Setting the Right Mood

I almost always play music while I read my daily devotions or worship with Morning Prayer. Along with lighting candles, music helps me set the proper mood for my time with God. I frequently play Vox de Nube, a CD that I bought online from the Glenstal Abbey. It has an even more powerful version of this beautiful song based on the Beatitudes. I love that the single female voice, Noirin Ni Riain, lifts above and beyond the voices of the men, almost as if she's singing a separate prayer that wafts towards God.

Down to the River

I was down to the river this morning just as the sun was peeking over the causse...

There I sang my morning prayer, accompanied only by the rustling of the dry, frosty leaves as the dogs sought out a frozen scent and by the silently flowing river carrying hunks of ice downstream.

 A single voice, singing to God..

"By the Rivers of Babylon"

in the cold.

"May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Zion!"

Tot Shabbat on 5 Adar 5770

Last summer I made the committment to be a mentor for one of the Confirmands at my church. Lexi and I have met once and shared stories. This morning we completed another one of our 'assignments.' As part of her classwork, she (with her mentor) needed to attend a worship service that was different from her own. She has friends who attend Temple B'nai Jeshurun, so she asked me if that would be agreeable with me. Absolutely! I've always been interested in Judaism. Originally the plan was to attend Shabbat services last evening, but a snowstorm that got 'way out of hand made us change our minds. Instead we went to this morning's Tot Shabbat. It's a service directed to the littlest members of Temple...the children. It was held in a small chapel, but we peeked into the large sanctuary where Friday evening services are held. It's stunning with beautiful stained glass windows, a huge dome overhead, and as Lexi pointed out...blue velvet padded cushions on the pews! We really need to mention this to our Episcopal priests; padding is a good thing. The Shabbat service was lead by Rabbi Kaufman with the assistance of Cantor Laura Berkson. The service was mostly simple songs and a more complicated sung liturgy. Lexi and I fumbled with the prayer book until we figured out that it reads back to front, right to left. The liturgy was written in the Hebrew alphabet, then again in Hebrew in the English alphabet, followed by the English translation. Vested in yamelukes and prayer shawls, both Rabbi and Cantor made us feel very welcome. Rabbi Kaufman read a storybook to the children about a little boy and a Shabbat Box, a special box that holds symbols of Shabbat: candles, a challah cover, and a cup for wine. At the end of the service, the celebrants faced the wall and as we sang and prayed, two doors opened revealing a lighted niche holding the Torah. The words from the Torah for this weekend: Exodus 25:1-27 wherein God instructs the Jews how to make the Ark of the Covenant and its special place in the temple. Lexi and I agreed that we enjoyed this service and might even come back again!