This week: Days of Awe Edited by: Sophy  
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Hi, I'm Sophy ~ your editor for this edition of the Spiritual Newsletter.
The Rev. Scotty McLennan, author of the book Finding Your Religion, compares humanity's innate need for spiritual searching to climbing a mountain. In his view, we are all endeavoring to climb the same figurative mountain in our search for the divine, we just may take different ways to get there. In other words, there is one "God," but many paths. I honor whatever path or paths you have chosen to climb that mountain in your quest for the Sacred.  |
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Days of Awe
Rosh Hashanah, which began at sunset on September 9 this year, marks the beginning of the New Year on the Jewish calendar. According to legend, as Rosh Hashanah begins, our destinies for the coming year are written into the Book of Life. The Book remains open for ten days, referred to as the “Days of Awe” during which time the blessing, “L’Shana Tovah – May Your Name Be Inscribed in the Book of Life” is offered.
These “Days of Awe” are an opportunity to reflect on what one has done with their lives over the past year – focusing in particular on occasions one has “missed the mark” and caused harm to others. During these days Jews are called to hold themselves accountable, and repent for any wrongdoings. Through these acts, they become “at one” with themselves and with God – so that at the last sound of the blowing of the Shofar on Yom Kippur (which ends at sunset today) – also known as the Day of Atonement – when the Book of Life for the year to come is sealed, hopefully followers have returned to “right relationship” with all of Creation.
Neil Gillman of the Jewish Theological Seminary explains its significance: “This festival has evolved through our tradition to represent a season of personal and universal renewal. Every human being needs an opportunity to begin again, to wipe out the past and dream dreams about what his or her life can become. We say goodbye to the old time and hello to the new. In the process we say goodbye to our old selves and hello to our new ones.”
While I am not Jewish, these holy days can offer a time of meaningful reflection because the ideas and truths behind them are universal. Rabbi Michael Lerner of the Tikkun Community and the Network of Spiritual Progressives notes that people of any religious tradition, or those with none at all, can also adopt the spiritual practice of repentance and forgiveness observed by Jews at this time of year. He suggests using it as a time for a careful review your life, acknowledging to yourself whom you have hurt and where your life has gone astray from your own highest ideals. “We do not start from the assumption that anyone has become evil. Rather, we vision any ‘sins’ as ‘missing the mark.’ We are born pure and with the best of intentions to be the highest possible spiritual being we can be, as though we were an arrow being shot straight toward God to connect more fully. Yet at various points in our lives the arrow gets slightly off track and misses the mark. Repentance is really about a mid-course adjustment to get back on track.”
In recent years I have found Rosh Hashanah, the Days of Awe, and the culmination of Yom Kippur to be meaningful and life-giving observances. I appreciate the period of time set aside to intentionally seek out those with whom you’ve had a break in your relationship during the previous year in order to make amends, to clean up the hurts, to heal the divisions that separate us and find atonement – or at-one-ment – with each other and with the Sacred. And by doing so annually, we don’t let past hurts go unresolved indefinitely. There is a rhythm and regularity to making things right. This time of year offers a return to our truest and best selves through a journey of rediscovery during the Days of Awe, which invites an inward reflective gaze of self-evaluation to look at the wrongs we have committed over the past year. It is said that if one even tries to understand and atone for their sins, the Angel of Life must reconsider their fate.
So much of our own mental energy is used to protect our ego, which keeps us from considering “how could I have said what I did? How could I have done that to someone?” Perhaps this is why these days are referred to as “days of awe’. To set aside our own self-protecting biases and take on the momentous task of contrition and repentance is as worthy a challenge as anything to which a human might aspire. It’s up to us; we have to change our way of relating to others – which IS an AWESOME task. Righting our own ship. It is a call to empathy and accountability. What keeps us from scrutinizing our actions, what keeps us blind to relationship we have abused, oblivious to the ways we have brought suffering to others? What would you have to let go of? What gets in the way of seeking forgiveness from others and truly experiencing days of awe? |
Below you'll find some spiritual offerings from other WDC members. Please let the folks know if you read their piece by leaving a thoughtful comment or review. If you have something you would like me to highlight, please do share it with me, thanks!
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Here is a response to my last newsletter "Spiritual Newsletter (August 22, 2018)" about "Karma:"
From Christine 
Hi Sophy, thank you for your newsletter. Karma I believe has a lot or much to do with intention. And I like the idea only actions brought about by intention result in karma. Stuck in my thoughts now. I had better get moving. Love and kindness with you, Christine
So glad it resonated with you - thank you for your kind words.
    
From the Wordy Jay 
Thanks for featuring one of my poems in your newsletter, Sophy! 
You are very welcome! 
From jnadan
A wonderful topic. Very well written. Was a pleasure to read.
So glad you enjoyed it - thanks for letting me know!
Please keep your comments and suggestions coming! Until next time! Sophy |
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Spiritual: September 19, 2018 Issue [#9130]
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