This Interfaith Devotional program focuses on the forgiveness of mercy of God. These readings have been selected from various religious traditions. Please come and join us on Sundays at 9:30 am at the Beaverton Baha’i Center.

Opening Prayer

O Lord, Thou possessor of infinite mercy! O Lord of forgiveness and pardon! Forgive our sins, pardon our shortcomings, and cause us to turn to the kingdom of Thy clemency, invoking the kingdom of might and power, humble at Thy shrine and submissive before the glory of Thine evidences. O Lord God! Make us as waves of the sea, as flowers of the garden, united, agreed through the bounties of Thy love. O Lord! Dilate the breasts through the signs of Thy oneness, and make all mankind as stars shining from the same height of glory, as perfect fruits growing upon Thy tree of life. Verily, Thou art the Almighty, the Self-Subsistent, the Giver, the Forgiving, the Pardoner, the Omniscient, the One Creator.

Bahá’í Faith, `Abdu’l-Bahá

First Reading

…Allah beckons by His grace to the Garden of Bliss and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: that they may celebrate His praise.

Islam, Qur’an Surah 2

Praise be unto Thee, O Lord. Forgive us our sins, have mercy upon us and enable us to return unto Thee. Suffer us not to rely on aught else besides Thee, and vouchsafe unto us, through Thy bounty, that which Thou lovest and desirest and well beseemeth Thee. Exalt the station of them that have truly believed, and forgive them with Thy gracious forgiveness. Verily, Thou art the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting.

Bahá’í Faith, The Báb

If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared
I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

Judaism, Psalm 130:3-5

Music

Second Reading

Let every person ask pardon of the Great Light, The Creator of us all.

African Traditional Religions (Kenya)

O God our Lord! Protect us through Thy grace from whatsoever may be repugnant unto Thee, and vouchsafe unto us that which well beseemeth Thee. Give us more out of Thy bounty, and bless us. Pardon us for the things we have done, and wash away our sins, and forgive us with Thy gracious forgiveness. Verily, Thou art the Most Exalted, the Self-Subsisting. Thy loving providence hath encompassed all created things in the heavens and on the earth, and Thy forgiveness hath surpassed the whole creation. Thine is sovereignty; in Thy hand are the Kingdoms of Creation and Revelation; in Thy right hand Thou holdest all created things, and within Thy grasp are the assigned measures of forgiveness. Thou forgivest whomsoever among Thy servants Thou pleasest. Verily, Thou art the Ever-Forgiving, the All-Loving. Nothing whatsoever escapeth Thy knowledge, and naught is there which is hidden from Thee. O God our Lord! Protect us through the potency of Thy might, enable us to enter Thy wondrous surging ocean, and grant us that which well befitteth Thee. Thou art the Sovereign Ruler, the Mighty Doer, the Exalted, the All-Loving.

Bahá’í Faith, The Báb

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Christianity, 1John 1:8-9

Should anyone be afflicted by a sin, it behoveth him to repent thereof and return unto his Lord. He, verily, granteth forgiveness unto whomsoever He willeth, and none may question that which it pleaseth Him to ordain. He is, in truth, the Ever-Forgiving, the Almighty, the All-Praised.

Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh

Of the sin against God thou art atonement. Of the sin against mankind thou art atonement. For sin against the Fathers thou atonest. Of the sin against oneself thou art atonement. Of every sort of sin thou art atonement. The sin that I have knowingly committed, and that unawares I have committed, of all that wickedness thou art atonement.

Hinduism, White Yajur Veda 8:13

Music

Third Reading

May the Deity bestow purification that no offense remain. Even as the wind of morning and the wind of evening clear away the morning and evening mists, Even so, may the Deity carry away sin without remain. May the sins of all in the realm, every transgression within the land, be washed away.

Shinto, Engishiki 8

Thank thou God that He hath given thee a power for discriminating the reality of things, hath made thy feet firm in the Path, hath made thy heart overflowing with His love and hath exhilarated thee with the wine of His knowledge. I beg of God to entirely remove the veiling from thine insight, so that thou mayest become duly cognizant of the teachings of Baha’. And I beg of God to forgive thy sins and to illumine thy face with the light of forgiveness, so that thou mayest conquer the self which desires the earthly world and prevent it from its wishes and appetites.

Bahá’í Faith, `Abdu’l-Bahá

O Endowed Transcendent One, I myself and others request that you cleanse wrongs and hindrances from all sentient beings and purify every weakened and broken sacred word of honor.

Hinduism, Yajur Veda

The source of all bounty is derived, in this Day, from God, the One, the Forgiving! The Bird of the Throne warbleth its melody in its retreats of holiness: Supreme ascendancy is to be attributed, this Day, to none except God, Him Who hath no peer nor equal, Who is the Most Powerful, the All-Subduing! The inmost essence of all things voiceth in all things the testimony: All forgiveness floweth, in this Day, from God, Him to Whom none can compare, with Whom no partners can be joined, the Sovereign Protector of all men, and the Concealer of their sins!

Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’u’lláh

Music

Open Prayers

Music

Closing Prayer

O Thou forgiving Lord! Thou art the shelter of all these Thy servants. Thou knowest the secrets and art aware of all things. We are all helpless, and Thou art the Mighty, the Omnipotent. We are all sinners, and Thou art the Forgiver of sins, the Merciful, the Compassionate. O Lord! Look not at our shortcomings. Deal with us according to Thy grace and bounty. Our shortcomings are many, but the ocean of Thy forgiveness is boundless. Our weakness is grievous, but the evidences of Thine aid and assistance are clear. Therefore, confirm and strengthen us. Enable us to do that which is worthy of Thy holy Threshold. Illumine our hearts, grant us discerning eyes and attentive ears. Resuscitate the dead and heal the sick. Bestow wealth upon the poor and give peace and security to the fearful. Accept us in Thy kingdom and illumine us with the light of guidance. Thou art the Powerful and the Omnipotent. Thou art the Generous. Thou art the Clement. Thou art the Kind.

Bahá’í Faith, `Abdu’l-Bahá

• Cover – Forgiveness
• Local Cover – Forgiveness
• Program – Forgiveness
• Program (rtf) – Forgiveness
• Readings – Forgiveness

Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash