A Sinaite’s Liturgy – 5th Sabbath of September

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

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“When

I gaze

into

the night skies

I see

the work

of Your fingers—-

the moon

and stars

suspended

in space.

Oh Lord YHWH,

what is man

that You

are mindful

of him?”

With the constant sighting of the phases of the moon,

indicating time’s progress through this month,

we are humbled at the thought

that You prepared a perfect universe

and a perfect planet designed

not only for the sustenance of all life,

but also for the enjoyment and pleasure

of the only being created in Your image, 

sentient, self-conscious, self-willed—humanity.

O YHWH, Creator of all existence,

need there be any doubt in our mind

regarding Your love for us?

We marvel at this perfect environment in which we live, 

complete with everything that would nurture

and sustain the diversity of life forms that inhabit it,

but most specially the life of each human being 

ever born into this world.

We are amazed at the capabilities of the human body,

which houses mind and heart and soul,

with its intricate workings,

its built-in protective self-healing immune system

which modern medicine can tap into

as the first line of defense against disease;

all work together to ensure

that we live out our existence in the best of health 

while Your breath of life is still in us.

We are humbled as we recognize and acknowledge 

that You,  O YHWH,  

are the Creator and Designer

of everything that exists,

whether visible or invisible to the eye.  

How should we respond?

How can we show our deep gratitude

for all that You have done for us?

Who are we that You should give us this much blessing

just in our natural environment alone,

and within ourselves, and so much more?

Indeed, who are we that You are mindful of us?

You have put man in charge of all creation, 

given the mandate to ‘tend the garden’ . . . 

yet in this day and age we witness

the deterioration, degradation and destruction 

of the only habitable planet in the vast universe 

that You have designed perfectly

out of love for us.

As we begin to approach the season

for self-examination, 

for accountability to You—

we ask for forgiveness, O Creator God!

We respond in all humility,

wondering how best could we express our love for You?

For one of many ways,

by tending Your garden in our little patch of earth,

so that our generation and future generations 

might continue to survive

till the End of Days.

We resolve to do in small and big ways,

in the space we occupy

through the life we live

and the lives we are able to influence,

to respect, nurture and sustain the diversity of life in all its forms,

realizing that only from YOU comes the very breath of life,

granted every creature, big and small, simple and complex.

May we have a deep respect for life

in all its manifestations in Your magnificent ‘garden’ 

O YHWH,

Creator or our planet Earth, Source of all life.

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Psalm 67

May YHWH favor us and bless us,

May He illuminate His countenance with us, Selah.

To make known Your way on earth,

among all nations Your salvation.

The peoples will acknowledge You—all of them.

Regimes will be glad and sing for joy,

because You will judge the peoples fairly

and guide with fairness the regimes on earth, Selah.

The peoples will acknowledge You, O YHWH;

the peoples will acknowledge You — all of them.

The earth will then have yielded its produce;

May YHWH, our God, bless us.

May YHWH bless us,

BLESSINGS

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We thank You for blessing us with loved ones,

each and every one of them—-[names]

parents

siblings

spouse

sons/daughters

extended family

grandchildren.

We thank You for the gift of friendships

that have endured through time,

for those still among us,

and others who have left our company;

We thank You for our faith community of Sinaites,

those of us who  celebrate Your Sabbath together, 

others who have joined Jewish synagogues

that they might learn Your Torah

directly from Your chosen people;

others who live in faraway lands

but connect with us and one another

through the celebration of Your Sabbath

and the continuing study of Your Torah.

Indeed we serve only You,

O YHWH, Lord of the Sabbath,

Who has blessed us with daily provisions—

this bread of nourishment,

this wine of joy,

our sheer delight in all that Your Sabbath brings

to the end of our work-week.

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HAVDALAH

[Note:  Borrowed Prayer/Source unknown]

Oh God [YHWH],

You have called us into life,

and set us in the midst of purposes we cannot measure;

but we thank You for the good we know,

and pray that we will learn to be patient

until You send more light.

Waken our hearts to gratitude, O Lord,

for mercies have flowed upon us day by day:

in health and sickness,

in labour and repose,

 in the ever renewed beauty of earth and sky,

in thoughts of truth and justice

which stir us from our ease and quicken our endeavor,

and in the contemplation of Your eternity,

which fills us with hope

that what is good and lovely cannot perish.

O train our spirits more and more

into accord with Your pure will!

Amen.

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Shabbat Shalom!