Tending the Fires of Devotion

Go deep, the Mystery calls.
Travel far into the earthly realm.
Keep going into the sand, the mud, the dirt.
 
Go further
Past the root systems,
The water table,
The rocks,
Into the fire.
 
The fire at the core.
The fire that first appeared
In a bush on the path.
 
Keep going into the fire on the mountain
Where I spoke to you
In the midst of flames.
But don’t stop here,
Keep going.
 
Enter into the fire that is yours
The fire I gave to you
And is yours to tend.
The Aish Tamid – the Always Fire
 
Tend these flames with devotion,
With care,
With practice.
 
Keep the fires burning.
Through love,
Gratitude,
Awareness,
 
Tend the Always Fire
So you can stay connected to all that is true.
And so you can best discern the gifts
That are meant to come through the work of your hands.
 
I am here in the midst of it all,
The Mystery sings,
Here as you seek me,
Calling you into the fire
Calling you home.

-- Rabbi Yael Levy
 
 
May our experiences of the Omer and Shavuot continue to guide and shape the journey ahead. In the next months, we will suggest practices to help you tend the fires of devotion. If one or more speak to you, we invite you to integrate them into your daily life.

This Week: Opening the Day with Gratitude and Awareness
 
Each morning as we arise, we say this prayer, letting it be the first words we utter upon awakening:
 
Modeh/Modah ani lefanecha melech chai vekayam,
She-he-chezarta bee nishmatee b’chemla, raba emunatecha
 
I am grateful. I stand in relationship with the spirit of all life.
You have returned my soul to me. Great is your faith in me.