Tag Archive for "redemption" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘redemption’

Passover Prayers

Posted on: April 2nd, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a list of my prayers that would make lovely additions to your Passover Seder, divided into four categories: prayers about freedom, prayers for social justice, prayers for Hallel and Counting the Omer. Many of them appear in Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. Some appear in This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day. To read them, click on the name of the prayer:

Prayers About Freedom
Egypt Inside – About personal freedom
Breaking Bonds – Setting ourselves free
The Season of Freedom – A time to be free
Release Me – Freedom from emotions that hold me back
Elijah – Our deepest yearning for a world of wholeness

Prayers for Social Justice
To The Streets – About taking tikun olam to the streets
Against Human Trafficking – For modern-day slaves
Against Tyranny – For an end to the rule of tyrants
Against Poverty – For all to live in economic well-being
Against Worker Exploitation – For fair wages and conditions
Against Hunger – To feed the world
For Women of Congo and Sudan – Against the abuse of these women

Prayers for Hallel
Dance Hallelujah – To dance in praise of G-d
Sing Hallelujah – To sing in praise of G-d
In Praise – To speak in praise of G-d

Counting the Omer and Other Topics
The Season of Counting – About the meaning of counting
For Spring – For the new season
History – About the gifts of memory and history
Jerusalem: A Meditation – “Next year in Jerusalem!”

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This Wound

Posted on: March 29th, 2011 by tobendlight

A new prayer about healing wounds of the heart, of the soul, of the spirit. Please listen along by clicking on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This prayer appears in my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

This Wound
G-d of my heart,
This wound is too deep for me to heal
Without You,
Your power and Your grace.
Remove the walls of grief that separate me from
Your love and Your blessings.
You call us to life,
To hope,
To service,
To seek and to do,
To heal and to complete Your creation.

G-d of gentle moments,
I surrender my life to
Your awesome works,
Your secret ways.
Reunite me with myself,
With my fellows
And with the world,
To do Your will in humble service.

Blessed are You,
Your love is eternal.

Postscript: Other prayers about healing the heart include: “This Stubborn Heart” and “Witnessing: A Meditation.” Please consider purchasing my new book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

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.

For Jerusalem

Posted on: March 23rd, 2011 by tobendlight

Please pray for the City of Peace. To listen while you read, click on the triangle in the bar below (website only). The text follows.

Jerusalem: A Meditation
Jerusalem,
You are mystery and wonder,
Secrets hidden and secrets revealed.
You are beauty in the hills
And holiness in stone.

City of Peace,
Why are you still besieged by nations?
Why are you held hostage from within?
What errant flight has the white dove taken?
What mission of love and mercy
Has drawn her away
Leaving us to weep, broken-hearted?

Jerusalem,
You are prayers and echoes,
Questions without answer,
Yearning and hope,
Radiance and splendor.

Jerusalem,
You are my journey and my destination.
You are my longing.
You are my sorrow.
Will you be my consolation?

Postscript: I’ve reposted this prayer after today’s bus bombing in our sacred city. This meditation was first posted December 20, 2010.

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

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Let Holiness

Posted on: March 13th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is part of a series of prayers invoking a prophetic voice, the voice of spiritual challenge, including “Let Truth,” “Let Joy,” “Let Love” and “Let Torah.” I use this prayer during week seven of counting the Omer, gevurah b’malchut. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Let Holiness
Let holiness sparkle from your face,
Radiate from your eyes,
Emerge from your lips.

Let holiness enter your heart,
Infuse your lungs,
Expand your chest.

Let holiness fortify your bones,
Fire your nerves,
Enliven your flesh.

For holiness is in the earth and the sky,
The storm and the quiet,
The flow of blessings from G-d’s creation,
Divine wisdom and mercy,
Calling out to you dear sisters and brothers:
‘Awake you slumberers!
Awake you who move empty and hollow from sunset to sunset.
Have you become blind to awe and wonder?
Have you rejected the gifts that surround you?
Have you abandoned your hope and your being?’

This, then, is G-d’s command:
Let holiness enter you,
Fortify you,
Shine through you.
Let holiness carry you into marvelous moments
And majestic years.
Learn and teach,
Study and pray,
Lifting your life with zest and zeal.
Let holiness be your journey and your destination.

Blessed are You, G-d of holiness.

Postscript: See also: “Let Truth,” “Let Joy,” “Let Love” and “Let Torah.”

Photo Credit: Kiriat Moshe

The Mountain of My Heart

Posted on: March 5th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is another in my series of prayers for men. The title comes from a memoir of my 15-day journey on Mount Rainier, the same trip that yielded the masthead photo for this site. To listen to this prayer, click on the triangle in the bar below (website only). The text follows. Other prayers for men include: “My Work Remains,” “For the Lost,” “We Share the Same Pain” and “My Heart Knows What It Needs.”

The Mountain of My Heart
The mountain of this earth
And the mountain of my heart
Are one journey,
A sacred trail,
Dangerous and delightful,
Treacherous and beautiful,
A passage to mystery, awe and wonder.

Men of justice and mercy:
Hear the call to action.
Forge honesty to kindness,
And receive the gift of joy.
Weld strength to gentleness,
And receive the gift of freedom.
Bind power to patience,
And receive the gift of courage.
Link gratitude to service,
And receive the gift of love.

The mountain of this earth
And the mountain of my heart
Are one journey.
A wondrous adventure,
Glorious and holy,
Joyful and abundant,
A celebration of creation and reunion.

In reverence for our fathers,
With respect for our brothers,
I humbly pray for the wisdom and vision,
Passion and humor,
Grace and dignity,
To live a life of honor and integrity,
A man among men,
Tasting the sweetness of these gifts.
Sharing them in devotion.
Living them in peace.

The mountain of this earth
And the mountain of my heart
Are one journey.
Radiant.
Abundant.
Divine.

Postscript: Here’s a link to all of my prayers for and about men.

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

Seeking G-d

Posted on: March 2nd, 2011 by tobendlight

Where is G-d? Hidden in plain sight. Do we have the endurance to pursue holiness, to look for G-d’s presence? This prayer appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing. I use it in week seven of counting the Omer. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Seeking G-d
G-d of my ancestors,
G-d of generations,
G-d beyond my understanding:
Who are You?
What are You?
Where are You?
Why do I struggle to reach You
When my quiet heart already knows You?
My calm thoughts
And open arms
Already know You.
My joy and pain,
Grief and love
Already know You.

Adonai my G-d,
Open me up to You
In celebration and surrender.
Reunite me with what I already know:
Your holiness and Your love.
Let Your word flow through me
So that I see and hear,
Taste, touch and smell
The beauty and blessings around me.
Then, G-d of old,
I will remember to seek You always,
To praise You throughout the days
And to honor You across the years.

Blessed are You, Holy One,
Hidden in plain sight,
Present in simple moments,
Present for eternity.

Postscript: Other prayers about finding G-d include: “To Hear Your Voice,” “To Seek Your Glory,” “To Seek Your Love” and “To Know Your Word.” This prayer appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Photo Credit: Thirsty Soul

Near the End: A Meditation

Posted on: February 20th, 2011 by tobendlight

Since death is certain, and the date of death is uncertain, what do I do to prepare? Here’s a meditation on the journey home. Listen along by clicking on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

Near the End: A Meditation
When my days fade,
When my eyes dim,
When darkness settles,
And the veil is lifted,
Remove my fear
My doubt,
My shame.
Remove my hesitation and longings,
So I may go gracefully into
The unknown,
The unknowable,
The secret tomorrow of my soul.

Ancient One,
Foundation and Shelter,
Companion and Guide,
Cradle of life,
Guardian of spirit,
I confess my weaknesses and mistakes,
My errors of judgment and
My lapses of conscience,
So that I may return to You in joyous surrender.

Source of my life
Holy and exalted
You have called me to service on this earth,
You will call me back to You
As You call all Your children
To return from this life,
This journey,
This place of sea and sky,
Of happiness and heartbreak.
Let me go in peace.
Let me go in peace.

Postscript: If you liked this, try “Remember” and “Come Walk,” another prayer/poem in the voice of the spiritual traveler.

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.

For A Critically Ill Mother

Posted on: January 10th, 2011 by tobendlight

Last night friends asked me for a prayer for their ill mother. I wrote it this morning. This prayer will appears in my book, Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing.

For A Critically-Ill Mother
Holy One,
G-d of health and healing,
My mother’s body is failing.
Illness holds her.
Grief and fear hold me.

Ancient One,
Well of hope,
Grant my mother
A quick and complete recovery.
Relieve her suffering.
Remove her pain.
Return her to health.
Restore her 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
_______________ (mother’s name in Hebrew or your native tongue)
So that she may know life and health,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You,
Adonai our G-d,
Creator of motherly wisdom and grace,
Rock of life,
Source of love.

Postscript: Here’s another prayer for our mothers, “For the Matriarch.” And prayers for healing: “For a Critically Ill Child,” “For a Critically Ill Father,” “For a Critically Ill Sister or Brother,” “For Surgery,” “Upon Recovery from Surgery” and “For Healing the Spirit.” Please share the healing: post a link to one of these healing prayers to your Facebook page or to your blog. Email a link to a friend in need.

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.

Against Human Trafficking

Posted on: January 6th, 2011 by tobendlight

Human trafficking is a crime against humanity that still flourishes. This prayer uses the broadest definition of human trafficking: illegal trade of humans for sexual exploitation, forced labor or modern-day slavery. The sex trade is the key driver of trafficking. This prayer is appropriate for the Passover Seder and appears in my book, Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. To listen, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Addendum, October 14, 2015: The FBI announced that 149 underage trafficking victims were recovered and 153 pimps were arrested in a nationwide human trafficking operation conducted throughout the United States last week. Here’s a link to the FBI press release. Here are eight facts about the sex trade.

Against Human Trafficking
G-d of the prisoner,
G-d of the slave and the captive,
The voice of suffering echoes across the land.
Lonely weeping in a night that never ends.
Our brothers
Are sold like coal
To be burned and discarded,
Traded like empty boxcars,
To haul unbearable loads of
Cruelty and degradation.
Our sisters
Are kidnapped and conned,
Used like empty vessels,
Their bodies abused and violated,
Their hearts and souls assaulted.

Source of comfort,
Rock of love and truth,
You call upon us to stand
In the name of justice and freedom:
To witness against human life
Treated as chattel,
To fight those who
Trade human beings as property,
To muster our power and energy
Against this force of evil.

Bless those who dedicate their lives to human rescue.
Grant them the fortitude to battle in the name
Of the unknown, the unseen,
Those who have been forgotten.
May the work of their hands never falter
Nor despair deter them from their holy calling.

Bless those in human bondage with hope and courage.
Grant them the strength and fortitude
To face the shames and tyrannies forced upon them.
Hasten their release.
Grant them lives of health and prosperity,
Joy and peace.

Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Who summons us to liberate the oppressed.

Postscript: Other prayers in this series include “Against Poverty” and “Against Tyranny.” In January, 2011, this prayer was used by the ATZUM Task Force on Human Trafficking http://www.tfht.org/. TFHT was headed to Israel to lobby for criminalizing the act of buying sex. The demand for paid sex fuels the crime of human trafficking. As part of the mission send off, Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor of Congregation Da’at Elohim in New York City read it at Friday night services. Peggy Sakow and other members of the Temple Emanu-El Beth Sholom, Montreal, Committee Against Human Trafficking and Interfaith Coalition were profoundly generous in their guidance and support of crafting this prayer. Three other social justice prayers appear in Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings, including “Against Poverty.”

Photo Source: Children and the Law Blog of the Southwest Juvenile Defender Center

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.”

Photo Source: Alden Solovy

Posts Tagged ‘redemption’

Passover Prayers

This Wound

For Jerusalem

Let Holiness

The Mountain of My Heart

Seeking G-d

Near the End: A Meditation

For A Critically Ill Mother

Against Human Trafficking

Morning Blessings

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