Tag Archive for "fear" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘fear’

A Liturgy for 9-11

Posted on: April 28th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is a 9-11 liturgy written for the 10th anniversary of the attacks. In HUC-JIR’s Tzeh U’limad, Rabbi Ruth Abusch-Magder, Ph.D., held a dialogue called “Remembering 9-11: Ten Years Later.” She then asked me to write a 9-11 liturgy. The original four prayers appear on that site. The post below includes additional prayers written as I thought further about the liturgy. Here’s a link to video montage of “For 9-11 Survivors.”

For 9-11 Survivors
G-d of the survivor,
G-d of the mourner and the witness,
Grant solace and peace to those still held by physical, emotional and spiritual distress from the attacks of 9-11. Release them from visions of death and destruction, from guilt or shame, from fear or anger. Bind their wounds with Your steadfast love. Lift them on Your wings of kindness and grace.

Blessed are those who have found peace.
Blessed are those without tranquility.

Blessed are those who speak.
Blessed are those who stay silent.

Blessed are those who have healed.
Blessed are those who suffer.

Blessed are those who forgive.
Blessed are those who cannot forgive.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Source of strength for survivors of violence and tragedy in every land and in every age. Blessed are You, Rock of Israel, Source of hope and comfort.

To the Terrorist
You who would hold the sky captive,
The sea prisoner,
The land in chains…

You who hide in caves,
Retreat to the wilderness,
Disappear behind false names and forged papers…

You who smuggle guns and arms,
Hide rockets in cities and bombs in homes,
Build weapons against the innocent and the bystander…

You whose designs are destruction,
Whose plans are fear,
Whose joy is hate…

You who harden your hearts
And wrap yourselves in death…

What evil has robbed you of your love,
Your compassion,
Your goodness,
Your humanity?
What lies have invaded your minds
So that you choose to die in order to kill?

We who love our lives and liberty
Stand firm and strong against terror.
We will defend our nation and our people.
We will protect our land and our homes.
And we pray for you to find hope and comfort
In lives of peace.

At the Hand of Terror: A 9-11 Yizkor Prayer
Creator of all,
Source and shelter,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To ______________________ (name in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My [ father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one/ friend ]
Who died [ in / during / because of ]
The 9-11 attacks on the United States.
Remember the works of his/her hands
And the message of his/her heart
Remember all those who were lost in the terror of that day.
Grant their families peace and comfort for Your name’s sake
And for the sake of those who perished.
Bring an end to violence and terror,
Speedily, in our days.
May the memory of _____________________ be sanctified with joy and love.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

____________________

At the Hand of Terror II: A 9-11 Memorial Prayer
Creator of all,
Source and shelter,
Grant a perfect rest under your tabernacle of peace
To those who died in the 9/11 attacks on the United States.
Remember the works of their hands
And the message of their hearts.
Grant their families peace and comfort for Your name’s sake
And for the sake of those who perished.
Bring an end to violence and terror,
Speedily, in our days.
May their memories be sanctified with joy and love.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Memorial Prayer for 9-11 First Responders

G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To those who died in service to others because of
The 9/11 attacks on the Unites States.
May their dedication to protecting life serve as a shining lamp of love
And the works of their hands bring us all merit in heaven.
Bless the souls of all who have died to save others,
Civilians and professionals,
The trained and the untrained,
In every age and in every land,
Men and women who answered the call of honor, duty and service.
May their memories be sanctified with joy and love.
May their souls be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

____________________

Yizkor for First Responders
G-d of the selfless,
G-d of the strong and the brave,
Grant a perfect rest among the souls of the righteous
To ______________________ (name in Hebrew or your native tongue),
My [ father / mother / sister / brother / child / wife / dear one/ friend ]
Who died in service to others [ in / during / because of ]
_________________________________________________ [name of event such as:
[the 9/11 attacks on the Unites States, the Mount Carmel forest fire, etc.].
May his/her dedication to protecting life serve as a shining lamp of love
And the works of his/her hands bring us all merit in heaven.
Bless the souls of all who have died to save others,
Civilians and professionals,
The trained and the untrained,
In every age and in every land,
Men and women who answered the call of honor, duty and service.
May the memory of _____________________ be sanctified with joy and love.
May his/her soul be bound up in the bond of life,
A living blessing in our midst.

Other prayers that may be useful in developing a 9-11 commemoration are:

“Against Tyranny” – A prayer against oppressive regimes
“At the Hand of Violence: A Yizkor Prayer” – For those who died by violence
“For Bereaved Children” – A prayer of mourning and hope for children who’ve lost parents
“For the Bereaved” – A prayer of mourning for all
“After Shiva” – When the shiva is over, what next?

Postscript: Special thanks to my sister Mara Lund for her insightful comments on drafts of these prayers. Thanks also to Rabbi Ruth for the invitation to write.

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Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Upon Losing Employment

Posted on: February 17th, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer is to be said when losing a job. Adapt it using choices in [brackets]. To listen along, click on the triangle below. The text follows.

Upon Losing Employment
G-d on high,
I stand in the shadow of fear and loss
As my employment comes to an end.
I have no way to see or to know
How my livelihood will be restored
Or my financial obligations fulfilled.
Grant me determination through these difficult times.
Grant me strength and courage to use this moment
As an opportunity to examine my life, my goals and my needs.
Help me find a way to meet my commitments to my
[Family][children][parents][friends][and][community].

Source of goodness and life,
Watch over me in this challenge.
Protect me from bitterness and resentment.
Open my heart to understanding and forgiveness.
Grant me the patience and energy to persevere.

Blessed are You,
G-d of bounty and grace,
Who provides sustenance of body and spirit
In the hour of need.

Postscript: Here’s a prayer “For Work,” one said “Upon Gaining Employment” and more about emotions that may come with a job loss: “Doubt,” “Shame,” “Fear” and “Anger.” This is a prayer “Against Worker Exploitation,” one of my prayers for social justice.

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Anger

Posted on: February 13th, 2011 by tobendlight

What if anger could be redirected toward positive purpose, could we turn it into a blessing? Perhaps, only if it is channeled, disciplined and used for good. That’s why I use this prayer for the 9th day of counting the Omer, gevurah she’b’gevurah, the discipline with discipline. This prayer is about finding the blessing in anger and is from a series of prayers about difficult emotions, including “Doubt,” “Fear” and “Shame.” To listen while you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Anger
G-d of the inner journey,
Source of strength,
I’ve been assaulted by an unseen foe
And comforted by a steadfast friend,
Cut down in the name of love,
Lost in confusion and dismay,
Blinded by a wave of rage
And soothed by gentle breathing.
I live between moments of desperate anger
And days of boundless joy,
Between a heart of war
And a soul of peace.

Anger is a defense.
Anger is power.
Anger is intensity.

Holy One,
G-d whose gifts challenge my understanding,
Open my eyes to injustice
And let my anger become a source of energy
Channeled toward building and healing.
Let anger be a gateway to tikun olam
So I become a force for holiness and love.

Blessed are You, Source of Wisdom,
Who created anger to illuminate the path to justice.

Postscript: See also “Doubt,” “Fear” and “Shame.” Click here to read more about the Jewish concept of repairing the world, tikkun olam, which is mentioned in this prayer.

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: Three Years to 30

After the Storm: A Moment of Gratitude

Posted on: February 2nd, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer was written once the late January blizzard of 2011 moved east from Chicago. When tornadoes hit the South several months later, many folks found it again. Here’s a prayer called “After the Tornadoes” and another called “Before the Storm.”

To listen while you read, click on the triangle in the bar below:

After the Storm: A Moment of Gratitude
G-d of heaven and earth,
Source of All,
The storm passed,
The tempest moved on.

Thank you for the kinship of neighbors and friends
As we work together to clean up after the squall.
Thank you for providing safety
To my family and friends throughout the gale.
Thank you for the emergency and rescue workers
Who kept watch and risked their lives for our community.
Bless all who were injured with healing and recovery.
Provide food and clothing, warmth and comfort, to all in need.

Blessed are You, our Rock and our Shelter.

Postscript: Several more months have come and gone. Hurricane Irene is now headed up the east coast of the U.S. I’ve updated and revised this prayer as “After Hurricane Irene: Safety After Violent Weather.”

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. If you like this prayer, please post a link to Facebook, your blog or mention it in a tweet. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Before the Storm

Posted on: February 1st, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a prayer to be said before a storm hits. I wrote this for the great Chicago blizzard of 2011 and posted it just as the storm kicked into high gear. Here’s a link to a prayer of gratitude to be said “After the Storm” passes.

Before the Storm
G-d of heaven and earth,
Source of All,
The storm approaches,
A tribute to the force of creation,
Your power and might.

What chaos will blow with the wind?
What destruction will strike?
Who will suffer? Who will stay secure?

G-d of mystery and awe,
Grant us safety as the tempest engulfs our homes and our lives.
Protect us. Shield us. Guard us.
Grant peace of mind to those in fear.
Grant food and clothing,
Warmth and shelter to those in need.
Bless emergency and rescue workers with the tools and skills they need
As they risk their lives for the sake of our families, communities and friends.
Grant healing to those who are sick or injured.
Bless us with common sense throughout the squall
And with kinship and cooperation when the storm passes.

G-d of awe and wonder,
Our Rock and our Refuge,
See us through the gale
And watch us through the night,
For comfort, security and wellbeing,
So that we may serve You in love.

Postscript: I’ve reposted this prayer, with audio, for the approach of Hurricane Irene, along with new optional language.

Photo credit: Nature’s Fury

We Share the Same Pain

Posted on: November 9th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is an invitation, an invitation to men to bond as equals, as brothers, as friends, sharing our deepest pain and our deepest fear. It’s posted today to honor the men of the November 2010 New Warrior Training Adventure held by Chicago Community of The ManKind Project at Camp Ronora, Mich.

Please listen along as you read. (Click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.)

We Share the Same Pain
Brother,
You do not know me…
And you know me.
I do not know you…
And I know you.
We have travelled different roads,
But they are paths across the same landscape,
Trails across the same terrain.
Joy and anger,
Pride and shame,
Fear and love.
Our fathers and their fathers
Faced the journey of the heart alone,
Without the guidance of their brothers,
Without the wisdom of the generations.

Brother, we share the same legacy and
We share the same pain.
That is all I need to know
To love you today
For who you are and for who you can become.
Hurt, but not broken.
Still able to find the deep root of majesty within,
The gift of passion and power,
Radiance and joy,
Directed toward a life of service.
You know me.
I know you.
Let us share the challenge,
The journey,
And the victory.

Postscript: Check out these prayers for men: “My Work Remains,” “For the Lost,” “We Share the Same Pain”and “My Heart Knows What It Needs,” as well as a list of other prayers for and about men.

Please use these prayers. See “Share the Prayer!” in the right hand column.

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Fear

Posted on: November 3rd, 2010 by tobendlight

What if fear could become a teacher, a signal for a moment of bravery, a personal call for a moment of heroism? We would learn to embrace our fears as gifts and to use them to heal ourselves and others. This prayer is from a series about difficult emotions, including “Doubt,” “Shame” and “Anger.” To along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Fear
G-d of veiled mystery,
G-d of hidden destinations,
I’ve walked through jet black nights
Waiting for the hint of dawn.
I’ve climbed the silent trail
Hoping to discover another wandering soul.
I’ve risen at daybreak
To conquer fierce winds and shifting snows.
I live between moments of power and moments of despair,
Between victory and defeat,
Between crushing losses and uncertain futures.

Fear is a memory.
Fear is a warning.
Fear offers a choice.

Holy One,
G-d who placed challenges and triumphs
In the path of the righteous
And at the feet of our ancestors,
Help me to see my fear as a tool,
As a source
And as a friend.
Let fear be my calling to bravery,
An invitation to vitality and strength.

Blessed are You, G-d of trials and victories,
Who created fear as the pathway to power.

Postscript: I use this prayer for day 23 of counting the Omer. Other prayers in this series include: “Doubt,” “Shame” and “Anger.”

Please check out my ELItalk video, “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: KOCO Oklahoma City Radio

Doubt

Posted on: May 22nd, 2010 by tobendlight

A friend asked me to write a prayer about doubt. I was stumped until, one morning after prayer and meditation, the notion of doubt as a Divine gift broke through. The result is a set of prayers about difficult emotions, including “Shame,” “Fear” and “Anger.” To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The entire text follows.

Doubt
G-d of ancient secrets,
G-d of unknown futures,
I’ve been on the mountain
And in the valley.
I’ve swum calm waters
And was tossed by a raging sea.
I’ve been a man / woman of perfect faith
And consumed by impenetrable doubt.
I live between moments of clarity and hours of confusion,
Between daylight and twilight.
I live between the heights and the depths,
Between the calm and the storm,
Between hesitation and trust.

Doubt is a gift.
Doubt is a journey.
Doubt is a blessing.

Holy One,
Creator of mysteries beyond my grasp,
Help me to see my doubts as teachers and guides
Leading me back to You,
Your people,
And Your word.
Let my doubt be the gateway to faith,
Just as confusion is the path to understanding,
As night is the doorway to sunlight.

Blessed are You, Redeemer of the lost,
Who created doubt so that we might discover faith.

Postscript: This is part of a series of prayers about difficult emotions, including “Fear,” “Shame” and “Anger.”

For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see “Share the Prayer!” For notices of new prayers, please subscribe. Connect with To Bend Light on Facebook and on Twitter.

Posts Tagged ‘fear’

A Liturgy for 9-11

Upon Losing Employment

Anger

After the Storm: A Moment of Gratitude

Before the Storm

We Share the Same Pain

Fear

Doubt

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