A Sinaite’s Liturgy – 1st Sabbath in June

KINDLE THE SABBATH LIGHTS

 

O YHWH, Creator God,

You light up our life in awesome ways;

with the first sighting of Your moon that orbits our planet, 

that is our cue that another month begins another cycle in our measured earth-time.

For You spoke—

“Let there be lights in the vault of the sky

to separate the day from the night,

and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years.”

 

As we kindle the Sabbath lights, we enter into Your ‘sanctuary in time”:

a time to rest from our labors, 

a time for joy and delight,

a time to fellowship with one another

and connect with Sabbath-keepers all over the world, wherever they are,

but even if only one Sabbath-keeper joins the Lord of the Sabbath on Your sacred day, that adds up to  a ‘majority’.

By our obedience to the 4th commandment,

we reflect in ourselves

the ‘Image of the first Sabbath-CELEBRANT’,

You, YHWH, our Creator,

the One and Only True LORD of the SABBATH,

 

O YHWH, Designer of all created order,

Whose Presence is evident

in the workings of our world and the universe beyond our visual sighting,

in the sustaining of harmony and balance in perfect synchronization:

the psalmist gazed into the night skies and saw the “work of Your fingers,

the moon and stars suspended in space,” then wondered in reverence:

“What is man that You are mindful of him?” 

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

inviting us to enter Your Sabbath rest, to keep holy Your seventh day,

with promised blessing for all who not only hear but heed. 

The blessing, we discover, is in the obedience; there need not be any further blessing; 

and yet, O YHWH, the pleasure we derive from our Sabbath-observance 

sustains us through the next six days until we enter the 7th day once again, 

for You light up our life in more ways than we can express;

And so we join the inspired writer of Psalms 100 in thanksgiving:

Borrowed Tune:  “O Danny Boy” /Revised Lyrics “I Do Not Know”

1.   I do not know why God Who is Creator

Who spoke the words that brought about this world,

All earth and all the heavens, all the space between,

The deep abyss, the heights of skies above.

Why God would make us men into His image,

Why He would grant free will, the right to choose,

to mortal men, with understanding limited,

why our Almighty God has taken such a risk.

 

 

2.  I do not know why God Who filled the heavens,

with sun and moon and stars to give earth light,

Who parted land and sea and filled each domain,

with fish and fowl, with creatures big and small.

Why this great God would grant the highest favor

to giving man dominion and the power,

to make the choice to disobey His orders,

and choose his will above His Maker and His God. 

 

 

3.  I do not know why God would love us sinners,

why He allows the choice for us to turn . . .

to turn our back to blessings for obedience

to choose to go our way instead of His.

And yet the Source of Life, the Source of Love and Light,

surrounds us with His Light, His Love, His Life,

All that He asks is turn to Him, repent and change,

and be restored to where we choose to live His Way.

 

4.  How can we serve, how can we love a God like this,

A God so merciful and yet so just,

Who tempers justice with so great a mercy,

Whose love for man, we cannot comprehend.

And yet we have within ourselves this power,

to love Him back, and serve with all our might,

What He has given, we must give back to our Great God,

love and obedience to His very Life within.

 

BLESSINGS

We bless You, O YHWH,

for Your goodness and kindness and mercy toward us,

for all the years You have granted us life on this earth.  

You have given us endless opportunities

to find the path that leads to You

so we are deeply grateful we are relearning

as much and as often as we seek

Your teachings in Your Tree of Life, Your Torah.

We seek Your blessing upon our family:

[name them]

wives and husbands,

widows and widowers,

all our children

and our extended family,

specially those in our households who serve us faithfully day by day,

and special people whose company we have enjoyed, and whose friendship  has graced our lives. 

The blessing we seek for each and all of them

is that You kindle in them— just as you have kindled in us—

the desire to seek You with all their heart and all their might and all their soul,

so that they might have the privilege of knowing You

as much as You have revealed Yourself in the Hebrew Scriptures; 

so that they might choose to live Your Way and live under Your Lordship.

Indeed, may they arrive at the same pathway as we have,

that leads to You and Your Truth soon, and within their lifetime. 

Finally, Lord YHWH,

for the joy of savoring wine and bread

which symbolize Your divine providence upon all 

who have been given Your breath of life, whether or not they believe You exist,

we drink this wine to life, Your Way of Life, Your Torah life,

and thank You for each day we have survived and enjoyed our  life on Your earth.

To Life! Mabuhay!  L’chaim!

 

 

 HAVDALAH

As we come to the close of our Sabbath celebration,  

we are reminded that while we live on this earth,

in this body we have been born in, lived in, and  aged in

for all the years we have been granted by the Life-GIVER,

we are ever conscious of the gift of health, the maintenance of which is in our control

if we live according to the health-sustaining principles in His Torah.

We are ever conscious of the continuous passage of time,

and the importance of using time wisely, whether in work or in play, 

and the blessing that rest brings to our physical, mental and spiritual welfare,

a most welcome respite from our daily and weekly routines.

We value every breath we take, and renew our commitment—

to use the time and resources we have at our disposal 

not wastefully but wisely and well,

to the benefit not only of ourselves but also of others,  

for that is what gives meaning to our very existence,

realizing that a self-centered and useless life is a wasted life.

May we appreciate the resources at our disposal, whether hard-earned or freely granted, 

to use them for our pleasure as well as for sharing,

since we are mere instruments and channels of grace from a benevolent God 

Who has given us opportunities, resources,  talents and enablements,

so that we might live to be His blessing to others less fortunate.

May we conduct the remaining days and months and years of our lives

in continuing obedience to the TORAH of our Lord YHWH,

specially in all levels of our relationships, 

so that the very message of our life  is what ultimately catches attention,

enough to bring honor to the Source of our joy,

our Benefactor, YHWH, to Whom we owe a lifetime of blessings. 

Indeed, may we so live!