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Post by hollygail on Oct 6, 2016 5:04:48 GMT
Welcome!!! You have entered a space where all people are invited to gather to discuss matters of Spirituality, in mutual respect and friendliness: "Considering...Spirituality." Here, the focus is on personal spirituality and not dogma. We welcome with open arms people from any, all, and no religious/faith backgrounds, and those who practice spirituality on their own, to join us for a discussion centered on a higher consciousness. Each day there will be a quote, question, or discussion prompt presented for all to ponder and respond to.
**In maintaining an atmosphere of comfort and trust, we do not allow proselytizing (the effort of trying to convert others) or the denigrating of the religions and viewpoints of others. We also avoid bringing up topics such as politics, hot button social issues, or anything that can be considered divisive**
As this was a WW board, we also discuss our personal wellness, including our weight management program. We share our struggles and our triumphs regarding such as well as discuss things like family, friends, jobs, hobbies, outside interests, etc... We strive to build each other up with loving support in a positive manner. Let us not ever tear one another down in any way, shape or form.
Regular thread starters for the time being are:
Sunday, Monday, Tuesday: Gary / Wednesday, Thursday, Friday: Holly
Yet if anyone is so inclined, please feel free to start a new thread by beginning with the title: "Considering....(topic -q/q)", post this introduction (by way of copy & paste) then follow that with a post putting forth a question and/or quote (with or without some explanation) for us to ponder today. The topic can be inspired by your personal faith, but please do remember that anyone from other spiritual paths should be able to answer it.
Shalom, Love & Light, Blessed Be, Namaste...
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Post by hollygail on Oct 6, 2016 5:11:26 GMT
The Sabbath between Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur is known as the Sabbath of Return. It has its own special selection from the prophets. We read Hosea 14:2–10 AND Micah 7:18–20; Ashkenazic communities (Jews who trace our ancestry to northern and/or eastern Europe) add Joel 2:15–27. The word for “return” is “shuvah” (for the pronunciation, think the English word “shoe” followed by “vaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”), and is the first word (in Hebrew) of Hosea 14:2.
The selection highlights themes of penitence and human reconciliation with God, appropriate for the week between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Following is a summary.
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Hosea calls on a sinning people to return to God by pronouncing humble words, instead of offering animal sacrifice (14:3): “Instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips.” He promises that God will respond lovingly and will no longer be angry with Israel [the people, not a piece of geography]. Hosea describes God as dew that will nourish, and Israel [again, the people, not some piece of geography] as a blossoming lily, a strong tree in Lebanon, an olive tree, and a cypress. In the closing words of the selection, we learn that everyone gets what they deserve (14:10): “For the paths of the Lord are smooth; the righteous can walk on them, while sinners stumble on them.”
The selection from Micah is the text that is recited at the tashlikh ceremony. This ceremony, in which we “cast our sins” into a body of water, is traditionally held on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh haShanah (and only a few days ago, that’s where I went), but it can actually be performed any time during the fall holiday season, up until another day that’s coming in a couple of weeks. The Micah text describes God as “forgiving iniquity and remitting transgression” (7:18), using language that is similar to some of the common refrains of the Yom Kippur liturgy.
The text from Joel that Ashkenazic communities add at the end of the selection also highlights some of the seasonal themes. It opens with a reference to the shofar (ram’s horn that we blast something like 100 times on Rosh haShanah, or maybe it’s 100 times from Rosh haShanah through the end of Yom Kippur) and a fast (the day after Yom Kippur is a minor fast day; minor meaning it's not 24 hours long) (2:15): “Blow a horn (shofar) in Zion, solemnize a fast, proclaim an assembly!” Joel describes an entire congregation — old and young, men and women — coming together to purify themselves and get closer to God. This imagery reminds us of the task that awaits us on Yom Kippur.
The scene Joel describes has some very positive results. Seeing the people’s sincerity, God takes action. God drives out Israel’s enemies, ensures that the rain falls at the right time, secures ample food for all, and makes it known that God dwells in the midst of Israel (= the people Israel, also known as the Jewish People, not a piece of geography in the Middle East).
Reading these words on the Sabbath before Yom Kippur offers an encouraging, hopeful message. Human beings can return to God wholeheartedly, and the results can be magnificent.
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I'm falling asleep. Please supply your own q/q and answers or else I'll do better in the morning. It's after 10:00 Wednesday night and I gotta get to bed; I started to nod off a couple of minutes ago...
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Post by glrogers67 on Oct 7, 2016 0:15:24 GMT
The one thing that comes to mind as I read your selections is that even in the Old Testament God is preparing the Israelites (Jews) for the time of the coming of your Messiah (whom we believe has already come as Jesus Christ). What struck me is that Hosea calls on a sinning people to return to God by pronouncing humble words, instead of offering animal sacrifice (14:3): “Instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips.”
In Psalms 51:16-17 there is something similar:
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
In the Book of Mormon 3 Nephi 9:19-20 :
19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.
20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost.
And in our Doctrine & Covenants section 59:8 :
8 Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness, even that of a broken heart and a contrite spirit.
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