Posts Tagged ‘six-word prayer’

 

Guest Writers: 7th Graders at Temple Beth Jacob

Posted on: February 8th, 2018 by Alden

Inspired by my Six-Word Prayer Facebook community, Rabbi Robin Nafshi, Temple Beth Jacob in Concord, NH, asked the 7th graders to sum up three Jewish prayers in six words: Maariv Aravim, Ahavat Olam and Mi Chamocha. Each student wrote a six-word prayer. The class put them together to make three eight-line, six-word prayers. The activity was part of a project creating art for a Shabbat Service. Here are those prayers, written by Alex, Anna, Emily, Judah, Julia, Rachel, Sam and Sammi. This post is part of a new addition here: occasionally featuring guest writers.

Ma-ariv Aravim
Ruler of all, Creator of life
You created Day, night, light, darkness
Earth is now whole, thank You
Thanks for giving light in darkness
Sky and night, light the way
You created us all, so thanks
Change is always happening to us
Thanks God for seasons and days

Ahavat Olam
We always love family and friends
I love God for everything done
We love You, You love us
You protect Israel and teach us
Thanks for Torah, thanks for Love
One God loves us through Torah
Everlasting love learned in the Torah
Torah teaches us, yet I wonder

Mi Chamocha
You saved us, gave us peace
You’ve saved us, we are thankful
The sea splitting, saving the people
God saved us, we thank You
Thanks for helping us leave Egypt
God’s glory is shown to children
Creation is everything, God is one
You saved us, and are one

Prayers are © 2018 Temple Beth Jacob, Concord, NH

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Postscript: I’ve begun offering workshops for adults and teens using six-word prayers as a teaching tool. Here’s an article on Six-Word Prayers by my friend and Eli talks companion, Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer. And here, again, is a link to the Six-Word Prayer Facebook community. Read the prayer of my first Guest Writer, Eliza Scheffler, also an HUC-JIR student, by clicking here.

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: Alden Solovy and imageflip.com

The Largest Prayer

Posted on: October 28th, 2017 by Alden

This is a new meditation on prayer, written in three- and six-word lines and inspired by my new Facebook group, Six-Word Prayers. Please feel free to join the group and to contribute.

The Largest Prayer
How small is the largest prayer?
A breath. A word. A whisper.
How immense is the deepest yearning?
A world. A universe. An eternity.
Oh my soul,
Oh my longing,
Oh my heart,
Oh my being…
How dear is this glorious life?
How precious are your beautiful spirits?
G-d spoke, the world burst forth.
When you spoke, my life resounded.
Love and joy.
Hope and passion.
Wisdom and gratitude.
Mystery and adventure.
How small is the largest prayer?
A blink. A heartbeat. And forever.

© 2017 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are more meditations on prayer: “Whispered Prayer,” “Prayer with Wings” and “Rise on Wings: A Prayer of Borrowing.”

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 by Alden Solovy

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