Tag Archive for "hope" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘hope’

Love Wins: A Pride Prayer, Jewish

Posted on: January 24th, 2016 by Alden

“This week will go down in history as one of the saddest and most destructive, ever, in the lives of LGBTQ Jews,” declares an article from O-blog-dee-o-blog-da about the anti-semetic vitriol hurled at LGBTQ Jews at the Creating Change 2016 Conference. Pro-Palestinian protesters called for the death of fellow LGBTQ, Jews on their way to a Friday night Shabbat service. Here’s a Jewish response to this twisted hate: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Levit. 19:18), pronounced “ve’ahavta lere’acha kamocha.” In other words, love wins.

Love Wins: A Pride Prayer, Jewish
One day, the words ‘coming out’ will sound strange,
Oppression based on gender or orientation will be a memory,
History to honor and remember,
The pain of hiding, repressing, denying,
Honoring the triumphs of those who fought to be free,
Remembering the violence and vitriol that cost lives.

When love wins,
When love wins at long last,
ואהבת לרעך כמוך,
‘Love your neighbor as yourself’
Will be as natural as breathing.
ואהבת לרעך כמוך!

One day, love will win every heart,
Love will win every soul,
Fear will vanish like smoke,
And tenderness for all will fill our hearts.
ואהבת לרעך כמוך!

Love wins. In the end,
Love wins.
Man for man,
Woman for woman,
Woman for man,
Man for women,
All genders,
All orientations,
All true expressions of heart.
ואהבת לרעך כמוך!

Let this come speedily,
In our day,
A tribute to the many
And the diverse
Gifts from heaven.
A tribute to love deep and true,
Each of us for one another.
ואהבת לרעך כמוך!

Postscript: Thank you to my friend and fellow proud Jerusalem resident Cantor Evan Kent for his suggestions on an earlier draft of this prayer. Creating Change is an annual conference held by the National LGBTQ Task Force. The 2016 conference is still in progress in Chicago. Its purpose: LGBTQ liberation. Its stated intention: to be all inclusive. From the article referenced above: “Ironically the only LGBTQ liberation in the Middle East is fostered by Israel, often serving as a sanctuary for Palestinian LGBT who have been expelled from their homes and hunted by Hamas and Palestinian authority members, who believe gays should die for being gay.” Honor, love and respect to my friends at A Wider Bridge, the host of the Shabbat service and target of ongoing slander.

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Photo Source: Tufts Hillel, JQUEST (Jewish Queer Students at Tufts)

Chop, Carry, Bake

Posted on: January 20th, 2016 by Alden

Here’s a simple new prayer about bringing our gifts into the world. It’s prayer for tikun olam, healing the world.

Chop, Carry, Bake
We stand before
The hand of G-d,
The hand of earth and fire,
Of substance and mystery,
The hand of flour and water,
Of gifts and blessings
The hand of life and death.

Open your hand to the needy,
While you can,
Before your strength fades,
For you are called
To extend your heart in righteousness,
To extend your human hand in kindness,
To share your bounty and your labor,
In service to creation.

We stand before
The hand of G-d,
In awe and wonder,
To chop wood,
To carry water,
To bake bread,
To bring it into the world
In love.

Postscript: See also my social justice prayers, including: “Lesser Children,” “To the Streets,” “Against Worker Exploitation,” “Against Hunger” and “Against Human Trafficking.” Here’s a link to more prayers for social justice.

Photo Source: Lagniappe = A little bit extra

Let this Day

Posted on: January 3rd, 2016 by Alden

As we move from celebrating the arrival of a new secular year to living day-to-day, here’s a prayer about making the most of our time here on earth. May 2016 bring us all blessings and peace.

Let this Day
G-d,
Help me to use this day wisely,
And with care,
Planting laughter in the hours,
And dedication in the moments,
In service to You,
In service to myself,
In service to humanity.

Let my inner wisdom shine
And my talents burst forth,
Bringing the gifts You gave me
To the works of my hands
And the works of my heart.
Let this day be for blessing.
Let this day be for healing.
Let this day be for joy.

G-d,
My time is like water in the desert,
Precious and scarce,
Giving life, giving hope.
Let this day be for creativity and discovery.
Let this day be for curiosity and imagination.
Let this day be for excitement and adventure.
So that the heavens smile on me
And Your creation calls me ‘friend.’

Postscript: Here are more prayers about time and using time wisely: “Leaving,” “Arriving,” “Now,” “Another Year: An Introspection” and “In This Turning.”

Tweetable! Click here to tweet this: “My time is like water in the desert, precious and scarce…” http://bit.ly/1P9hJeS Prayer for using time wisely by @ToBendLight

Photo Source: Klau Library Hebrew Union College, as appearing in the Jerusalem Post

For A Critically-Ill Sister or Brother

Posted on: December 1st, 2015 by Alden

This is a healing prayer for siblings, structured like my prayer “For a Critically-Ill Mother.” My prayer “For a Critically-Ill Child” has a decidedly different structure and tempo.

For A Critically-Ill Brother or Sister
Holy One,
G-d of health and healing,
My brother’s/sister’s body is failing.
Illness holds him/her.
Grief and fear hold me.

Ancient One,
Well of hope,
Grant my sister/brother
A quick and complete recovery.
Relieve her/his suffering.
Remove her/his pain.
Return her/him to health.
Restore her/him to life.

Rock of my heart,
Comfort and shelter,
You know the path ahead.
You know the journey.
You hear our prayers.
G-d who healed Miriam in the desert,
Bring Your healing power to my brother/sister
_______________ (sibling’s name)
So that he/she may know life and health,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
Source of love,
Rock of life.

Postscript: Other prayers for healing include: “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery” and “For Healing the Spirit.” These prayers appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Source: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine

Being a Blessing

Posted on: November 1st, 2015 by Alden

What does it mean to be a blessing in the lives of the people around you? It means nothing less than listening – listening with your ears, your eyes, your heart and your soul – and responding to others with love and compassion. This is a meditation on becoming a blessing in the lives of others. This prayer will appear in my forthcoming book, This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings from CCAR Press.

Being a Blessing
If you ask for rest, I will sit with you.
If you ask for comfort, I will stay with you.

If you ask for hope, I will yearn with you.
If you ask for love, I will sing with you.

If you ask for stillness, I will breathe with you.
If you ask for peace, I will dream with you.

If you ask for joy, I will laugh with you.
If you ask for healing, I will pray with you.

If you ask for warmth, I will become a blanket.
If you ask for refuge, I will become a shelter.

If you ask for help, I will become a blessing.

Postscript: Other prayers about blessing and being blessed include: “Be the Blessing,” “These Blessings,” “Receiving Blessings” and “A Moment of Blessing.”

Photo Source: Free Methodist Church in Canada

R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul (General)

Posted on: September 30th, 2015 by Alden

This brief healing prayer is for all those whose hearts ache, those with troubled souls. It is a general version of “R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul,” which is said for a specific person.

R’fuat HaNefesh (General)
G-d of the spirit,
G-d of the soul, the breath and the wind,
Look with kindness and favor on those
Whose hearts ache, crushed and fallow,
Whose hearts yearn, empty and broken.
G-d of the nefesh, ruach and neshama,
Guide their souls
Back to wonder and mystery,
Sacred moments and glorious days,
So that they know the power of Your love
And the wisdom of Your word.
May their souls shine,
With light and blessing
For our people Israel.

Postscript: Other prayers for healing include: “For Surgery,” “Upon Recover from Surgery,” “For a Critically Ill Mother,” “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Father” and “For Healing the Spirit.” All of them appear in Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

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 Source: GenaLivings.com

Two Prayers by Teens

Posted on: August 4th, 2015 by Alden

Here are two prayers written at two different sessions of my teen writing workshop. We used the same process, but the conversations about prayer were much different. So were the results. Yesterday at NewCAJE6, I led an intensive teacher training called “Pray in Our Own Words: Generating Excitement for Prayer,” which included teaching the technique I use with teens to write a common prayer.

For a Better World
Acknowledge us, O God,
So we may know wisdom, strength, justice and kindness;
So we will witness the miracle of life, love and peace;
So that the doors of understanding open for us and for our children.
As we learn to fulfill our duties to you Adonai,
Rekindle the light of mitzvot
And protect us all.

‘Wowl-ing’ to God
God is the original superhero.
You are awesome, the deliverer of truth and faith.
You give us creativity, which is the opportunity to make all that is good and evil.
We thank, praise and sanctify your knowledge, light and change, forever.
Thank you for giving us all choices.
Thank you for the unique universe.
Help us long for the life, ability, soul, body and love
That makes our destiny beautiful and, most of all, ours.
Sanctity humus, the moon, the sun, and light.
Praise beauty, awe and wide double rainbows.
All love trees.
Let us ‘Wowl’ at the moon and rejoice in Your Awesomeness.

Postscript: If you’re interested in learning more about my workshops for adults and teens, please drop me an email at alden@tobendlight.com. ‘Wowl’ is a word the teens coined by combining the words ‘wow’ – as in ‘praise G-d’ – and ‘howl, as in howling at the moon. It means: ‘howling with spiritual intent to celebrate the beauty G-d put in this world.’

Tweetable! Here’a suggested tweet. Please tweet it (with link): Two awesome prayers written by teens at @tobendlight workshops:

Photo Source: Living a Life of Writing

Quick Prayer for Compassion

Posted on: July 19th, 2015 by Alden

Here’s another in my “Quick Prayer” series, short prayers focused on a particular topic. The last line includes a choice to use either Hebrew or English for the concept of repairing the world, with the choice separated by a slash (“/”). Here’s another prayer “For Compassion.”

Quick Prayer for Compassion
G-d of mercy,
You endowed us with sympathy and compassion,
Giving us moments of rejoicing
And moments of sorrow.
Help me to turn them both into blessings.
Let me remember the joys,
So that I bring them into the world as hope.
Let me remember the pain,
So that I bring it into the world as healing.

Blessed are You, G-d of love,
Let Your gifts fill our days,
Let Your wisdom fills our hearts,
In service to tikkun olam / repairing the world.

Postscript: This prayer can also be used during Elul and during the Counting of the Omer. For a related but harder-edged prayer, see “Witnessing: A Meditation.”

Tweetable! Here’a suggested tweet. Please tweet it (with link): Lovely “Quick Prayer for Compassion” by @tobendlight at: https://tobendlight.com/?p=13322

Photo Source: A Yoga Life

Breathe

Posted on: July 12th, 2015 by Alden

This prayer is a simple reminder to breathe and the gifts that coming from simply being. It includes a space to include a name, yours or someone else’s, so that you can use it as reminder to yourself or as a hope for someone else. Six other pieces of mine include the instruction to breathe. Three of my favorites are: “Sing Praises,” “We Are Music” and “Invitations.”

Breathe
Listen, dear __________ (your name or another name),
Remember to breathe,
Remember to fill your chest
With the sweet taste of living,
To fill your heart
With a gentle gift of peace.
The breath of God
Surrounds you.
Let it flow through you.
The pulse of the universe
Beats with you.
Let it enliven you.
Invite your inhale,
The willingness of this moment.
Release your exhale,
And surrender to being.
Fill your lungs.
Feel them.
Feed them.
Heal them.
And you will know,
The majesty of now,
And the mystery
Of forever.

Postscript: My three other prayers with the instruction to breathe are: “Choosing to Heal,” “Let Your Heart Stir” and “Rules for Being Me in Jerusalem.”

Tweetable! Here’a suggested tweet. Please tweet it (with link): “…fill your heart with a gentle gift of peace. The breath of God surrounds you…” https://tobendlight.com/?p=13239

Photo Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Digital Library

Balak: Your Dwelling Place

Posted on: June 28th, 2015 by Alden

Ma Tovu is one of my favorite prayers. The opening line comes from this week’s Torah portion, Balak. Balak hires Bil’am to curse the people Israel, but instead he blesses them. The blessing includes this line, which opens Ma Tovu: “How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, thy dwellings, O Israel!” [Numbers 24:5] According to rabbinic interpretation, the ‘tents’ are ‘tents of Torah’ and the ‘dwellings’ are synagogues. This prayer turns the metaphor once again, stating that our lives can be the dwelling place of G-d’s glory when we do the work of love and charity. Two lines from Ma Tovu, traditionally said upon entering a synagogue, frame the second stanza.

Your Dwelling Place
When I pray,
When I quiet my mind and open my heart,
I become a priest/priestess
In the house of God.

G-d,
I love Your house,
Your habitation,
The dwelling place of Your glory.
Let me serve You with my hands,
With the toil of healing the world,
With the labor of kindness and compassion.
And I will become Your abode
Of love and charity,
Of thanksgiving and peace,
Doing Your will in joy,
Rejoicing in Your work.
How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,
Thy dwellings, O Israel!

Let my life become a temple,
A sanctuary of praise and service,
And You will dwell
In me.

Postscript: Some of my other prayers that borrow quotes directly from the liturgy include: “Come, Beloved,” “Sephardi Quarter Note,” “Gathering: A Dream of Reunion” and “Affirmation of Faith.”

Posts Tagged ‘hope’

Love Wins: A Pride Prayer, Jewish

Chop, Carry, Bake

Let this Day

For A Critically-Ill Sister or Brother

Being a Blessing

R’fuat HaNefesh: Healing the Soul (General)

Two Prayers by Teens

Quick Prayer for Compassion

Breathe

Balak: Your Dwelling Place

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