Daily Prayer 7

"My God, the soul you have given me is pure..." (Gratitude for the Soul)

WOW, what a concept! I have a pure soul each morning. This is the logical response to the experience of saying the prayer of gratitude for waking up. Yet, it is hard to keep this concept and truth at the forefront of our being. This prayer reminds us that our Souls are pure, we can wall them off, ignore them, we just can't deny their purity. Purity in this context is that we live in God's world, not the world of the profane, evil. It also reminds us that we are Holy Souls. When we recite this prayer, we are committing to not be overcome by the negativity in the world. We commit to not sink into despair.

1)    How do my actions acknowledge my Holy Soul?

2)    What are the ways I mended my 'hole in the soul'/loneliness

3)    How did I open myself to my soul and allow others to see my soul today? 

Daily Prayer 6

"God bless you and protect you. The light of God's face and Grace is on you. God lifts God's face on you and puts wholeness upon you". (Priestly Blessing)

We say this Blessing early in the morning and then again in the Amidah. Here, as we begin the morning with prayer, this prayer gives us a new way to see today. It gives us the assurance that God is with us and, with God's protection, we can face and meet the challenges of the day. The prayer reminds us of what is important, blessing others as well as ourselves, recognizing God's Grace in our everyday living and our journey to wholeness. None of this happens without God and us in partnership

1)    How do I see today as new, keeping yesterday and tomorrow in their proper places?

2)    What are the ways I experience God's light and Grace today?

3)    When do I recognize the blessings of others and the ways I bless others?

Daily Prayer 5

"Blessed are You, Adonai, ... Who has commanded us to be in the business of/immersed in the words of Torah" (Morning Blessing of gratitude for Torah)

This prayer reminds me that Torah is not to be 'read', rather it is to be lived. The word La'asok is also used to denote business. What an amazing idea. In our Morning Blessings, we are grateful and reminded to make Torah living our business. This is what Rabbi Heschel means, I believe, when he speaks of immersing ourselves in Torah. We have a choice everyday, to live at the surface or to be involved, engaged, immersed in our lives and the lives of the people around us. This prayer motivates us to remember who we are; Divine Needs. God and the people around us need us to Live Torah, not just read and analyze it.

1)    How am I making Torah my business?

2)    What parts of my life am I truly engaged, involved and immersed in?

3)    What Divine Need am I fulfilling today? 

Daily Prayer 4

"Blessed are You, Adonai, who fashions humans with wisdom and created within them openings and cavities... Heals all flesh and does wonders. (Prayer for our Bodies)

This prayer reminds us to be grateful for our bodies and gives us the obligation to care for our bodies with wisdom. It also reminds us that the fact that our bodies work is a wonder that we should take note of, not take our bodies for granted. I am reminded of Rabbi Heschel's teaching, "Indifference to the Sublime wonder of living is the root of sin." Also, we recognize that God is healer and wonder maker. What a concept. While we are healed by physicians, we reaffirm that all wisdom comes from God!

1)    How often do I take my body for granted?

2)    What daily physical care do I engage in?

3)    How often am I indifferent to the sublime wonder of my physicality?

Daily Prayer 3

"How goodly are your tents Jacob and your dwelling places Israel... I love the house where God dwells and place where you glory lives." (Ma Tovu Prayer)

This prayer begins with words from a man paid to curse the Israelites and God caused him to bless the Israelites. Each time I read this prayer, it reminds me to see the good in my life. It helps me realize that when I am feeling poorly, I actually have enough and I can keep growing my life each day. The second half of this prayer reminds me of where I am- in God's House and enveloped in God's glory/love. I forget this often and get caught up in the lie that I am alone, I could be homeless, etc. This verse helps me to recover my equilibrium and stand firmer in my authentic life and place.

1)    How do I turn curses into blessings?

2)    How do I see the good that is my life?

3)    What are the reminders I need to remember that I am enveloped in God's love?

Daily Prayer 2

"I will wed you to Me forever. I will wed you to Me with righteousness, Justice, kindness and mercy. I will wed you to Me with faithfulness."

This prayer helps me remember that God never leaves me. God is always calling to me and when I live this prayer, I am committing to the Covenant I have with God. I have the responsibility to be decent, just, kind and practice mercy with myself and others. I can stay faithful to the principles that God has given me.

1)    What are the ways I keep God with me always?

2)    How do I practice being decent, helpful, kind and merciful?

3)    What causes me to stray from being faithful to my Covenant with God? 

Daily Prayer 1

"God, put your wisdom on and in me. You give me Your understanding and from Your great kindness you are kind to me."

This prayer, said early in the morning, reminds me that I am created in the Image of God and I have within me these powerful attributes of God. The prayer helps me remember to use these attributes in my daily living.

Wisdom- allows me to discern Truth from falsehood in my thinking and in the thinking of others.

Understanding- helps me to understand how to use Truth in the best way for self and others.

Kindness- reminds me that through kindness I am made better and I can help others with my kindness to be better.

1)    How do I use my wisdom to serve God and not my false ego?

2)    How do use Truth to enhance my life and the lives of others rather than as a club?

3)    How do I use the kindness I am shown to be a better human being? 

We Are All Kin

People have been dying in/on the streets of America for a long time, why now are we saying that #BlackLivesMatter? Black, Latino, Asian, White people have been killed in drive-by, robberies, targeted hits, etc. for quite a while! Yet, we are only now getting upset? We are blaming Law Enforcement only? Law Enforcement has responsibility for it's brutality and what about the rest of us? Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote: "In a free society some are guilty, all are responsible." What is my responsibility in senseless killings/hatred? What is your responsibility in senseless killings/hatred?

I believe we all have a part in what is going on. Historically, we have sat around and complained and blamed "the other". In some parts of our country, we are still doing this. I don't know what it is like to be a black youth, especially when confronted by Law Enforcement. I don't know what it is like to be a Policeperson and feeling the hatred and threat of death by another person. I do know what it is like to be hated for being who you are. I do know what it is like to build something and have others try and tear it down. I do know what it is like to be hated for being a Jew. I do know what it is like to be hated because you are white. I don't like any of these experiences.

My response to the hatred is, most of the time, to not hate another person. My response, usually, is to look inside and see what I can do to bring about reconciliation. My response is to see how and where I am responsible. I have a part in everything that happens in my life. So do you. I know that you can recite chapter and verse of what I have done to cause this ____to you, do you recite chapter and verse of your part?

My friend and teacher, Pastor Mark Whitlock of COR Church in Irvine, Ca., says "we are all kin under the skin". AMEN, Pastor Mark!! How easy is it to forget this? We are all created in the Image of the Divine, according to our Holy Scriptures. What makes your image worth more than mine, more than a Black persons, a Latino persons, a White persons, an Asian persons, etc.? When I see your Divine Image, I can speak to you differently. I won't always agree with or even like you, AND I will not hate and try to kill you. When we live Pastor Mark's words, we are able to go beyond the exterior and see the beauty of another person's soul/spirit. When we live Pastor Mark's words, we are able to go beyond the exterior and see the beauty of our own souls.

Father Greg Boyle of Homeboy Industries, another friend and teacher of mine, says "we have to erase the margins", "we are all kinfolk". We have put up gates not only on our streets, we have put up gates to our souls, to our hearts. We are wearing blinders so as to not see the humanity that teems around us. We don't see the humanity of another so we can "win", "be better than", etc. All this does is promote senseless hatred.

Rabbi Heschel also says: "Indifference to the sublime wonder of living is the root of sin." These words along with the ones above, reverberate within me. We have to be aware and in celebration of the sublime wonder of living. We have to be responsible for all that goes on around us. We have to stand with everyone to promote wonder, awe and life or we stand with no one.

The call from God is loud, it rings in my ears and my soul. I have to cleanse myself of my errors, I have to look inside of me and see the Holiness and beauty of my soul/spirit. I have to 'clean my side of the street' and then help clean the streets of our cities, states, country. I have to reach out to help the poor, the stranger, the widow and the orphan inside of me and outside of me. I have to use my power to help others and myself live well. I have to use my authentic self to reach out and connect to others. I have to see you as "kin under the skin" and embrace rather than recoil. I have to "erase the margins" between us and see that we are indeed "kinfolk". I have to be responsible and bring understanding and solution, not just seek to blame and shame.

Rabbi Heschel says: "There is something sacred at stake in every event". Our humanity is at stake right now and always. Let us all reach into our souls and out to the souls of another(s) and celebrate our collective holiness and sister/brotherhood.

LIVING IN RECOVERY

The Difference Between Being Sober and Living in Recovery

I have found a fundamental difference between sobriety and recovery. I often hear people talk about the necessity of being of service or doing things for others to keep themselves sober. I am struck by the idea of personal gain, which is intrinsic to this type of transactional thinking and behavior. While I believe we have to act our way into right thinking, which is the basis of the idea that helping others is necessary in order to remain sober, our frame of mind must shift when it comes to living in recovery.

Recovery is the state of being where I know the right thing to do and so I do it, not in an effort to stay sober, but simply because it is the next right thing to do. Living in recovery, I am called by God (as I understand the creative force in the universe, also known as Higher Power, Spirit, higher consciousness, etc.) to continue to do the next right thing. The fact that taking this action helps me grow in my resolve to be sober, is a secondary or tertiary gain, not the main reason for my decision.

All spiritual traditions call for us to help those in need: the widow, the orphan, the poor, and the stranger in the world outside of ourselves, but also to take a look at those aspects within ourselves, the parts of us that face loneliness, abandonment, lack, or alienation. When we take responsibility for helping others as well as working on our own internal struggles, because that is how we can work in better partnership with God, then we are living in recovery. Rabbi Heschel suggests that we make sure that God has a share of our world, every neighborhood is a Holy one, and God is truly our neighbor as we are all created in the image of the Divine. Let us all truly live life in recovery through our actions within, with others, and with the world around us. 

You Matter

You Matter - I Matter - We All Matter

Everything we do has an impact on ourselves. Everything we do has an impact on other people. Everything we do has an impact on God and the world. This is why spiritual traditions and recovery programs put such emphasis on personal responsibility, asking us to continually grow and take inventory of what we do well and what we do not-so-well.

FYOU - I forgive. I forgive myself. I forgive you. Forgiving others is so important to the wellbeing of each individual and to our society as a whole. We are engaged in a battle for the soul of our country and the soul of the world. The war is being fought by those who want to hate and be angry, blame others, and take no responsibility for their own actions by wrapping themselves in their "good intentions." FYOU is a practice that allows each of us to have empathy for other people. When we FYOU we rid ourselves of resentments and anger. We can be upset over the hurtful actions and not the person who acted. We accept that we, as people, often have no idea when we are doing something harmful. FYOU allows for a conversation and the possibility of reconciliation, reconnection, and redemption. 

The Stories We Tell in the Public Domain

Reading the words of Rabbi Benjamin Blech on the re-publication and public domain issue around both Mein Kampf and Anne Frank’s Diary, I am shaking my head. While I agree with Rabbi Blech, I know that it is not any book that will change people’s minds or cause them to hate more. It is truly the way people are perceived by others. This perception comes from the stories and lies told over and over again. As a young Jew, I was called a ‘matzochrist’, Christ Killer by some Italian people, a dirty kike by good Christian people, etc. One of my uncles believed he had to change his name because it was too Jewish sounding and he couldn’t get a job. All of these perceptions come not from books as much as from people and the stories that keep getting repeated. In the Jewish tradition, many Rabbis still make Esau, Jacob’s twin brother, out to be a bad guy because the Sages of old made it this way. In reading the Torah, Esau is not a bad guy, in fact there are many things that point to his being a good guy.

I believe that we have the right answers and the wrong questions. While I share Rabbi Blech’s horror at the uptick in Anti-Semitism and the draw of Mein Kampf, I am much more interested in finding the solution to “how do we get God’s Story, which is in the Public Domain, into the hearts, minds, souls and actions of all people’? God’s Story is the Bible. God’s Story is a story of love, tolerance, compassion, Truth, justice, etc. God’s Story is how do I/You/We take care of the widow, the orphan, the poor and the stranger? God’s Story is a story of how do we stop trying to look good and start Living Well? God’s Story is how do we take to the streets and, as my dear friend Reverend Mark Whitlock taught my community on Yom Kippur 5776, live an FYOU religion, Forgive You. God’s Story is that YOU/I/WE Matter, everything that we do impacts each person, the world and God.

You Matter,

Rabbi Mark