Volume 1 Issue 14

Baruch ata adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam asher kidshanu
b’matizvotav vitzivanu l’hadik ner shel Hanukkah

Baruch ata adonai, eloheynu melech ha-olam she-asa nisim
la’avoteynu bayamim haheym ba-zman hazeh.

Baruch ata adonai eloheynu melech ha-olam shehecheyanu
v’ki-y’manu v’higianu la-zman hazeh.

Praised are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has hallowed us by Your laws and commanded us to kindle the light of Hanukkah.

Praised are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who worked miracles for our fathers in days of old, at this season.

Praised are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who has kept us in life, and has preserved us, and enabled us to reach this season.
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In the advent seasons, when the past has fled, unasked, away
and there is nothing left to do but wait,
God, shelter us.
Be our surrounding darkness;
be the fertile soil out of which hope springs in due time.
In uncertain times, help us to greet the dawn and labor on, love on,
in faith awaiting your purpose hid in you
waiting to be born in due time. Amen.
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As the American day of national thanksgiving wanes, there is an almost mystical convergence of the Jewish celebration of Hanukkah and the Christian season of Advent preparing for Christmas. I regret my ignorance of Islam that prevents me from knowing if there is a corresponding observance in this third of the Abrahamic faiths, but it seems reasonable that with glory being given to the same God there may be some corollary. May this be a season of discovery wherein we truly come to understand ourselves to be the children of the one God of all creation, opening our eyes to the presence of our brothers and sisters in every direction we look.
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Today’s sermon concludes my series on The Sermon on the Mount. Those who have followed along have noticed that I relied heavily upon the direction of The New Interpreter’s Bible, recognized as the standard in contemporary biblical scholarship. Individual volumes are available from www.amazon.com and the 12-volume set is available from Abingdon Press for $780 (also available in CD-ROM for the same price) by calling 1-800-251-3320.
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Take a moment to visit the Bulletin Board and peruse the growing number of entries and replies. I think you’ll be impressed by the caliber of thought expressed by those who comprise our growing virtual community of faith. You may even be moved to express your point of view!