Hallel for Pesach

Blessed be the Holy Wholeness and our connections within the One-ness, which joyfully compels us to celebrate this festival, Pesach, Hallelujah!

Praise the names we use to name the names we use to name the one -ness that cannot be named.

Praise the—

Praise what?

God?

Why?

If God is God, then why does God need praise?

And if God isn’t God, then why do I need to praise God?

I want to think about compassion, empathy, creativity and love. 

I want to concentrate on hope and beauty and humor and kindness.

I want to praise something that needs and deserves praise, something that evokes Spring and Fertility and Pesach!

I want to praise…birds.

Birds!

Praise the birds that sing, that fill the world with lovely sounds.

Praise the birds that fly, that are free and no man’s slave.

Praise the birds that are camouflaged, may they always be safe.

Praise the birds that are colorful, that dazzle us with their beauty.

Praise the Chestnut-Coloured Woodpecker, red and golden brown,

Praise the pissed off Sri Lanka Frogmouth 

Praise the intensely yellow Indian Golden Oriole

Praise the Resplendent Quetzal 

Praise the Ward's Trogon, the aerodynamic Toco Toucan , the White-faced Ibis!

Praise the Rufous-backed Kingfisher, the Red-cheeked cordon-bleu, the Northern Cassowary, who can kick your ass and the Ostrich, who can outrun a cheetah!

Praise the Rosy starling, the Hawk, the Falcon, the Vulture!

Praise the Red Cardinal, the Blue Jayand the Sparrow!

Praise the Osprey, the Kingfisher, the Heron!

Ooo, and Praise the Penguins!  Because Penguins!

And of course the Robin! Praise the robin, spring is officially here!

Compassion and empathy and creation and love. 

Hope and beauty and humor and kindness.

Freedom and spring and music and color.

Blessed be the Holy Whole that includes it all.

Hallelujah!

Halleluyah, Spring!

Halleluyah, Pesach!

Fly, sing, hunt, have babies!

Eat matzoh!  Drink wine!  Tell stories!

Praise the Holy Wholeness,

The Creator that creates and was created and is always creating!

Halleluyah, birds!

And let us say,

Amen

A PRAYER ABOUT METAPHORS

 “Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech HaOlam,

Blessed are you Lord, King Of The Universe”

These are Blessed Metaphors

For a hierarchy we have no use for,

A patriarchy that excludes us

And for a divine being we don’t believe in:

So we reject them. 

Mazal Tov!

Instead we look for our own metaphors:

For a one-ness that unites,

A presence that comforts,

A mythology that instructs,

A venue for all your questions,

A chevre that gathers you in,

A community that resists oppression,

A tradition that stretches,

A music that exalts,

And prayers that are more than words.

We feel this quest deeply,

And it connects us.

It’s not in belief,

Its in the Knowing:

Blessed Knowledge,

Whatever that is,

We give thanks for this Place

Where we can look for our own metaphors 

And where we are invited to share them when found. 

Amen.