Posts Tagged ‘community’

 

The Preacher Said

Posted on: November 9th, 2016 by Alden

img_0717Here’s a prayer for use in celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and written for my book, “This Grateful Heart.”

The Preacher Said
Let us pray,
The preacher said,
Let us pray in the name of hope,
In the name of justice,
In the name of truth.

Let us commit to each other,
The preacher said,
Commit in the name of equality,
In the name of righteousness,
And in the name of our children.

Let us take to the streets,
The preacher said,
Let us take to the streets
To make our space,
To claim a place,
For no one race
Can live in grace,
Until we face,
Together,
Oppression and hate.

Let us walk,
The preacher said,
Let us walk from Selma to Montgomery,
From oppression to the Promised Land,
From fear to courage,
From silence to action,
From today to the future,
To a place where all people
Will be judged by the content
Of their character,
The humanity of their words,
And the compassion of their deeds.

Stick with love,
The preacher said,
Stick with love
Because love is the only answer.

Stick with love.
Stick with love.

Let us pray,
The preacher said,
Let us pray in the name of hope,
In the name of justice,
In the name of truth.

Reprinted with permission from This Grateful Heart, © 2017 CCAR Press. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here’s a link to a prayer “In Thanks for U.S. Democracy.”

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub

Congregational Prayer at the High Holidays

Posted on: September 13th, 2015 by Alden

 

SONY DSCA new prayer for 5776. A leader of one of my synagogues in Israel asked me to write a community prayer. The request comes at a time when we face difficult challenges and losses. Here are two versions, short and long, posted for Kehillat Yedidya. Both adaptable for use by any congregation. Use the blank line to add the name of your synagogue. Word choices are separated with a slash (“/”).

Congregational Prayer at the High Holidays (Short Version)
G-d of Old,
Bless our holy congregation,
Kehillat Yedidya [use your synagogue’s name  _______________ ],
During these days of awe and forgiveness.
We are Your servants,
Lovers of Torah,
Beautiful in our imperfection,
Doing Your will when joy surrounds us,
Doing Your will, even yet, when our hearts are broken.

G-d whose name is Mercy,
Our lives are in Your hands.
You number our days.
Grant our [synagogue/shul/kehilla/temple]
Steadfast compassion and enduring devotion.
Let us celebrate together with fullness of heart.
Let us mourn together under a tent of comfort and care.
Let us serve you from generation to generation,
A light of Your Holy Word.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Congregational Prayer at the High Holidays (Full Version)
G-d of Old,
Bless our holy congregation,
Kehillat Yedidya [use your synagogue’s name  _______________ ],
During these days of awe,
These days of judgment,
These days of forgiveness.
We are Your servants,
Men, women and children,
Old and young,
Lovers of Torah,
The strong and the infirm,
Teachers and students,
Lovers of Your way,
Beautiful in our imperfection,
Doing Your will when joy surrounds us,
Doing Your will, even yet, when our hearts are broken.

G-d whose name is Mercy,
G-d whose name is Truth,
Our lives are in Your hands.
Our time is fleeting.
You number our days.
Grant our [synagogue/shul/kehilla/temple] steadfast compassion,
Enduring devotion,
Strength, wisdom and kindness.
Let us celebrate together with fullness of heart.
Let us mourn together under a tent of comfort and care.
Let us serve you from generation to generation,
A light of hope,
A light of love,
A light of Your Holy Word.

© 2015 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Wishing all of my friends around the world — and all of the wonderful synagogues I attend in Israel and the U.S. — a joyous and healthy year. Here’s a link to an annotated list of all of my High Holiday prayers.

Tweetable! Click here to tweet this: “Bless our holy congregation during these days of awe…” A new High Holiday prayer by @ToBendLight https://tobendlight.com/?p=13529

Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter.

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

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