Revisit: AMEN – Prayers and Blessings from Around the World

[First posted in 2013. The original introduction:

There was a time as close-minded Christians, Sinaites would not venture outside our church boundaries to read anything other than Christian literature; and certainly not ‘prayers’ or expressions of faith unless they ended “in Jesus’ name.” And yet, in our Sinaite library, we have a coffee table book featuring beautiful photography by Kulbir Thandi, used to illustrate the phases of life and prayers relating to the images of children, of rites of passage in various phases of life: for marriage, recovery and renewal, for peace, and ‘in memoriam.’ Since our whole perspective has changed since we left Christianity and we learned to embrace and be more understanding of world religions, it would be a pity not to share the contents of this collection of prayers. So as part of our “Worship Aids” section, we are featuring selected prayers in this series that carry the simple one-word book title – “AMEN”.

May the true Elohim who revealed His name as YHWH be praised by these expressions of worship inspired by the simple awareness of people of faith that He exists, that He desires to be honored, by His crown of creation— humanity, even more so by and especially coming from “uncircumcised lips“. Expect the prayers to be posted in a series, this post is simply the Introduction.–Admin1].

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Inside Cover Text:

Throughout the ages, and all over the world, prayer has enriched the universal moments in the human experience. In a vibrant muticultural tapestry, AMEN: PRAYERS AND BLESSINGS FROM AROUND THE WORLD brings together some of the best-known and most powerful prayers that have sustained people of all kinds throughout their lives. Though they come from different religions—Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, Confucian, and Native American—these prayers all carry the same timeless message of faith, hope, and love. They highlight the most important rites of passage: the birth and coming of age of children, marriage and commitment, healing and recovery and death and remembrance. Here, too are prayers for guidance, for peace, for the earth. From traditional Protestant marriage vows to the rich and wonderful Song of Solomon and the oft-repeated Serenity Prayer — these are some of the ancient rituals of the spirit.

Vivid color and dramatic design combine traditional images and motifs with haunting contemporary and historical photographs, whose warmth and humanity spring off the page to live forever in the heart. And inside each chapter is part of a unique hidden mini-prayer book, and a book-within-a-book that you can turn to create four alternative tableaux.

A rare source of spiritual solace and inspiration, and a treasure to share with friends and family or to give as a marker of the milestones of life. AMEN is also a brilliant celebration of today’s spirit of diversity.

Compiled by SUZANNE SLESIN and EMILY GWATHMEY, designed by STAFFORD CLIFF, photography by KULBIR THANDI.

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

In AMEN: Prayers and Blessings from Around the World, we have tried to gather together some of the best-known and most powerful prayers that have sustained people throughout their lives, prayers that present a universal message of faith, hope and love in a spirit of inclusion and tolerance.

In Primary Speech, a book on the psychology of prayer, scholars of religion Ann and Barry Ulanov write,

“Everybody prays. People pray whether or not they call it prayer. We pray every time we ask for help, understanding, or strength, in or out of religion. Then, who and what we are speak out of us whether we know it or not. Our movements, our stillness, the expressions on our faces, our tone of voice, our actions, what we dream and daydream, as well as, what we actually put into words say who and what we are.”

The godforce to which we pray has been called by a hundred different names: Shiva, Buddha ,Jehovah, Mother Nature, a sunset, the wind. Yet the intent of all prayer is much the same. We pray for faith and hope, for children and their coming of age, for union and commitment, for renewal and peace and remembrance. These are all universal points in the human journey, points at which we find ourselves desiring and searching for ways to talk to God in the hope of drawing nearer.

But we also have the need to find appropriate and moving words for the situations that arise in a world of increasing diversity and multiculturalism. The pull of wanting to be connected to each other in these difficult modern times has fostered a re-emergence of spirituality. Interfaith marriages as well as same-sex unions suggest a need for prayers and blessings that can both honor individual traditions and serve as ceremonies of celebration and depth of feeling. These are unique and symbolic of our new age.

No matter the culture or country, all important rites of passage in the human journey are marked by prayer. The formalities are as diverse as the world itself. Prayer may be a daily ritual or an occasional act of spontaneity, a song, a poem, a gift of love. We may kneel to worship or fling up our arms in a dance of exaltation. Prayer may be a cry of jubilation at the birth of a child or sorrowful appeal uttered at the death of a loved one. The works and forms of prayer may vary, but the thoughts remain the same. Help me. Forgive me. Increase my strength. Make me wise. Heal me. Inspire me. Restoreth my soul.

Some of our selections — the Lord’s Prayer the 23rd Psalm, the Beatitudes, St. Francis’ Humble Plea — are well known, traditional works of devotion and have been uttered for centuries around the world during times of joy and times of sorrow. Others we have chosen are more contemporary in nature, relating to the metaphysical new age, such as blessing for a same-sex union or Paramahansa Yogananda’s prayer for a United World. The prayers, poems, and blessings have been selected from various religions: Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Islam, Confucianism, Shinto and Native American. We believe they acquire new meaning when gathered together and combined with a more modern inclusive view of spirituality.

The need to find an inner pathway to the Spirit is as old as time.

“Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life from the highest point of view” Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote.

“It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul. It is the Spirit of God pronouncing his works good.”

A gospel hymn in a fundamentalist church. A prayer chanted at a Tibetan monastery. The sound of “OUM” in solo or group mediation. The call to the Torah. A Native American drumming ceremony. A simple wedding vow. The muezzin calling from the minaret of a mosque. A moment of silence in the glow of the setting sun. The Serenity Prayer spoken in unison at the close of a 12-step meeting.

According to the Dalai Lama,

“Every major religion of the world has similar ideals of love, the same goal of benefitting humanity through spiritual practice, and the same effect of making their followers into better human beings.”

Prayer is a luminous and self-generating kind of energy, a powerful act of honesty and imagination, a rising up and drawing near to God in mind, heart, and spirit, a place where wisdom finds a special dwelling place. Prayer releases an inner power that heals and strengthens. In Amen, we offer a pathway to the benefits of prayer in a spirit of peace ,openness, and understanding.

Susan Slesin, New York.

Emily Gwathmey, Santa Monica.

Stafford Cliff, London

February 1995

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Source: Exodus/Shemoth 24 – "the sight of the Glory of YHVH (was) like a consuming fire" -- We gentiles living in this 21st century are able to experience that climactic moment [God appearing on Sinai] by reading and studying this portion of the TORAH. Indeed, we see YHWH not quite as dramatically as the mixed multitude did, but perhaps even better through these accounts recorded in Exodus. There is a saying that hindsight is 20/20 vision, i.e., we begin to see and understand the question marks in our past only later in our lives, as we mature and hopefully become wiser and more introspective about the meaning or seeming meaninglessness of happenings in history, whether personal, national, or universal. Søren Kierkegaard adds a twist to this: “Only 20:20 vision is hindsight. Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” As we endeavor to understand each portion in the TORAH of YHWH, much of it will seem irrelevant to our current situation but if we see beyond the time-bound cultural and religious situations and begin to understand what truly has not change—human nature and the Great Revelator who designed the perfect blueprint for living in peace, happily and contentedly with family, community, country and the nations, the unquestionable conclusion is: TORAH is relevant to ALL humankind, not just to Israel, to this very day.

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