This prayer was not explicitly written either for Counting the Omer or for Yom Kippur. It fits both. The suggestion here, love ourselves enough to live disciplined lives, ties to day 8 of the omer, “lovingkindness in discipline.” The Yom Kippur connection may be more obvious. The voice of classic piyyutim for repentance echo in the second stanza. This prayer poem appears in This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings © 2019 CCAR Press.

For Wonder and Awe
My body is Yours, oh my G-d,
My limbs Your tools, my heart Your dwelling.
Open my heart to receive Your gifts,
Wonder and awe,
Grace and majesty,
Full yet humble,
A symphony of song and delight.

As for me,
I have chased dust in vain pursuit,
Pursued shadows in selfish desire,
Grasped for wind instead of seeking You,
My Rock,
My Holy Shelter.

My body is Yours, O my G-d,
My life abundant,
My moments bursting with love.

Give me new wisdom,
To live by Your word,
To honor Your Holy Name,
So that Your gifts to me
Return to You as blessings.

© 2019 CCAR Press from This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings

Postscript: My other prayers of wonder include: “About the Rainbow,” “About the Heavens,” “Come Walk” and “Rejoice!” Click here for the full list of prayers for the Yamim Noraim, the High Holy Days, including brief descriptions and links to each.

Please check out my ELItalk “Falling in Love with Prayer” and This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. For reprint permissions and usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” To receive my latest prayers via email, please subscribe (on the home page). You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Credit: Wired

Tags: Elul, faith, holy day, mystery, renewal, Yamim Noraim