Posts Tagged ‘wonder’

 

Source of Bread

Posted on: September 13th, 2020 by Alden

A meditation on physical and spiritual sustenance, and the power of blessing to summon a connection to the divine.

Source of Bread
What is bread
Without a blessing?
It feeds the body
But not the soul.
Let sustenance lead me
To You.

What is water
Without a blessing?
It quenches the thirst
But not the yearning.
Let sustenance lead me
To You.

Let life flow with bread and water,
With milk and honey,
With bounty and plenty for all.
Let no one go hungry,
Not for food,
Not for You
Source of life,
Not for You
Source of all.

© 2020 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com.

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Please check out my ELItalk video, “Falling in Love with Prayer,” and my two CCAR Press books: This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings 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: Quora

Looking Back at Our Long Marriage

Posted on: April 23rd, 2018 by Alden

A simple prayer to be said after years and years of marriage. Here’s a related prayer, a “Blessing for a Spouse / Partner.” And for those just starting out, here are two more: “Bind Our Hearts” and “My Life in Yours.”

Looking Back at Our Long Marriage
Where has the time gone?
The days. The memories.
Where will time lead us?

Thank you, my dear,
For the years of devotion,
And the blessing of forgiveness.
For the seasons of laughter,
And the blessing of tears.

It was something, you and me, wasn’t it?
It still is, although most of the seasons are behind us.
We will celebrate and rejoice,
Mourn and love,
As we always have.

Thank you, G-d of love,
For this amazing marriage.
Watch over us
As we grow old together.

© 2018 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY: Thanks to CCAR Press for offering a 30% off sale on This Grateful Heart for my birthday. On Thursday, April 26, 2018, go to grateful.ccarpress.org  and use the code Alden30 at checkout. It’s valid for 24 hours and takes 30% off the retail price, making it $10.46, plus shipping.

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: Caroline’s Journal

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

Secret Light

Posted on: January 4th, 2017 by Alden

Holiness surrounds us. That’s the theme of this meditation, inspired by my recent ELI talk, “Falling in Love with Prayer” (video soon to be posted). It’s my second meditation referring to the Psalm 97 couplet: “Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.” A mishna on this line says that a secret light from the time of creation was stored away for the righteous to be revealed in the world to come. I believe that even G-d’s most special light is available to all of us.

Secret Light
The light of G-d
Is not well-hidden,
Not so secret,
That we must battle
The forces of nature
Or armies of evil
To stand it its glow.

It’s there,
Behind your eyes,
Pulsing from the hills,
Rising from the sands.
It’s there,
Inside a spade of dirt,
Inside the caper bud
And the orchid blossom,
In the old folks
And the little ones.

The light of G-d
Is not well-hidden.
Far enough
That you must begin the journey.
Close enough
That you will surely find it.

© 2016 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Being an ELI Speaker is a great experience. Learn more about it here. See also, “Sowing Light” and “Light of G-d.”

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: WikiMedia Commons

The Way of Spices

Posted on: May 15th, 2016 by Alden

Spices IndiaHere’s a new song of the spiritual traveler. An extended metaphor, it’s about understanding the nature of each moment and taking those moments into ourselves as gifts.

The Way of Spices
When you reach the way of spices
Fiery and sweet
Cinnamon and ginger, cumin and cardamom
Inhale with all of your senses
Taste this moment
Mixtures familiar and new
Subtle and strong
Salt and pepper
The way of ending and beginning.

When you reach the path of color
Bold and bright
Azure and gold, crimson and amber
Breathe the hues through your chest
See this moment
A palace of refracted light
Sparkling radiant
Brilliant and luminous
The path of beauty and holiness.

When you reach the road of fabric
Coarse and fine
Burlap and silk, flax and silver thread
Remove your gloves and shoes
Feel this moment
The tapestry that weaves and reweaves
Seen and unseen
Stitched and embroidered
The road of being and becoming.

When you reach the canyon of shadow
Dark and steep
Unknown and unseen, shapeless and shifting
Let courage guide your steps
Ascend this moment
A trail of challenge and victory
Power and perseverance
Bravery and honor
The canyon of wisdom and grace.

When you reach the passage to your heart
Delight in the grandeur
Savor the brilliance
And voyage into adventure
Peace will be your companion
And joy will be your guide
Your nights will be bright with starlight
And your days will shimmer with splendor.

© 2016 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Other songs of the spiritual traveler include: “Come Walk,” “All is Well,” “River,” “Bird is Bird” and “About the Rainbow.”

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: WikiMedia Commons

Dance in the Sky

Posted on: April 12th, 2016 by Alden

Bird DanceThis meditation began as a flight of fancy, exploring the image of dancing with our prayers and blessings in the vast open space of sky. As it unfolded, it evolved to take on echoes of Ma’ariv Aravim, the opening prayer of the Ma’ariv service following Barchu. It could serve as an additional or alternative reading between Barchu and the Shema.

Dance in the Sky
Let me dance in the sky,
With prayers and blessings
For the ones I love,
Raising these hopes
To the gates of heaven.

Let me sing among the stars,
With mystery and magic
For the holiness around us,
Raising these dreams
To the gates of redemption.

For there is music in the dawn,
And blessings at dusk,
A radiance of glory,
Carrying our voices beyond the firmament
To the One who created all being.

Source and Shelter,
You set the course of sun and moon,
Bringing on the evening twilight,
Calling forth time and space,
With majesty and wonder.

Blessed are You,
Soul of the Universe,
Summoning the heavens,
Declaring the reign of holiness.

© 2016 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: See also “Come Walk,” “Prayer with Wings” and “Rise on Wings: A Prayer of Borrowing.”

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: Arch20

Cry, No More

Posted on: September 26th, 2012 by tobendlight

4give yoselfThis prayer is about having compassion for ourselves while repairing the damage we’ve done to self and others. I wrote it after my first Yom Kippur in Jerusalem, my first in Israel as an oleh chadash. I use it on Yom Kippur and during the Counting the Omer, day 10, “compassion in discipline.” It appears in my book This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day from CCAR Press.

Cry, No More
Cry no more for the sins of the past.
Rejoice in your repentance and your return.
For this is the day that G-d made
To lift you up from your sorrow and shame,
To deliver you to the gates of righteousness.

Remember this:
Love is the crown of your life
And wisdom the rock on which you stand.
Charity is your staff
And justice your shield.
Your deeds declare your kindness
And your works declare your devotion.

Cry no more for your fears and your dread.
Rejoice in your blessings and your healing.
For this is the day that G-d made
To raise your countenance and hope,
To deliver you to the gates of holiness.

© 2017 CCAR Press from This Grateful Heart: Psalms and Prayers for a New Day

Postscript: “This is the day that G-d made” (Psalms 118:24) is used in our liturgy, including the service of praises, Hallel. Here are links to prayers for Elul, prayers for Rosh Hashana, prayers for Yom Kippur and prayers for Sukkot. Here’s a link to yizkor and memorial prayers.

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: Gospel Newsroom

Awake You Slumberers!

Posted on: September 22nd, 2012 by tobendlight

“Awake, ye sleepers from your slumber, and rouse you from you from your lethargy. Scrutinize your deeds and return in repentance.”רמב”ם

Are you awake? Are you listening? Are you fully present in this moment? Are you fully present in your life? Are you fully present in G-d’s world? When you hear the call of the Shofar on Yom Kippur, when the great Tekiah sounds, will you be ready to rise up and live a life in service to G-d’s holy word?

Here are links to five meditations about waking up to some of G-d’s gifts – truth, joy, holiness, love and Torah – posted now in anticipation of Yom Kippur. They follow the same rhythm and structure: an introduction of three short stanzas; the assertion that G-d’s gifts are present in the universe; a call to reengage with purpose (“Awake you slumberers!”); a reminder of what we may have forgotten; and a call to action.

Here is a taste of “Let Joy:”

“…joy is in the dawn and the dusk,
The silence and the great expanse,
The flow of light from G-d’s grace,
Divine wonder and awe,
Calling out to you dear sisters and brothers:
‘Awake you slumberers!
Awake you who sleepwalk through…”

Are you ready to “Let Truth,” “Let Joy,” “Let Holiness,” “Let Love” and “Let Torah” guide your life? Each of these meditations is aimed at helping us back to G-d’s gifts. And each of these links also includes audio of the meditation.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

If you like this prayer, post a link to your Facebook page, your blog or as part of a tweet. And don’t forget to click “like” on this page. Thanks. Please subscribe. For usage guidelines and reprint permissions, see Share the Prayer!

Sing Out

Posted on: April 10th, 2012 by tobendlight

sing_7469Singing is a powerful expression of prayer. It can bring awe, mystery and holiness. No wonder that whenever I feel the light of G-d’s gifts enter my life, I want to sing out. Here’s a prayer that calls on us to celebrate Divine gifts with song. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below. The text follows.

 

Sing Out
When you feel the light of holiness,
The radiance of love,
The shimmering of glory,
The luminous glow of spirit…

When you inhale wonder
And exhale awe…

When mystery and majesty flow
Through your pulsing veins…

When G-d’s whisper becomes a thundering
Blast of the Shofar…

When your soul remembers its
Place in the heavens…

Sing out!
Sing out your joy.
Sing out your praise.

When you feel the light of Torah,
The radiance of Mitzvot,
The shimmering of prayer,
The luminous glow of loving-kindness…

Sing out!
Sing out to G-d.
Your voice will join the chorus of angels
And your heart will know
The secret of eternity.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Postscript: Here are three related prayers: “For the Gift of Song,” “Sing Hallelujah” and “A Song that Holds My Heart.”

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 Source: Yoga Sanctuary

Let Torah

Posted on: February 25th, 2012 by tobendlight

The Torah is waiting for you. Not just to study it. Not just to know it. To live it. This is the latest in a series of prayers that invoke a prophetic voice, prayers that call on us to serve the Source of All Being, including: “Let Truth,” “Let Joy,” “Let Holiness” and “Let Love.” Each one ends with a call to action. To listen along, click on the triangle in the bar below (website only). The text follows.

Let Torah
Let Torah hold your moments
Carry your days,
Lift your years.

Let Torah fill your hands,
Nourish your breath,
Refresh your heart.

Let Torah sustain your words,
Enliven your deeds
Lead you home.

For Torah is in each life and each generation,
In the yearning for G-d and in G-d’s yearning for us,
The flow of secrets from Sinai,
Divine guidance and grace,
Calling out to you dear sisters and brothers:
‘Awake you slumberers!
Awake you who wander empty and lonely without wonder and awe.
Have you forgotten this precious gift?
Have you forsaken your past and your future?
Have you traded your birthright for empty promises?’

This, then, is G-d’s command:
Let Torah hold you,
Fill you,
Sustain you.
Let Torah guide you into radiance and mystery.
Study and learn,
Question and seek,
Hear and grow,
Lifting your life in sacred service.
Let Torah be your breath and your heartbeat.

Blessed are You, Source of Torah.

© 2012 Alden Solovy and www.tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

If you like this prayer, post a link to your Facebook page, your blog or as part of a tweet. And don’t forget to click “like” on this page. Thanks. Please subscribe. For reprint permissions, see Share the Prayer!

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