Rabbi Howard Morrison

Dear Congregational Family,

For many years in the United States, I sat as part of a multi-faith clergy council which met monthly. At this time of year, my Christian colleagues lamented at the commercial nature of their holiest season of the year. They would rather have seen greater attention spent on God and attendance at services.

We Jews also suffer from a lack of attention to God in our lives and attendance at services.

In the opening chapters of Shmot-Exodus, we are reintroduced to particular names associated with the one and only God, such as Adonai-Ha'Shem (my master-the name), Elokim, El-Shaddai-Almighty God. When he encounters the burning bush, Moses asks God to identify who sent him to liberate the Israelites. God responds with another divine name, 'Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh-I am that I am."

In our tradition, we find many names for God based on mood, historical period, and circumstance. Some of these names include: Creator, Man of War, A woman weeping over her children, Shepherd, Compassionate One, Indwelling presence, and much more. Which of these terms among others speak(s) to you?

As Jews, we spend much of our time in prayer - formal services three times a day, as well as blessings to be recited before and after partaking of food, and before sacred events of all kinds. How often do we think of what God means to us when we go about the ritual expressions of our faith?

Like our Christian neighbors, we can use this time of year and any time of year for a deeper spiritual contemplation.

Sincerely,

Rabbi Howard Morrison