events.

After fuller consultation with Eric, we will find out if postponement
is possible, otherwise we will have to cancel. We will update you
about that. Organizations who were hosting Eric will be notified soon.

So appreciative of all of the loving support.

From the Same Dust

Please join us for the Festival of Naw Ruz, the Baha’i New Year’s celebration. The event will include dinner and entertainment at no charge.

Friday, March 20th
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Alverno College Conference Center
3400 South 43rd Street
Milwaukee, WI

Late March Feast with be on Saturday, March 21st from 10:30am to 12:30pm, at the Center Street Library, 2727 W. Fond du Lac, Milwaukee. The location is at the corner where Fond du Lac, 27th Street, and Center Street meet.

The Courageous and Safe Place to Talk About Race book group meets on the third Thursday of the month at United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay, 819 E. Silver Spring Dr., Walnut Room #111.

Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. We are reading TEARS WE CANNOT STOP: A SERMON TO WHITE AMERICA by Michael Eric Dyson. Feel free to come even if you don’t have a book as we will be reading aloud. Please feel free to invite others. Upcoming dates are:

February 20
March 19
April 16
May 21
June 18
July 16
August 20
September 17
October 15
November 19
Not meeting in December
January 21, 2021

Feb 14, Friday, 1 pm “Whose History: Deconstructing Systematic Racism and Social Exclusion, Dr. Heather Kind-Keppel of UW-Parkside, Student Center, Ballroom, Kenosha

March 1 Sunday, 4 pm & March 2 Monday, 6:30 pm: “Tolton, From Slave to Priest” Multi-media live production telling story of America’s first black priest; Sienna Center Auditorium, 5635 Erie Street, Racine

April 20-May 7 “THEM: Images of Separation” A traveling exhibit of the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia. UW-Parkside, The Rita, Mathis Gallery, Kenosha

April 20, Monday, 12 & 5:30 pm, “THEM” Curator Presentations, Dr. David Pilgrim, UW-Parkside, Student Center, Cinema (12 pm) and Wyllie Hall, Main Place (5:30 pm), Kenosha (Note: Dr. Pilgrim’s 12 pm presentation will be immediately preceded by Eric Dozier’s “Musical Journeys” at the Cinema, beginning at 10 am

The workshops will be led by Jenny Wanasek, a Baha’i and professional workshop leader who has led workshops on topics such as racism, team-building, communication challenges, virtues, and more. The text that will be used in the workshops will be the book, “White Fragility” by Robin DiAngelo and Michael Eric Dyson. It is recommended (but not necessary) that people get the book and read it ahead of time. Please try to come to at least two of the three dates.

Feb 15 Saturday 2:30-4:30pm
Wauwatosa Public Library, Firefly Room, 7635 W. North Ave. Wauwatosa

Feb 22 Saturday 10:15am-12:15pm
Mitchell Street Library, Community Room, 906 W. Historic Mitchell Street, Milwaukee

Feb 23 Sunday 1:15-3:15pm
Wauwatosa Public Library, Firefly Room, 7635 W. North Ave, Wauwatosa

Wednesday, February 26 at 6:30 PM at the Whitefish Bay Public Library: 5420 North Marlborough Drive, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217

From the Same Dust group is a co-sponsor of this event

Eric Dozier, a cultural activist, anti-racism educator, and itinerant blues preacher, leverages the power of music to promote healing, justice and racial reconciliation. His two-week visit to Milwaukee is sponsored by From the
Same Dust with generous contributions from area Baha’is.

Eric will be working with community groups, churches and schools from Kenosha to Cedarburg and many places between.During Eric’s visit, there will be opportunities for Baha’is to interact within the fabric of society on the important topic of race unity. Details of these events will be coming at a later date.

Baha’i event dates, which will include the power of Eric’s music:

April 22: Baha’i community consultation and music with Eric

April 27: 9th Day of Ridvan celebration

April 30: 12th Day of Ridvan celebration and Eric Dozier’s musical program “The Pupil of the Eye” with a celebration of African American Baha’is who have contributed to the SE Wisconsin area. Details will come later. Please save these dates! April 22, 27, and 30.

The East Side Study Group is a friendly discussion and devotional meeting is turning into a study group. Everyone can bring a story to share. We’ll talk about Baha’i history, pilgrims and pioneers tales, and memorable moments from the lives of “the learned and the wise.” Each month we will share stories about a
topic.

We meet every week, Wednesday 2:00 pm at Brewed Cafe, 1208 E. Brady Street. In the cafe, turn right at the counter, go to the end of the side room, turn right again to enter the other front room. Upcoming topics:

February – Perseverance
March – Sacrifice
April – The Hands of the Cause
May – Discovering Your True Self

Ayyam-i-Ha: The Intercalary Days prior to the fast will take place from February 26th-29th.

It behooveth the people of Baha, throughout these days, to provide good cheer for themselves, their kindred and, beyond them, the poor and needy, and with joy and exultation to hail and glorify their Lord, to sing His praise and magnify His Name; and when they end—these days of giving that precede the season of restraint—let them enter upon the Fast. -Baha’u’llah

There are two Ayyam-i-Ha activities to choose from this year. Both are on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020:

1) A Service Project for Children and Families, Saturday, February 29, 1:00 -4:00 PM, Urban Ecology Center – Menomonee Valley, 3700 W Pierce Street, Milwaukee, WI 53215. This project is part of the Urban Ecology Center’s Park Ranger program. Volunteers work outside to restore and preserve Three Bridges Park’s natural habitats. Volunteers’ efforts help make this park a healthy habitat for the native plants and animals, educational resource for our members, urban students and summer campers, and welcoming green space for all residents. Free street parking is available, but please do not park in the parking lot across the street from the center as it is not their property. Please invite friends and family to join us! 1:00 PM – Greeting and Volunteer Intro 1:30 PM – Service Project in Three Bridges Park (this will be outside so please dress for the weather) 3:00 PM – Snacks and Art Project 4:00 PM – Depart RSVP to Angeline Saeian (414-403-0573) by Feb 26. Liability waiver needs to be completed and in order to attend this event.

2) For those wanting an indoor celebration, there will be a potluck lunch on Saturday, February 29th at the home of Lisa Urbonya from noon to 2:30 pm.

Feast of ‘Alá: Sunday, March 1st will be held at Lauren Vinsant’s home, with dinner provided at 5:30 pm. Please come. Let’s break the first day of Fast together with food, worship, and consultation. Just bring yourselves and your good cheer.

Feast on January 18
You are warmly invited to attend the next 19-day Feast in Milwaukee.
It will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at !0:30 – 12:30 at Bay
View Library, 2566 S Kinnickinnic Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53207. The 15 and
52 bus lines stop here.

National Convention Report on February 1
In response to requests from the community, we are excited to host a
National Convention report from our delegate, Robert Malouf, on
Saturday, February 1st from 10:30 to 12:30 at the Washington Park
Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd. The 57, 30, and 30X bus lines stop
here.  We will be in the Finney Community Room.  Come learn about the
leading topics of consultation by the delegates and Counselors at the
Convention, and the annual report of the secretary of the National
Spiritual Assembly. Discussion, questions, and answers will follow
after the report.