Question:
Is worshipping together better than praying by yourself?
Answer: The phrase “better than” could
reflect the value judgment that praying in a group might be more
powerful than individual prayer. But can we say that a team sport like
soccer is better than jogging? One is a group activity; the other is
simply an individual one. In my experience, both types of prayer
(individual and group) are inspiring and sustaining. It is a joy to
pray alone without distraction, but it is also very enriching to pray
together in a group, where one hears a variety of voices.
Every major world religion prescribes prayers for the individual and
the community. In the Bahá’í Faith, the individual may choose from
among one of three daily “obligatory prayers,” the short, the medium
and the long. Prayers are said in community during the 19 Day Feast,
the Bahá’í worship service which is held every 19 days, the length of
the Bahá’í month, and during holy days. During the first or devotional
part of the Feast — the second and third parts are the consultative and
social parts respectively — one individual reads the prayers and
readings while the community listens reverently. Since there are no
clerics in the Bahá’í Faith, these readers have no special status.
The same process occurs during our devotional meetings, one of our four
core activities. (The others are study circles, children’s and junior
youth classes). During these devotionals, which are open to the public,
a variety of prayers from the world religions and other devotional
writings, such as poems and meditations, are read. The playing of music
complements the prayers and readings. Here, again, the prayers and
readings are recited around the circle, while one person reads and the
others listen.
Bahá’ís observe only one congregational prayer, meaning that one person
leads the community in prayer while everyone stands. This is the prayer
for the dead. -
Jack
McLean
