KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS
Image from www.chabad.org
O YHWH, Creator God,
as our six-day work-week winds down to erev Shabbat,
we join Sabbath-keepers all over the world
who honor You not only as Creator but significantly as Lord of the Sabbath,
by ceasing from our daily striving,
by celebrating the joy of knowing You,
and the pleasure of being with one another
in fellowship and the study of Your Torah.
We join Jewry in and out of the Land of Israel,
the “Saturday” people,
who continue to be a reluctant witness to You and Your Covenant,
whether or not they are Torah-observant,
regardless of their belief or disbelief in their history
and the witness of their Hebrew Scriptures.
For, it is Your faithfulness to Your ‘firstborn’
and the promises You have made to their patriarchs,
that will bring about the fulfillment of prophecies
declared through Your mouthpieces, the prophets of Israel,
regarding their national destiny.
Their very survival amidst incomprehensible anti-semitism,
their continued existence in this 6th millennium,
and most of all, their return to Your promised land
testifies to Your sovereignty,
that Your Will will be done according to what You declare beforehand,
which You accomplish regardless of the cooperation or defiance of self-willed humanity.
We remember the words of Isaiah 66:
Who has heard such a thing?
Who has seen such things?
Shall a land be born in one day?
Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment?
By the workings of your Providence, O YHWH,
the return of a remnant among Your chosen people
bears witness to the God Who makes such declarations
through Your true prophets,
way before such pronouncements are fulfilled,
just when the nations least expected such rebirthing of a people of antiquity,
when their contemporaries have all but disappeared from among the races of the world.
Like Israel the Sabbath keeper,
we take delight in Your Queen of Days.
O YHWH, Lord of the Sabbath,
these Sabbath lights remind us
that even as Your magnificent sun sets on our horizon
and withdraws its brightness so that darkness takes over our half of the earth,
that Your sun continues to work its designed purpose on another side of our planet.This is much like Your manifesting as Light on earth,
whether visually to the Israelites
or symbolically through the brightness of Your Truth,
which illuminates regardless of humanity’s awareness and acceptance.
We never lose sight of Your Light
even as darkness overtakes our life-space,
and blurs our vision,
and makes us lose our bearings temporarily.
We kindle the Sabbath lights as a symbolic gesture
that in whatever little and limited ways,
we can make known Your Name, YHWH,
and Your Truth, the Torah,
ever conscious that we are light-bearers ourselves
by the way we live,
through the choices we make,
to change our ways,
according to Your Way.
May our life-lamps not go out
before our humble witness for You and Your Way of Life
has helped in brightening the pathway toward Your Sinai Revelation,
so that others may find You
and learn about You,
know You,
revere You,
and worship You
as You deserve to be worshipped
and declare Your Name
with all reverence and awe,
just as we had started to do seven years ago.
Indeed may it be so!
Image from dailyproverbs.co
Proverbs 3
My son, forget not my teaching;
But let thy heart keep my commandments;
For length of days, and years of life,
And peace, will they add to thee.
Let not kindness and truth forsake thee;
Bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thy heart;
So shalt thou find grace and good favour
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the LORD with all thy heart,
And lean not upon thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him,
And He will direct thy paths.
Be not wise in thine own eyes;
Fear the LORD, and depart from evil;
It shall be health to thy navel,
And marrow to thy bones.
Honour the LORD with thy substance,
And with the first-fruits of all thine increase;
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty,
And thy vats shall overflow with new wine.
My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD,
Neither spurn thou His correction;
For whom the LORD loveth He correcteth,
Even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,
And the man that obtaineth understanding.
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
And the gain thereof than fine gold.
She is more precious than rubies;
And all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her.
Length of days is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honour.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her,
And happy is every one that holdest her fast.
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;`
My son, let not them depart from thine eyes;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion;
So shall they be life unto thy soul,
And grace to thy neck.
Then shalt thou walk in thy way securely,
And thou shalt not dash thy foot.
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid;
Yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Be not afraid of sudden terror,
Neither of the destruction of the wicked, when it cometh;
For the LORD will be thy confidence,
And will keep thy foot from being caught.Withhold not good from him to whom it is due,
When it is in the power of thy hand to do it.
Say not unto thy neighbour: ‘Go, and come again,
And to-morrow I will give’; when thou hast it by thee.
Devise not evil against thy neighbour,
Seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
Strive not with a man without cause,
If he have done thee no harm.
Envy thou not the man of violence,
And choose none of his ways.
For the perverse is an abomination to the LORD;
But His counsel is with the upright.
The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked;
But He blesseth the habitation of the righteous.
If it concerneth the scorners, He scorneth them,
But unto the humble He giveth grace.
The wise shall inherit honour;
But as for the fools, they carry away shame.
[THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
BLESSINGS
O YHWH,
You have gifted us with family —-
parents,
siblings,
spouse
children,
extended family,
friends.
For each one of them we thank You,
and seek Your blessing upon them.
May they come to know You and love You
and choose to live Your Way,
just as we have been ‘privileged’ and blessed
in our lifetime.
Image from subterraneanepistles.blogspot.com
If we did not have wine, we would still be grateful;
if we did not have bread, we would still be thankful;
but having enjoyed a lifetime of Divine Providence,
we are ever deeply appreciative
both in times of abundance and times of scarcity,
for the Divine Presence has always been evident
most specially in our times of need.
To Life, His Way of Life,
and the length of life we have been granted
by the LORD and GIVER of life,
Mabuhay (Live)! L’Chaim (To Life)!
Image from thetorah.com
HAVDALAH
“Lord I want to know You more” –
Borrowed Music, Revised Lyrics
1. Just the time I think the truth I know is enough for me,
I find there’s more, oh so much more of truth there is to see,
I’ve been on different pathways which I thought would lead me to You,
But sadly where they led me to was anything but true . . . .
CHO: Lord, I want to know You more,
deep within my heart I want to know You,
how I long to find You,
I will hear and heed Your call
to know You in Your Word, Your Revelation,
Lord I want to know You more,
yes, I long to know You more,
Lord I want to know You more.
2. You’ve made a promise that for all who seek, they surely find,
If only they would seek You with their heart, and soul, and mind,
I’ve spent a lifetime in my quest no matter, it was all worthwhile,
for here I am, and here You are, where You’ve been all the while . . .
CHO: Lord I want to know You more,
deep within my heart I want to know You,
how I long to meet You
And I’d give my final breath
to see You in Your Glory, Your Perfection,
live my life to please You more,
worship You and serve You more,
Lord I love You so much more.
Image from www.home-and-school-solutions.com
Shabbat shalom,
in behalf of Sinai6000 Core Community
based in Baguio City,
NSB@S6K
