I’ve been trying to figure out what to write about as a Yom Kippur, Day of Repentance topic. This Jewish High Holy Day typically brings up issues of forgiveness. I didn’t really want to delve into that once again. Then I watched an Oprah Winfrey Master Class video about surrender, and I knew. That’s my [...]
How Do You Pray in Modern Times?
December 28, 2010 By 1 Comment
When I’m not considering issues related to human potential, personal growth and practical spirituality, I’m considering issues related to writing and publishing. I see that they all come down to one thing: Learning to find our soul purpose and manifest that in a way that can help others. In this way we connect to our [...]
Finding Consolation in a New Translation of Psalm 23
October 1, 2010 By 2 Comments
On Erev Yom Kippur, my rabbi, Eli Cohen, gave a moving sermon about Psalm 23. This psalm is most often read after someone dies, so for most of us it bears a negative connotation. Yet, it is meant to offer us consolation during difficult times in general, not just when someone has passed on. If [...]
Death on One Shoulder, Life on the Other
September 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As I prepare dinner for Erev Yom Kippur’s meal and think about going to services tonight, I remember the liturgy of the High Holy Days and of the Day of Repentance. I always feel I have death sitting on one shoulder and life sitting on the other. What will this year bring for my family [...]
God Noticed Me on Rosh Hashanah
September 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment
My Jewish renewal community has a traditional of doing group aliyot. In other words, instead of calling up one person to say the blessing before and after the Torah reading, they create a theme around the parshah, the Torah portion being read, and call up anyone that feels drawn to that theme to say the [...]
A Song About Healing Our Temple Earth
July 7, 2010 By Leave a Comment
As our nation struggles with another natural disaster–the Gulf oil spill, it’s time to remember the other environmental issues we have created and need to solve. We have toxic substances in our water, disappearing habitats and species, a damaged ozone layer, climate change, and more… In this effort to remember…and to heal…the environment and the [...]
Pray for the Healing of the Gulf and the End of the Oil Spill Crisis
June 29, 2010 By Leave a Comment
When we can’t seem to solve a problem, we turns to a supernal power that might provide a solution…or a miracle. Thus, more than two months into the Gulf oil spill crisis, four affected State Governors proclaimed this past Sunday, June 27th, A Day of Prayer. In other words, we turn to God for answers [...]
Practical Spirituality: A Daily Prayer of Divine Unity
June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Judaism has a prayer that speaks of Divine unity. It also helps Jews remember that God exists not only in the “heavens” but close at hand. This prayer is called the Sh’ma. I’d like to propose that anyone from any religion or spiritual tradition, however, can take the basic premise of this prayer and use [...]
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