I get inspired to pray by what I see sitting around in my kitchen….the apples were leftover from our thinplaceNASHVILLE Rosh Hashana celebration.
#kitchenstilllifeprayer
Last night, I walked the dog while wearing a sweatshirt.
It’s been cool and less humid in the mornings… glimpses of fall.
Glimpses that give me hope.
Last night, Rosh Hashanah ended.
The birth of a new year!
Another sign of hope!
Apples and Honey tasted.
Prayers to receive the sweetness of the New Year and the New Season!
Blessings of Fall!
Yet, in the shadows, not far away
lurks the pandemic.
Still here. Still raging.
Still stressful and exhausting.
It’s not easy to exist in two worlds at once. When people suffer because others are afraid.
Yet… there is hope.
Apples and Honey.
Sweetness…
even in these days of uncertainty.
Hope …
even when we do not understand the ways of others.
Lord, give us ears to hear and eyes to see! Help us to see as you see… with eyes of compassion. Help us love as you love, even those we disagree with. Help us to believe and have hope! Help us receive this new season and this fresh start. Amen
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish high holiday, also known as the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23: 23-35 and Nehemiah 8:10-11) This is the Jewish New Year celebrating the sovereignty, faithfulness, and presence of God.
Rosh Hashanah is a time to confess our sins and start with a clean slate. We get a fresh start. A time to remember and look forward to the New Season with hope!
And if you are like me, we can all use a FRESH START!
What do you look forward to in this NEW SEASON? With God, your family, friends, work, etc.
Talk to Jesus about where you are and what you are dreaming about for this NEW season.
apples and honey
PRAYER PRACTICE: One of the traditions of Rosh Hashanah is eating apples and honey as a symbol of the newness and sweetness of the new year. Gather an apple and some honey. Slice up the apple and dip it in the honey and talk to Jesus about the things you’d like to see in your NEW YEAR, in this new season! You can do this as a family, with your housemates, small group, or entire church community.
As you eat your apples and dip them in the honey… if doing this as a group prayer practice, you can have everyone pause and pray/consider between bites of apple.
What Sweetness do you want Jesus to pour into your life?
What new flavor do you need in this new season ahead? Ask Jesus to show you.
What do you need Jesus to make BRAND NEW for you? Talk to him about this.
Each time you eat an apple this week or use honey in your tea or on your toast, use this as a reminder to practice gratitude and be grateful for all the sweet things God is doing in your life. Ask Jesus to remind you of the sweetness of his love and give you hope as you taste the sweetness of the apple and/or honey.
To learn more about Rosh Hashanah watch this…
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
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