Tag Archive for "renewal" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘renewal’

Omer, Week Three: Tiferet

Posted on: May 3rd, 2011 by tobendlight

Prayers for week three of Counting the Omer: Tiferet– Beauty, harmony, compassion, truth. They’re listed in my suggested order, from day 15 at the top of the list to day 21 at the bottom. To read them, please click on the name of the prayer.

“A Moment of Blessing” – To see the blessings in our lives
“Choices” – For the will to choose compassion
“Prayer for You, Prayer for Me” – About the secrets hidden in prayer
“For a New Vision” – To see the world through G-d’s eyes
“Life as a Garden” – About a life of kindness and grace
“Small Moments” – To practice seeing the compassion around us
“Life as a Symphony” – About a life of harmony and holiness

And a prayer about Counting the Omer: “The Season of Counting.”During the seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot, the period from the exodus to revelation on Sinai, Jews count the days and the weeks. And so we remember the journey from the depths of slavery to the heights of G-d’s Holy Presence. According to mystical practice, each week has a theme (and each day a sub-theme) that leads us toward revelation. Here are links to prayers and meditations for each week of counting the Omer and Shavuot:
- Week One: Chesed (Lovingkindness, Love, Benevolence)
- Week Two: Gevurah (Discipline, Justice, Restraint, Awe)
- Week Three: Tiferet (Beauty, Harmony, Compassion, Truth)
- Week Four: Netzach (Eternity, Endurance, Fortitude, Ambition)
- Week Five: Hod (Humility, Splendor)
- Week Six: Yesod (Foundation, Bonding)
- Week Seven: Malchut (Nobility, Sovereignty, Leadership)
- Shavuot

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Photo Credit: Kabbalah Names

Prayer after the Tornadoes

Posted on: April 28th, 2011 by tobendlight

A prayer for tornado victims, with Nashville as the new focus.

After the Tornadoes
G-d beyond my understanding,
The sky has turned violent,
Crushing homes and lives,
Upending dreams,
Toppling the foundations of hope and sustenance.
Crisis and chaos,
Confusion and loss,
A scene of sweeping destruction.

G-d of justice and mercy,
We pray for the people of ___________ [Nashville][other location],
And the victims of any disaster,
Any violence, suffering or despair.
Grant them shelter and solace,
Comfort and consolation,
Blessing and renewal.
May people of righteousness and mercy
Come swiftly to their aid.
Grant them endurance to survive,
Strength to rebuild,
Faith to mourn,
Courage to heal,
And devotion to each other.

G-d of heaven and earth,
Heavenly Guide,
Hand of love and shelter,
Grant the people of ___________ [Nashville][other location],
Your protection,
Your radiance,
And Your peace.

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Photo Source: NCAR |UCAR AtmosNews

Against Poverty

Posted on: April 27th, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer is good for your Passover Seder and daily worship. It’s from my series “Against…” including: “Against Human Trafficking” and “Against Tyranny.” The idea for this series began as I looked over a list of the titles of my prayers. There were 49, roughly a third of my work at the time, beginning with the word “For…” So I wondered, can we pray ‘against’? To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Against Poverty
G-d of the hungry,
G-d of the sick and the homeless,
The voice of the forgotten echoes across the land,
Dismayed and abandoned in a world of abundance.
Our children,
Our brothers
And our sisters
Are left to beg in the streets,
To find shelter in abandoned structures,
To suffer illness without physician or medication.

Source of hope and mercy,
Rock of strength and fortitude,
You call upon us to stand in the name of healing and honor,
To witness against human life ignored,
To fight society neglecting human beings,
To muster our power and energy against this plague.

Bless those who dedicate their lives to the poor, the sick and the homeless.
Bless those who take to the streets to offer food, clothing and shelter.
Give them courage and determination.
Bless those who plead on behalf of the poor before the seats of power,
Governments and corporations.
Give them wisdom and skill.
May the work of their hands never falter
Nor despair deter them from this holy calling.

Bless those in poverty with resources.
Release them from want.
Hasten the day of their self-sufficiency and bounty.

Blessed are You, G-d of All Being,
Who summons us to oppose the tyranny of poverty.

Postscript: Does the idea of praying “against” resonate with you? What else should we pray against? Please drop me a note, if you’re so moved.

Photo Credit: Teach Girls, End World Poverty on ProductiveFlourishing.com

Omer, Week Two: Gevurah

Posted on: April 25th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a list of prayers for the themes of week two of Counting the Omer: Gevurah– Justice, discipline, severity, restraint, awe. They’re listed in my suggested order, from day 8 at the top of the list to day 14 at the bottom. To read them, please click on the name of the prayer.

“For Wonder and Awe” – For a heart of wonder and awe
“Anger” – To turn anger into the foundation for justice
“Cry No More” – To turn anger into the foundation for justice
“To Seek Your Glory” – For G-d’s help in finding awe and wonder
“For Humility” – To approach discipline with humility
“Life as a Ceremony” – To live life with sacred purpose
“Unlock Your Heart” – The nobility in a life of purpose

And a prayer about Counting the Omer: “The Season of Counting.”

During the seven weeks from Passover to Shavuot, the period from the exodus to revelation on Sinai, Jews count the days and the weeks. And so we remember the journey from the depths of slavery to the heights of G-d’s Holy Presence. According to mystical practice, each week has a theme (and each day a sub-theme) that leads us toward revelation. Here are links to prayers and meditations for each week of counting the Omer and Shavuot:

Week One: Chesed (Lovingkindness, Love, Benevolence)
Week Two: Gevurah (Discipline, Justice, Restraint, Awe)
Week Three: Tiferet (Beauty, Harmony, Compassion, Truth)
Week Four: Netzach (Eternity, Endurance, Fortitude, Ambition)
Week Five: Hod (Humility, Splendor)
Week Six: Yesod (Foundation, Bonding)
Week Seven: Malchut (Nobility, Sovereignty, Leadership)
Shavuot

Photo Credit: Kabbalah Names

Omer, Week One: Chesed

Posted on: April 19th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s a list of prayers for your use during week one of Counting the Omer: Chesed– Lovingkindness, love, benevolence. They’re listed in my suggested order, from day 1 at the top of the list to day 7 at the bottom. To read them, please click on the name of the prayer.

“For an Open Heart” – To remember how to love
“Witnessing” – Honoring the lives of others
“For Compassion” – For finding compassion in love
“Let Love” – About embodying love
“For Grace” – For living a life of love and humility
“Blessing for a Spouse/Partner” – Expressing the bond of love
“To Seek Your Love” – About seeking G-d’s love

And a prayer about Counting the Omer: “The Season of Counting.”

Week One: Chesed (Lovingkindness, Love, Benevolence)
Week Two: Gevurah (Discipline, Justice, Restraint, Awe)
Week Three: Tiferet (Beauty, Harmony, Compassion, Truth)
Week Four: Netzach (Eternity, Endurance, Fortitude, Ambition)
Week Five: Hod (Humility, Splendor)
Week Six: Yesod (Foundation, Bonding)
Week Seven: Malchut (Nobility, Sovereignty, Leadership)
Shavuot

Photo Credit: Kabbalah Names

Breaking Bonds

Posted on: April 18th, 2011 by tobendlight

Here’s another Passover prayer, written Erev Pesach 5771. It’s about breaking free from the chains that I’ve locked around myself. As such, the theme parallels “Egypt Inside,” although this piece follows a standard rhythmic structure, while “Egypt Inside” is a meditation set as prose poetry.

Breaking Bonds
To break the bonds of anger,
To live with gentle pride.

To break the bonds of shame,
To live with humble strength.

To break the bonds of envy,
To serve each other in joy.

To break the bonds of guilt,
To accept all G-d’s gifts.

To break the bonds of fear,
To love with fullness of heart.

To break the bonds of lust,
To love with fullness of being.

To break the bonds of loneliness,
To receive a hand of hope.

To break the bonds of neglect,
To reach out a hand of help.

To break the bond of tears,
To see with awe and wonder.

To break the bonds of loss,
To rejoice in all G-d’s works.

Postscript: Click here for an annotated list of all of my Passover prayers, with links. This is the first prayer that I’ve written specifically to be used as a responsive reading.

Photo Credit: What’s On Karen’s Plate

This Bounty

Posted on: April 14th, 2011 by tobendlight

This prayer celebrates G-d’s bounty and grace, making it a lovely prayer for both Sukkot and Thanksgiving. It will appear in This Grateful Heart, my forthcoming from CCAR Press.

This Bounty
G-d of abundance,
You have blessed me
With Your bounty
Your love,
Your grace,
The treasures of Your creation.

In gratitude for these gifts,
Holy One,
Bless me with wisdom
To use them with skill,
In service to Your holy name.

Bless me with humility
To use them with joy
In service to Your creation.

Bless me with a generous heart
And a forgiving hand
In service to Your commandments.

Bless me with a strong arm
And a curious mind
In the name of tikkun olam.

Bless me with gentle speech
And joyous laughter,
So that all my works
Summon holiness into Your world.

Then, Rock of Israel,
I will honor Your glorious gifts
With all my being.

Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d,
Your bounty calls us to service.

Postscript: Here are a few prayers with a similar theme: “Life as A Banquet,” “These Blessings” and “Giving Thanks.” And If you would, please put in a quick prayer for Dana, Marty and me. Thanks.

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Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

Let Love

Posted on: April 6th, 2011 by tobendlight

What if we could embody love? Love would light up our days, our lives and the lives of those around us. Together, we could light up the world. This is from a series of prayers that invokes a prophetic voice, the voice of spiritual challenge, calling on us to embody all that is good. The series includes “Let Truth,” “Let Joy,” “Let Holiness” and “Let Torah.” To listen, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

Let Love
Let love wash over your face,
Caress your eyes,
Brush your lips.

Let love pulse through your heart,
Warm your lungs,
Fill your chest.

Let love strengthen your bones,
Ignite your nerves,
Awaken your flesh.

For love is in the air and in the wind,
The current and the waters,
The flow of gifts from G-d’s creation,
Divine bounty and grace,
Calling out to you dear sisters and brothers:
‘Awake you slumberers!
Awake you who walk warily into the day and dejected into the night.
Have you forgotten My gifts and treasures?
Have you forsaken the beauty around you?
Have you surrendered your joy and passion?’

This, then, is G-d’s command:
Let love wash over you,
Pulse through you,
Pour strength into you.
Let love carry you into luminous days
And radiant nights.
Sing and dance,
Laugh and play,
Lifting your life with passion and hope.
Let love be your messenger and your message.

Blessed are You, G-d of love.

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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: Epic Love

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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The Season of Freedom

Posted on: March 31st, 2011 by tobendlight

A Passover meditation about the nature freedom, redemption, release. I’ve used this format of parallel stanzas for other holiday prayers, including Yom Kippur, Hanukah and counting the Omer. This piece appears in my new book This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press, as does “The Season of Counting.”

The Season of Freedom
This is the season of freedom:
Of freedom from the will of tyrants,
Of freedom from the bondage of self,
To become a nation and a people.

This is the season of release:
Of release from captivity and oppression,
Of release from a foreign land,
To receive G-d’s Holy Word.

This is the season of redemption:
Of redeeming our bodies and souls,
Of redeeming our strength and power,
In service to Am Yisroel.

This is the season of freedom:
Of reliving the ancient journey,
Of remembering the treacherous path.
This is the season that calls us to stand together,
The season that summons us to G-d’s Law,
The season that leads us home.

Postscript: If you liked this prayer, you may also like my prayer for counting the Omer, “The Season of Counting,” as well as “The Season of Healing,” “The Season of Dedication” and “The Season of Return.”

Please check out my Meet the Author video 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: Challah Covers and Matza Bags by Elissa

Posts Tagged ‘renewal’

Omer, Week Three: Tiferet

Prayer after the Tornadoes

Omer, Week Two: Gevurah

Omer, Week One: Chesed

Breaking Bonds

This Bounty

Let Love

Passover Prayers

The Season of Freedom

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