“English” language resources
Closing blessing
Just as Darwin and Newton, Einstein and Hawking saw the world with fresh eyes and wondered at the mysterious but glorious universe of matter and of spirit, so may you behold the world with wonder and amazement.
Spark of the divine, a meditation
I invite you to take one breath for the earth beneath our feet, one for the sky above us, and one for the sea that surrounds us. Be aware of your body, and release any tension in your feet … legs … belly … chest … arms … neck … and head. Now look within
Willing to try new things, a meditation
I invite you to close your eyes, and think of a time that you tried something new. Maybe the first time you rode a bike, or your first kiss, or the first time you tried a type of food that you were convinced you didn’t like. Maybe it was the first time you tried a
The sacred, a meditation
I invite you to close your eyes, and to choose something – a place, a concept, an object, a person – that you regard as sacred. What is the quality in it that evokes the sacred for you? What values or virtues does it represent? Are they values or virtues that find an echo within
Loving kindness, a meditation
Focus on your breathing, just noticing the soft rising and falling of your belly, or the breath as it comes in at your nostrils. Now be aware of yourself, and cultivate loving kindness towards yourself [pause]. Now extend loving kindness to someone you love [pause]. Now extend loving kindness to your particular group of friends
You are loved, a meditation
Focus on your breathing, just noticing the soft rising and falling of your belly, or the breath as it comes in at your nostrils. Now be aware of your body – this bag of bones and water that carries you around. This body full of experience – joys and sorrows. This body with the capacity
Chalice lighting for Rosh Hashanah
As the bird of space moved over the face of the waters
As the creative word was spoken
As the universe was born on this day
And life first emerged from the fertile clay
May the Divine Presence be with us
as we light this chalice:
a flame hovering over the void.
Chalice lighting for Harvest
We reap the fields and orchards
We gather in the wheat.
The gleaners at the margins
Look for our gifts.
Share the bounty of the land:
Open heart and open hand.
As we light our chalice flame
So we laud the holy name
of love.