Tag Archive for "mystery" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘mystery’

History

Posted on: January 23rd, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer celebrates the gifts of history and memory. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

History
History is sacred,
Memory is holy,
Time is a blessing,
Truth is a lantern.

Source of sacred moments,
Creator of time and space,
Teacher, healer and guide:
Thank you for the gift of memory,
The gift that allows us to see beyond the present,
The gift that allows us to remember our past,
And to remember our lives.

Thank you for the gift of vision,
The gift that allows us to imagine the future,
The gift that allows us to learn and to teach
The lessons of the ages,
The lessons of millennia,
So that we may heal ourselves and the world.

Eternal G-d,
Thank you for the gift of history,
The gift of ancient moments and modern tales.
Grant us the wisdom and understanding to see history in the light of truth,
To trust the enduring power of memory to guide us from generation to generation.

Postscript: Here’s a link to a prayer called “Remember,” as well as links to a trilogy of prayers called “Leaving,” “Arriving” and “Now.”

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: UT Arlington Library

Morning Blessings

Posted on: January 3rd, 2011 by tobendlight

The Jewish morning service begins with Birkot Haschachar, the morning blessings. It includes a simple-but-profound set of one-line prayers called the N’sim B’chol Yom. Here’s a modern supplement — or alternative — to these blessings. It’s written as four sets of three related blessings, acknowledging G-d for: i) creation (“wonder,” “splendor,” “glory”); ii) the flow of Divine gifts (“source,” “well,” “fountain”); iii) daily renewal (“…who provides…”); and iv) the call to tikkun olam, healing the world (“…who delights in…”). This piece appears in This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings from CCAR Press.

Morning Blessings
Blessed are You, Adonai Our G-d, Sovereign of the universe…
…Who created a world of luminous wonder.
…Who created a world of radiant splendor.
…Who created a world of shimmering glory.
…Source of life and health.
…Well of joy and love.
…Fountain of forgiveness and hope.
…Who provides rest and renewal.
…Who provides strength and fortitude.
…Who provides wisdom and understanding.
…Who delights in prayer.
…Who delights in charity.
…Who delights in service.

Blessed are You, Adonai Our G-d, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of this new day, Source of sustenance, bless the works of my hands so that I become a source of holiness and healing.

Postscript: Please check out: “Quick Meditation for Today,” “Quick Meditation at Noon,” “Your Name: Quick Prayer at Dusk” and “Quick Meditation at Night.” Related prayers include “Modeh Ani” and “Quick Prayer on Waking.”

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.

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

Now

Posted on: December 29th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is the third of a three-part meditation about the rhythm and flow of life. These meditations are written to be recited in order: “Leaving,” “Arriving” and “Now.” Please listen along as you read. Click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Now
This is now.
Always now.
Now and now and now.
The arrivals and departures
That bring me here
And take me way,
Are only dreams and memories,
Windows and smoky mirrors,
Distractions from the pulse of this moment.

What is this thing called now that always leaves,
That always arrives,
That changes and stays the same,
That is always present, ripe and waiting?
This is now.
Always now.
And the world is full of
Now and now and now.

Oh to live in this life,
This wondrous river of gifts.
This being. This becoming.
This shimmering light of awe and thanksgiving.
Let the currents flow,
Let the tides shift
And the moon rise and set,
So that now stays vital, vibrant and alive
With joy and grace.

Postscript: Take a look at my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

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

Arriving

Posted on: December 27th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is the second of a three-part meditation about the rhythm and flow of life. These meditations are written to be recited in order: “Leaving,” “Arriving” and “Now.” To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Arriving
I’ve already arrived
In the moment to come.
The yet-to-be opens before me
As a flow of gifts and blessings,
Wounds and losses,
Nights and days,
A steady stream of danger and wonder.
The blue white sky.
The moonless night.

What is this thing called arriving
That feels so uncertain, unsteady, unknown
And yet so full of promise and hope?
I am arriving, always arriving,
In the next shimmering sunrise,
The next afternoon shadow.

Oh to live in this heartbeat,
This amazing pulse of earth and sea.
This place.
This space.
This radiant sigh of being.
Let the world laugh,
The earth cry,
The seasons ebb and flow,
So that the space for now
Opens with gratitude and peace.

Leaving

Posted on: December 26th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is the first of a three-part meditation about the rhythm and flow of life. These meditations are written to be recited in order: “Leaving,” “Arriving” and “Now.” The text follows. Here’s the piece, along with a photo I took of a sunrise over Lake Michigan. This meditation will appear in my forthcoming book, Song of the Spiritual Traveler. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below.

Leaving
I’ve already left
The moment that just was.
I’ve already taken in new sights
New sounds,
The rhythm and motion around me.
The grey dusk.
The morning light.

What is this thing called leaving
That feels so much like a knife
That slices my safety, my solace, my peace?
I am leaving, always leaving,
And the world is always leaving me
In the next gust of wind,
The next quiet night.

Oh to live in this breath,
This joyous expanse of air and light.
This here.
This now.
This wonder and amazement,
This luminous pulse of being.
Let the world sigh,
Let the earth turn,
Let the currents flow,
So that the space for tomorrow
Opens with awe and surrender.

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

About the Heavens

Posted on: December 18th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a brief meditation from a series of prayer/poems written in one of the many voices of the spiritual traveler. This is the voice of the one who has a question that doesn’t need an answer. We marvel at G-d’s gifts and wonder about the unknowable. The series includes: “About the Rainbow” and “About Shabbat.” This piece appears in This Precious Life: Encountering the Divine with Poetry and Prayer from CCAR Press.

About the Heavens
Majestic Sovereign,
Artist of creation,
Why did You put the stars
Beyond our grasp?
Was it Your desire
To keep us searching the heavens
For luminous spirals,
Shimmering clouds,
Rings of glorious light?
Was this Your plan,
To summon us
To reach across the vastness
With hope and desire?
Or perhaps
Once You created the canvass of sky,
Once You took out Your watercolors,
Your oils,
Your charcoals,
Your pencils,
Your palette,
You couldn’t resist
The urge
To paint.

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: Space.com

Life as a Garden

Posted on: December 15th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a metaphor with the intention of prayer, calling each of us to have a certain humility for ourselves and the world, tending even the most mundane details of our lives with a sense of awe and compassion. It’s from a set of prayers with a common structure, including: “Life as a Banquet,” “Life as a Ceremony” and “Life as a Symphony.” These prayers appear in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below.

Life as a Garden
G-d of majestic moments,
Source of splendor,
Creator of radiance,
Divine light of renewal and joy,
My knowledge has its limits,
My insights are fleeting,
My wisdom emanates from an ancient font of holiness and wonder.
What I witness and what I comprehend are blessings and gifts.

Heavenly hand of possibilities and potential,
Artist of all creation,
Grant me the dignity to live my life as a garden,
Planting moments of kindness and grace,
Gently removing the thorns and bramble,
Nourishing each new blessing with the light of love and peace.
You who bring awareness and understanding,
Guide me with purpose,
Teach me with patience,
Show me the gentle path,
So that I live a life of commitment and devotion,
In celebration of Your creation.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
G-d of life, Author of beauty and grandeur.

Postscript: I use this for the 19th day of counting the Omer, “Humility in Compassion.” For an overview of the structure of the prayers in this series, see “Life as a Ceremony.” See also: “Life as a Symphony” and “Life as a Banquet.”

Photo credit: The Way of Beauty

For Creation

Posted on: November 28th, 2010 by tobendlight

This is a simple prayer to remember the majesty of G-d’s creation. It appears in This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings from CCAR Press. Thank you to the Jennie Cohen, editor and publisher of the Jewish Post & Opinion, who matched the prayer with artist Jackie Olenick to produce a beautiful cover using the prayer, slightly modifying the name to “Praise for Creation.”

For Creation
Author of life,
Architect of creation,
Artist of earth,
Your works declare Your Holy Name.

Mighty rivers,
Turbulent seas,
Towering mountains,
Rolling hills,
Vast spaces of brilliance and grandeur.

You created pallet and paint,
Color and hue,
Shape and form,
Abundant and beautiful,
Glorious and majestic,
Full of mystery and wonder.

Blessed are You,
With divine love You created a world of splendor.

Postscript: Other prayers about creation include: “To Know Your Word” and “About the Rainbow.”

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.”

River

Posted on: November 19th, 2010 by tobendlight

This simple prayer/poem is an extended metaphor for the interior landscape of challenge and change. It will appear in my forthcoming book, Song of the Spiritual Traveler. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

River
River and free.
River and free.
Current and rapid.
River and free.

Ocean and gone.
Ocean and gone.
Storm and gale.
Ocean and gone.

Tide and return.
Tide and return.
Whitecap and wave.
Tide and return.

Eddy and flow.
Eddy and flow.
Headwater. Backwater.
Eddy and flow.

River and free.
River and free.
Boat and paddle.
River and me.

Postscript: Please click here to read other prayer/poems from the voice of the Spiritual Traveler.

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. Please consider making a contribution to support this site and my writing.

Photo Credit: U.S. Forest Service / John Hutmacher

Posts Tagged ‘mystery’

History

Morning Blessings

Now

Arriving

Leaving

About the Heavens

Life as a Garden

For Creation

Dance Hallelujah

River

“Alden has become one of Reform Judaism’s master poet-liturgists…" - Religion News Service, Dec. 23, 2020

“Mesmerizing, spiritual, provocative, and thoughtful, Alden was everything you would want in a guest scholar and teacher.” – Rabbi Denise L. Eger, Congregation Kol Ami, Los Angeles, and Past President, CCAR

**"Alden Solovy has become one of the most revered liturgists of the last decade…" - Jewish Post & Opinion, March 29, 2023**

“Alden left everyone feeling inspired.” – Cantor Jeri Robins, Shabbat Chair, NewCAJE6

Your contribution helps support the creation of new prayers available to all on this site.