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Post by hollygail on Oct 19, 2016 5:14:48 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 19, 2016 5:16:43 GMT
After the more somber High Holy Days of Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur, the week-long Jewish holiday called Sukkot (sometimes translated as the Festival of Booths or Huts) “bursts” through our doors as the holiday of unbridled happiness; one name for the holiday is the Season of our Joy. The whole family gets involved. (Sukkot started at sundown on Sunday.)
One activity can be to build a “sukkah,” a temporary dwelling (booth, hut). It has at least three sides and is open either on one entire side or at least half a side (so it can be three and a half sides). The roof is made from leaves and/or branches so that you can see the stars through the roof at night. The walls are temporary walls, sometimes tarp, and everyone can be involved in decorating. Last Sunday, I had the students in one of my classes create decorations for the synagogue sukkah which they then hung from the ceiling. (And yes, you can order a ready-to-assemble sukkah.) Note that building a sukkah involves the whole body.
We are commended to “dwell” in the sukkah. One says the blessing for “dwelling” in the sukkah, and immediately sits down (apparently, sitting is the minimum way to dwell). People are encouraged to eat at least a snack, if not meals, there at least one day, if not many days, and some people sleep in the sukkah (often with sleeping bags; I’ve seen teenagers the next morning all of whom look like they were at a camp-out or sleepover, bleary-eyed and everything…). During Sukkot, we are asked to feel the tension between the vulnerability of living outside in a fragile shelter and the safety of God’s protection.
Then there’s this ritual of waving some branches: a palm branch in the middle, a myrtle and a willow branch on each side; these are held in the right hand. In the left hand is a citron that resembles a lemon, only bigger and much more fragrant. As one says the blessing for waving them, one brings the hands together so that even though the citron usually stays in the left hand, it touches the branches that are in the right hand. I’ve been blessed to be able to do it both Monday morning and Tuesday morning (at morning services).
One tradition is to invite “guests” into the sukkah. Each night, one of seven Biblical characters is invited (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron and David, according to an older tradition; a more modern tradition is also to invite Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther). Separately from these Biblical figures, one often invites family and friends; I received a phone call around 7:30 Tuesday night from a friend who lives in New York, inviting me into his sukkah; we can chat on the phone as our “visit.”
Sukkot is a time to think about the blessing of having a permanent home, and to acknowledge that so many people lack this fortune. Families can put their thoughts into action by volunteering together a local homeless shelter or soup kitchen.
And because Sukkot is called the season of our joy, we do things that bring us happiness, including choosing foods, activities, rituals that focus on happiness. Sukkot is a great holiday to serve everyone’s favorite foods, wear new clothes and even exchange some presents (personally, I don’t know many people who exchange presents).
In Israel (and in some places in the United States), Sukkot is a week-long school vacation, a great time for families to go on trips together.
Often we tend to think that the most “important” holidays are the more serious ones, such as Rosh haShanah and Yom Kippur. Sukkot reminds us that it is a great mitzvah (literally, commandment; often used for "good deed") to be happy.
q/q: How do you celebrate joy? Do you have any rituals that remind you of happiness? Do you include people you know, the memory of people you knew who are no longer alive, or other, may I say, heroes of yours?
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Post by glrogers67 on Oct 19, 2016 17:33:20 GMT
From the Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 2:25 -
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.
The closest thing we have as Christians and LDS is the Christmas season, although that has become so commercialized it loses a lot of the joy it was intended to celebrate. Putting that aside, joy can be found in everyday activities. I found joy spreading rock and beautifying my home during my remodel. I find joy reading scriptures and applying them to myself. I find joy being with family and friends at family and church gatherings. It is not necessary to set aside a week to celebrate and feel joy; joy can be found every day if we look for it. Although I haven't done much myself, joy can be found in seeking out and identifying our ancestors for the temple work that will enable them to receive the same blessings we have received as LDS members.
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