As many of you know I have always lived a spiritual life. Throughout my life I have adopted and adapted spiritual practices to my personal prayer experience including meditation, contemplation, and visualization techniques. Over the years I have brought these techniques to B’nai Israel.
I would love to know what programs over the years you have enjoyed and want to see more of. I would also like to hear about some of your personal spiritual practices that we could bring into programs or services.
By the way, after each Friday night service between now and Shavuot I am holding a meditation on the blessings in our lives. Why not join in!
Rabbi Moss
I’m normally not “into” things like meditation, but I’ll try something once, just to be sure. So I did join in on a recent Friday night after services, and was pleasantly suprised. I don’t know if the session lasted ten minutes or half an hour, but I have many blessings to be grateful for and however long it was, it was time well spent. My thought for Rabbi Moss: is there a way you could work a similar meditation into the time just BEFORE services on a Friday night? I think I was more ready for a service afterward than I was for an oneg.
There must have been a dozen or more people sharing that session: what was their take?
As for me, I’ll be ready again next time.
I have never been much into the meditation process. I am sure that it is that I can’t get my mind to where it needs to be. I have tried the Yom Kippur meditation and it just didn’t do it for me.
I have loved the fact that we have introduced a bit of guitar into the Friday night service. Brings me back to the service that I grew up with while not going overboard.
While I couldn’t make it this past week I love the Torah study at Panera. Every time I go it leaves me wanting a more formal service.
I have been attending the Torah at Panera for the past year and enjoy it very much. Somehow the topic always seems to foucs on the very ideas that my spirit needs to contemplate! Are you reading my mind Rabbi?!!! I have also attended 2 of the meditation seesions after services. I have learned over the years that meditation and contemplation are both ways to find peace and quiet in my own mind. I hope these sessions continue past Shavout. I also agree with Joel about the meditation prior to services. It would be a great way to “prepare” our bodies and spirits to recieve the prayers and blessings in our hearts while filling the temple with a peaceful energy!