KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

Lord YHWH, 

Eternal God

with no beginning

and no end,

Before the mountains were brought forth,

or ever thou hadst formed the earth

and the world,

even from everlasting to everlasting,

thou [art] God.  

For a thousand years in thy sight

[are but] as yesterday

when it is past,

and [as] a watch in the night. 

[Psalms 90:2,4]

We thank You for designing earthly time

with designated seasons that remind us 

of the continuing passage of time, 

and yet within that seamless flow of time passing

are opportunities for ‘new beginnings’,

each new day, new week, new month, new year, 

milestones that mark a shift, a change,

a movement to do better in our journey through life,

through our remaining time on earth,

the end of which is not within our purview.

We thank You for teaching humanity —

through Your ‘Instructions for Living’,

Your Guidelines for Life, Your Torah,

how to live every moment and each stage of our earthly life,

with consciousness that the ever-moving ‘present’ is the only time we truly have,

that the past is gone and future has not yet come;

and therefore we should  use our present time wisely and well,

whether for work or for rest,

in company or in solitude,  

in mindless activity or mindfulness of why we keep doing what we do,

going the same direction and not trying another,

reflecting on whether or not  we have made progress

in the days, months, years, and decades that have passed. . .

and what significant changes should we make at this point in our life.

We realize, O Lord God, 

that You have gifted humanity with free will,

so that choice is always in our hands,

according to our will, for good and unfortunately for ill.

And with that realization comes responsibility

to learn wisdom You have imparted to all humanity,

in Your Instructions for Life, Your Torah,

which, when applied in practical living,

would work towards an ideal society

of people who live together,

thinking of ‘the other’ instead of ‘self’

in harmony, unity and peaceful coexistence,

cultivating a healthy respect for individual difference and diversity of opinion.

As we approach the end of another year,

may we reflect on how we have used or misused 

Your precious, precious gift of time,

time in our hands, time within our control, 

time we have put to good use . . . or unfortunately wasted.

Indeed, O YHWH,  

teach us to number our days,

that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

[Psalms 90:12] –

Yet nothing in life’s experience is ever wasted,

if we learn precious lessons from the negatives

and live more wisely as we apply changes 

and keep moving on with the progress of time.

We hold on to Your message in Jeremiah 29:11 –

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you,

thoughts of peace, and not of evil,

to give you an expected end.

And the words of Your anointed wise king, Solomon:

 Commit thy works unto the LORD,

and thy thoughts shall be established.

[Proverbs 16:3]

————————–

To Everything There is a Season

[Adapted by songwriter Pete Seeger from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8]

TORAH on NEW BEGINNINGS . . .

Image from Shutterstock

Lamentations 3:22-24

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, ‘

“The Lord is my portion;

therefore I will wait for him.’”

 Psalm 40:3

“He put a new song in my mouth,

a hymn of praise to our God.

Many will see and fear the Lord

and put their trust in him.” 

Ezekiel 11:19

“I will give them an undivided heart

and put a new spirit in them;

I will remove from them their heart of stone

and give them a heart of flesh.”

Isaiah 65:17

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.

The former things will not be remembered,

nor will they come to mind.”

Image from www.pinterest.com

Knowing You as God, is a blessing;  

knowing Your Name, YHWH,

is a blessing; 

We pray that our loved ones

will come to know You

and acknowledge You

as God,

and bless Your Name,

O YHWH!

We lift each of them up to You,

for protection, for daily provisions,

for harmony in their relationships,

for peace in heart and mind,

for the development of character

steeped in loving-kindness and wisdom,

that they might experience joy and contentment

at every stage of their lifetime.  

Indeed, may it be so!

SABBATH MEAL

Image from rlst2500-fall2014.blogspot.com

TORAH STUDY

Image from thetorah.com

HAVDALAH

[Source:  A Prayer for the Jewish New Year

May we hold lovingly in our thoughts

those who suffer from tyranny, subjection, cruelty, and injustice,

and work every day towards the alleviation of their suffering.

May we recognize our solidarity

with the stranger, outcast, downtrodden, abused, and deprived,

that no human being be treated as “other,”

that our common humanity weaves us together

in one fabric of mutuality,

one garment of destiny.

May we pursue the Biblical prophet’s vision of peace,

that we might live harmoniously with each other

and side by side,  respecting differences,

cherishing diversity,  

with no one exploiting the weak,

each living without fear of the other,

each revering Divinity in every human soul.

May we struggle against institutional injustice,

free those from oppression and contempt,

act with purity of heart and mind,

despising none, defrauding none, hating none,

cherishing all, honoring every child of God,

every creature of the earth.

May the Jewish people, the state of Israel, and all peoples

[in all other NATIONS of the World]

know peace in this New Year,

And may we nurture kindness and love everywhere.

[AMEIN!]

Image from Askideas.com. . . 

And a blessed year – 2019 –

to Sinaites all over the world, 

and to our Messianic/Christian/unaffiliated friends,

Sabbath-keepers all!

 To LIFE!

Image from www.chabad.org

In behalf of Sinaite 6000 Core Community based in Baguio City, Philippines . . .

NSB @S6K