Tag Archive for "joy" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘joy’

Giving Thanks

Posted on: November 25th, 2010 by tobendlight

This prayer is a reminder to live with a heart of gratitude and love, sharing these gifts in joyful service. It’s one of several Prayers for Thanksgiving that focus on our daily blessings. It is one of three Thanksgiving prayers that appear in my CCAR Press book, This Grateful Heart.

Giving Thanks
To whom shall I give this grateful heart,
This joy that shines through the center of my being?
To you my friends,
Who hold me, support me and carry me along the way.
To You, my G-d,
Source of strength and hope.

To whom shall I give these praising lips,
This gladness that echoes from the depths of my voice?
To you my friends,
Who teach me, guide me, and honor me along the way.
To You, my G-d,
Source of wisdom and truth.

To whom shall I give these powerful hands,
This energy that infuses my bone and sinew?
To you my friends.
Together we will build this world into a temple of justice and peace.
To You, my G-d.
Together we will bring the light of holiness and love.

Blessed are you, my friends,
In our moments of celebration together
And our moments of service to each other.
Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Source of my life,
Creator of joy and gratitude.

Postscript: Other prayers of thanksgiving include “A Moment of Blessing,” “Dance Hallelujah,” “Life as a Banquet” and “An Amazing Life.”

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: WikiMedia Commons

Dance Hallelujah

Posted on: November 21st, 2010 by tobendlight

To dance as an expression of G-d’s love and G-d’s gifts, that is the Dance Hallelujah. This and a companion prayer, “Sing Hallelujah,” would fit well into the Hallel section of your Passover Seder. Please listen along as you read. Click on the triangle in the bar below (website only). The text follows.

Dance Hallelujah
Hallelujah
A dance of wonder,
A dance of joy and thanksgiving.
Arms raised, hands to the sky.
Feet solid, connected to earth.
A step, a bend, a twirl, a leap.
A breath of light,
A stream of color,
Spinning toward radiance and splendor.

Let my feet lead me toward Your holy realm.
Let my legs carry me toward Your divine word.
Let my arms lift praises toward Your marvelous works.
Let my body exclaim the power of Your awesome ways.

Hallelujah
A dance of light and love,
A dance of energy and endurance,
A dance of humility and grace.

G-d of Miriam,
Prophet who danced by the sea,
Teach me the dance of awe and mystery,
Of devotion and ecstasy,
Of passion and praise.
Teach me to dance my Hallelujah.
Teach me to live my Hallelujah.
A dance of radiance,
A dance of splendor,
A dance of peace.

Postscript: Take a look at my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing and check out a related prayer called “For the Gift of Dance.”

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.

On the Birth of Grandchildren

Posted on: October 31st, 2010 by tobendlight

When my daughter Dana saw me typing this prayer into the computer she said: “Don’t get any ideas.” I hope to have grandchildren someday, but not until my daughters are ready. If that days comes, I’ll be prepared with this prayer. See also: “On the Birth of a Child,” a prayer for parents. Both prayers will appear in my forthcoming book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

On the Birth of Grandchildren
In gratitude and thanksgiving,
Humbly and on bended knee,
We offer praise to You,
G-d Most High,
For the gift of grandchildren.
Bless them with prosperity and health,
Wisdom and strength,
Grace and happiness.
Bless them with well-being
And a sense of well-being.
May they thirst for Torah and Mitzvot,
And do honor to Your Holy Name.

Bless their parents with patience and understanding.
Bless their grandparents with joy and devotion.
Bless them at home,
Bless them on their way.
Bless them in study,
Bless them at play.
Bless them in love,
Bless them in heartache.
Shelter them,
Guide them,
Protect them,
Heal them in their time of need.
G-d of our ancestors,
Source and Comfort,
Love them as You love Your people Israel.

Blessed are You, Creator of All,
Father of Kindness, Mother of Wisdom, Gentle Teacher,
You renew Your people with new life, new love, new birth,
Generation after generation.

Postscript: For prayers about family, click here. See also: “On the Birth of a Child.”

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.

For A New Vision

Posted on: October 26th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a prayer about believing in abundance, both physical and spiritual bounty. One of my most ardent wishes is reflected here: to see the world through G-d’s eyes. This is the source of enduring compassion, the source of living and loving boldly, honestly, without hesitation. I use this idea in “The Path of Righteousness.” To listen along, click on the triangle in the slider bar below. The text follows.

For A New Vision
With new vision
We see the abundance of Your world,
Blessings of heaven and earth.

G-d, help us to see the world through Your eyes,
And each other,
And ourselves.
For joy and peace,
For love and light,
That we may bring holiness into Your world.

Blessed are You, Adonai,
G-d of all worlds,
Who creates moments when heaven touches earth,
Allowing us to hear Your word,
To feel Your radiance
And to see Your divine light.

Postscript: I use this for Omer Day 18: Endurance in Compassion. If you connect with this prayer, please read “The Path of Righteousness.”

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: D’vorah Horn, Omer Series 2010

These Blessings

Posted on: October 21st, 2010 by tobendlight

This prayer celebrates the blessings in my life, in our lives. To listen along as you read, please click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

These Blessings
For the blessings in our lives,
The blessings of our lives,
And the blessings of the people who are part of our lives,
We give thanks.

These gifts heal:
Silence, stillness, enthusiasm and joyful noise.
Awareness, insight, energy and resources.
The gifts of parents and children,
Of students and teachers.

These blessings nurture:
Joy, gratitude, freedom and bravery.
Trust, strength, humor and sweetness.
The blessings of honesty and kindness,
Of faith and love.

For the gifts and blessings of our lives
We sing and dance,
We shout and laugh,
And we pledge our lives in service to each other,
In celebration, in wonder and in awe.

Praised are You, G-d our Maker,
Source of gifts and blessings.

Postscript: Here’s another prayer with a similar theme: “An Amazing Life.”

On the Road

Posted on: October 10th, 2010 by tobendlight

I took buses in the wrong direction in Jerusalem twice today. The second time I landed at a bus stop an hour from my destination. I met Abebe, a 21-year-old Ethiopian yeshiva student. We talked. When he found out I was going to The Kotel he decided to come with. We walked through the Old City together at night, davened ma’ariv at the Wall and he insisted on buying dinner, schwarma with chips. As the evening ended, I asked him if there was anything I could do for him. He asked me to bless him. I did. And so we were both blessed.

On the 10^th night of our 12-day journey around Mount Rainier, Gary, Michael and I met two women at the shelter at Indian Bar. We had a blast. It was a great night of camaraderie and story-telling after a long, harrowing and ultimately triumphant day on the trail.

These moments of instant connection with strangers-who-aren’t-strangers are abundant in my life. And they surprise me every time. This traveler’s prayer celebrates the companions we meet along the way. My other prayers for travel are: “For Travel” and “On the Trail.”

To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

On the Road
G-d of the wayfarer, the traveler, the seeker,
G-d of the inner journey and the outer journey,
Holy One who sends us out to find holiness and light,
Thank You for the gift of kindness from strangers,
The presence of help on the path
And guidance along the way.
With Your loving hand
You provide signs and signals
To those who are willing to listen and to hear.

G-d of mystery and secrets,
The path has its dangers,
The road has its joys and struggles
And at times You seem too distant to reach.
For the struggles ahead we turn to You for comfort.
For the blessings of hope and joy,
Succor along the way,
We give thanks.

Blessed is the G-d of All,
You who provides fellow travelers on the journey out and the journey home,
Give me the opportunity and willingness to be of service to others along the way.
Blessed are You, G-d who provides companions on the journey home.

Postscript: For two more traveler’s prayers, check out: “For Travel” and “On the Trail.”

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.

For the Gift of Words

Posted on: September 29th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a prayer for writers and orators, another in my series of creativity prayers, including “For the Gift of Song,” which describes the common framework used in this series. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

For the Gift of Words
G-d, we give thanks for the gift of words,
The gift of language,
The gift of insight and emotion,
The gift of sacred communion through communication.
For it was You who spoke and the world came into being.
It was You who carved tablets on the holy mountain.
Hear this prayer for those who write to explore the mysteries of creation.
Hear this prayer for those who speak to unlock Your divine secrets.
Make their words Your vessel.
Let heaven pour wisdom and love through them
So that they overflow with Your glory,
Drawing others to Your truths.
So that when we hear these words
Our souls turn back to You in love.
Together, we offer our insights back to heaven,
And rejoice.

Postscript: Be sure to check out the other prayers in this series: “For the Gift of Song,” “For the Gift of Dance,” “For the Gift of Art,” “For the Gift of Music,” “For the Gift of Laughter,” “For the Gift of Torah Scholarship” and “For the Joy of Learning.”

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.

For Autumn

Posted on: September 21st, 2010 by tobendlight

Here’s a prayer for the season that appears in my CCAR Press Book, This Grateful Heart. Other seasonal prayers that appear in This Grateful Heart include: “For Spring,” “For Summer,” “For Winter” and “For Rain.”

For Autumn
The rains have come,
Windy days and crisp nights.
Days are shorter now
And the land prepares to sleep.
Bless this day, God of seasons.
Bless the autumn with the hope of comfort and rest.
Be present with us as we gather with family and friends
So that we enliven our moments with love and joy.

God of time and space,
May this season be a blessing and a teacher.
Make me like the coming rain, nourishing all that I touch.
Make me like a gentle wind, quietly clearing old habits
And the debris of mistakes.
Make me like the crisp air,
Present, refreshing and free.
Bless my days with service and my nights with prayer.
Make me like the land, seeking solace and rest.

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Postscript: Other seasonal prayers that also appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day include: “For Winter,” “For Summer,” “For Autumn” and “For Rain.”

Photo Source: Thorncrown Journal

Rejoice!

Posted on: September 19th, 2010 by tobendlight

Sukkot is z’man simcahteinu, “the time of our rejoicing.” We’re commanded to be happy during Sukkot. Commanded? While joy is an emotion, it’s also a spiritual practice. So practice. For a week, the choice to make is joy. This prayer/poem is about the practice of joy. It appears in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Rejoice!
Dance one-thousand steps toward heaven.
Sing one-thousand hymns of praise.
Breathe one-thousand breaths of glory.
Rejoice!

Climb one-thousand steps of courage.
Chant one-thousand hymns of hope.
Laugh one-thousand breaths of healing.
Rejoice!

Walk one-thousand steps of power.
Hum one-thousand hymns of life.
Share one-thousand breaths of wonder.
Rejoice!

Leap one-thousand steps toward beauty.
Cry one-thousand hymns of joy.
Feel one-thousand breaths of mystery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!

Postscript: Here’s a prayer called “Let Joy” and another called “For Joy.” This link is to a list of all of my Sukkot prayers.

Life as a Banquet

Posted on: August 29th, 2010 by tobendlight

The banquet of your life is full. Rejoice in the blessings. Share the bounty. This is one of four prayers that begin with a reflection on human limits as the gateway to rejoicing in Divine gifts. And sharing them. Here’s a link to more prayers appropriate for Thanksgiving.

Life as a Banquet
G-d of sacred time,
Source of sacred space,
Creator of holiness,
Divine light of wonder and awe,
My vision is clouded,
My sight limited,
The horizon of this world binds my perceptions.
What I see and what I know are tied to my awareness.

Heavenly hand of wisdom,
Guardian of realms above and realms below,
You who give understanding and insight,
Grant me the grace to live my life as a banquet,
A river of abundance and blessing
That yields food and clothing and shelter,
That I accept with humility and thanksgiving.
Give me the strength and compassion
To share these gifts with those in need,
To become an instrument of Divine bounty.

You who provide gifts beyond measure,
Guide me with Your love,
Teach me with Your holiness,
Show me the path to charity and service,
So that I live a life of dignity and honor,
With reverence for Your creation.

Blessed are You, G-d of time and space,
Providing bounty to be shared.

Postscript: Please check out these related prayers: “Life as a Symphony,” “Life as a Ceremony” and “Life as a Garden.”

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.

Photo Source: Taste With the Eyes

Posts Tagged ‘joy’

Giving Thanks

Dance Hallelujah

On the Birth of Grandchildren

For A New Vision

These Blessings

On the Road

For the Gift of Words

For Autumn

Rejoice!

Life as a Banquet

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