Sunday, December 10, 2017

I'M OVER THE MACCABEES, A Hanukkah Prayer


Art by Mike Cockrill


Baruch Atah Adonai,
Brucha At Shechina,
Ruach HaOlam:

I'm over the Maccabees.
I'm done with fanatics.
I'm done with extremists who demand purity.
I'm done with fundamentalists who shut women up.
I'm done with religions that kill.

I'm over the Seleucids.
I'm done with invaders stealing land. 
I'm done with fascists and supremacists and antisemites.
I'm done with people telling me how to understand my God.
I'm done with liars and rapists and powerful men.

I'm over the Hellenists.
I'm done with accomodation.
I'm done with rich suck-ups.
I'm done with living in comfy bubbles.
I'm done with pretending we're one of them.

I'm over Hanukkah.
         I'm done with Hanukkah bushes.
         I'm done with one good present and then socks.
         I'm done with parties at the White House. 
         I'm done with needing miracles. 

I'm okay with light in the darkness
          And realistic hope
And potato latkes.
Oh, and donuts,
Let's start there.
Amen












If you find this offering of my work valuable or pleasurable, please consider supporting me with a mutual offering, if you are able:

If you use one of my prayers or kavannot for a service or event you can make a one time donation via my PayPal account.  
PayPal  https://www.paypal.me/trishaarlin  

If you would like to support my work as a sacred artist in an ongoing fashion, please contribute (any amount) on a monthly basis to my Patreon account.
Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/trishaarlin

Thank you!
Trisha

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Our Broken Hearts: A Prayer For When Life Is A Struggle




Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotzk: “There is nothing so whole as a broken heart.”

Blessed Mystery, 

Our hearts are broken open,
Everything that was hidden comes pouring out.
First comes our anger and resentment,
Then our fear and anxiety,
Then our hurt and the grief
And then the despair. 

And just when we think it's done 
And we are injured and dying,
Out pour our cries for connection,
Our desires for hope,
Our gifts of atonement,
And our potential for kindness.

Blessed Mystery, Breath of the Universe,
Giving us struggle,
Helping us survive
Forcing self-awareness
So that our hearts may be ready
When it is time to do better. 
Amen








If you find this offering of my work valuable or pleasurable, please consider supporting me with a mutual offering, if you are able:

If you use one of my prayers or kavannot for a service or event you can make a one time donation via my PayPal account.  
PayPal  https://www.paypal.me/trishaarlin  

If you would like to support my work as a sacred artist in an ongoing fashion, please contribute (any amount) on a monthly basis to my Patreon account.
Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/trishaarlin

Thank you!
Trisha