NEW YORK -- The hypnotizing rhythm of the drums leaked from the lobby to the East Village sidewalk. A number of passersby were drawn to the doorway of the small meeting room on the ground floor of the building. The group inside, seated in a circle three rows deep, appeared to be one big party with a really good sound system. But soon, the party came outside.

The sound of the drum beat burst onto the street as the doors swung open and onlookers were pulled inside and pushed toward the drummers. Encircled by the congregation of 60 members seated in folding chairs, the spectators became participants as they bounced to the explosion of African percussion. The Baha'i Sunday prayer service suddenly grew by six members.

Soulful singing and drumming accompanied solemn prayers throughout the two-hour service. But now at the end of the service, a much louder drumming ushered in passionate singing and even more emotional prayer. The newest members of the party danced. Their smiles were greeted by other encouraging smiles. They tried to repeat back the verses, but the words were foreign and difficult to pronounce.

The free-flowing movement was more than just high-spirited percussion. This was a devotional service, and there was a consistent prayer set to the rhythm. The words were repeated with every beat of the drum. The prayer is one of the few rituals of a faith that prides itself on principles rather than conventions.

The uniform prayer for all Baha'i devotees is "The Greatest Name." In Arabic it is pronounced "Ya Baha'u'l-'Abha," translated as "O Glory of the Most Glorious!" One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the Baha'i faith is its ability to adapt to any culture.

"Race is a construct, not reality," said sermon leader Lloyd Lawrence.

Another devotee, Bryan Weber, described the Baha'i faith as being universal. "Wherever you go in the world, there is freedom for each culture to have their spiritual experience. So in Africa, drums are very popular. In India, Indian singing is very common," Weber said. "There is no Baha'i dress, there's no Baha'i music. There aren't many rituals. But all Baha'is educate their children in spiritual virtues and participate in devotional service."

The common feature to all Baha'i temple decor, whether the temple is located in Illinois, Haifa or Ishqabad, is the calligraphic rendering of "Ya Baha'u'l-'Abha" in Arabic. A framed image with this scripture was hanging on the eastern wall of a room in the Center.

Every Sunday the New York City Baha'i Center on East 11th Street, near Union Square, hosts 60 to 70 members of the community in prayer. This center's service is greatly influenced by the African-American community. Members of the community are encouraged to "get their prayer on."

During the previous Sunday's ceremony, the service was accentuated by a group of gospel and soul singers, accompanied by more than 10 sets of bongos and drums in the audience. The tone represented the history of the Baha'i founders in this community and the leaders of this service, who were primarily African-American.

While the music may have had an African flavor, the congregation was anything but homogeneous. Prayers were said in English, Amharic, Tigrinya, Farsi and Italian.

The skin tones of the congregants ranged from Irish-white to Samoan-black, and all shades in between. But the common chant was sung in Arabic. "Ya Baha'u'l-'Abha" was sung along with gospel hymns and Iranian melodies.

One curious onlooker who came in to join the service was Penny Diez, an interfaith minister from Brooklyn. She had been taking a stroll when she was drawn to the rhythm behind the glass doors. Diez didn't know that she was walking in on a two-hour religious ceremony. Nor did she know that this religion prides itself on being inclusive and egalitarian. She just liked the vibe.

"I am here because we were just walking down the street and heard the music," she said.

-This story originally appeared at |L|http://www.upiu.com/view/post/1226886141728/|UPIU.com|L|-

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