Tag Archive for "spirit" | To Bend Light

Posts Tagged ‘spirit’

Carry Me

Posted on: April 17th, 2011 by tobendlight

Jews are called upon to take action, to work in partnership with G-d for tikkun olam. Yet at times I just need G-d to carry me through the day. This is a prayer for G-d’s presence, so that I can live a life of service. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below (website only). The text follows.

Carry Me
G-d, carry me today,
With Your love,
Your grace,
Your wisdom and strength.
G-d, carry me today,
With Your power,
Your justice,
Your holiness and law.
G-d, carry me today,
Through stormy winds and rough seas,
The obvious and unforeseen
Challenges and losses,
The uneven flow of my emotions,
My fears and my shames.

Today, G-d on high,
I will not succeed alone.
I will not survive alone.
I need Your majesty and might,
Your dignity and righteousness,
To carry me through the day ahead.
With You as my Rock and Shield
I will face this day with an answer
To loneliness and dread,
Misgivings and mistakes,
To stand with courage and freedom
Against misfortune and deceit.

G-d, carry me today.
Give me healing hands,
A quiet mind,
Gentle speech
And a forgiving heart.
Let me feel You in my chest.
Let me feel You in my limbs.
Let me feel You by my side.

Blessed are You, G-d of All,
You are the answer to those in need.

Postscript: Other prayers about connecting with G-d’s love and healing the heart include: “The Wound,” “This Stubborn Heart” and “Witnessing: A Meditation.”

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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

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.

About Shabbat

Posted on: March 4th, 2011 by tobendlight

This is from a series of prayer/poems in the voice of the one who has a question that doesn’t need an answer. The series includes “About the Rainbow” and “About the Heavens.” Here’s another lovely Sabbath prayer, “For the Arrival of Shabbat,” as well as two stories, “Sarah Rivkah: A Challah Baking Story” and “Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat.” To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

About Shabbat
Majestic Sovereign,
Well of blessings,
How did You decide
To create heaven and earth?
Was this Your purpose:
To make a world of work,
For us to toil in service?
Did You bring forth a day of rest
As a gift to Your creation?
Or was this Your only option,
After first conceiving
The glory of Shabbat?
Was the Sabbath itself
Your only intention?
Perhaps You summoned
Time and space
Solely to bring forth
The magnificent splendor
Of Shabbat.

Postscript: See also “For the Arrival of Shabbat,” as well as two Shabbat stories, “Sarah Rivkah: A Challah Baking Story” and “Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat.”

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Photo credit: The Little Minyan

For the Arrival of Shabbat

Posted on: January 26th, 2011 by tobendlight

A prayer to celebrate the gifts of Shabbat. The closing lines are from Shalom Aleichem. Please listen along as you read. (Click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.)

For the Arrival of Shabbat
Well of Life,
Bless my heart with the gifts of Shabbat,
The presence of Your love in my pulse,
Your glory in my chest
And Your wonder in my breath.

Bless my eyes with the gifts of Shabbat,
Seeing the beauty of the candle sticks,
The Kiddush cups and challot.

Bless my lips with the gifts of Shabbat,
Rejoicing in song and prayer,
Singing melodies ancient and new.

Bless my ears with the gifts of Shabbat
Hearing hymns and praises,
The nigunim of old,
And blessed words of Torah.

Bless my soul with the gifts of Shabbat,
Awe and thanksgiving,
Calm and surrender,
Beauty, righteousness and peace.

Let these gifts descend gently on all Your people Israel,
So that together,
Wherever we may be,
In one voice
From the four corners of earth we sing,
Boachem l’shalom
Malachay ha’shalom,
Malachay elyon.

Postscript: You may enjoy these two short, short stories about Shabbat, “Sarah Rivkah: A Challah Baking Story” and “Mendel Baruch: S’hema on Shabbat.”

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Photo Source: WikiMedia Commons

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

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

To Know Your Word

Posted on: October 28th, 2010 by tobendlight

Connecting with the divine is the theme of this series prayers including: “To Hear Your Voice,” “To Seek Your Glory” and “To Seek Your Love.” I use this prayer during week 6 of counting the Omer. To listen along as you read, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows. This piece appears in This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings from CCAR Press.

To Know Your Word
Divine teacher,
Source of knowledge, wisdom and insight,
Well of secrets,
Creation sings your praise.
Sea, earth and sky proclaim your majesty.
Your word resounds around us,
And Your voice echoes throughout the universe.

G-d of ancient secrets,
Holy One of Old,
Open my heart to Your guidance
And my mind to Your teaching,
So that I may know Your word
And live by Your holy command,
So that I may be of service to You,
Your people,
And Your Torah.

Blessed are You, Rock of Truth,
Your word resounds from the heavens,
Your teachings fill the earth.

Postscript: Please read the related prayers: “To Hear Your Voice,” “To Seek Your Glory” and “To Seek Your Love.”

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: The Sefer Torah Recycling Network

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.”

Posts Tagged ‘spirit’

Carry Me

This Bounty

This Wound

About Shabbat

For the Arrival of Shabbat

Morning Blessings

River

To Know Your Word

These Blessings

On the Road

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