Teachings for the Week of Gevurah
Discernment Within Love
Defining the path
Creating practices that guide us in giving and receiving the Divine love
that flows through us and all the world
Practice for today: Loving Kindness (Metta) Meditation We say this prayer for ourselves and others. Begin with yourself. Then pray — one at a time — for nine more people, making a minyan of blessing.
May I (you) be blessed with love, May I (you) be blessed with peace, May I (you) be blessed with well being.
With all my heart I seek the One.
— Psalm 119:10
Love Within Strength
What is it to be a human being — so vulnerable, so fragile, and at the same time only slightly less than gods, strong and powerful, crowned with splendor?
— Psalm 8:5-6
Feeling our power and strength and making the decision to infuse our actions with kindness and generosity
We ask ourselves in each encounter: What is the wise and compassionate choice?
Practice for today:
Judge everyone on the side of merit.
— 18 —
—— Pirke Avot 1:6
Strength Within Strength
What is it to be a human being — so vulnerable, so fragile, and at the same time only slightly less than gods, strong and powerful, crowned with splendor?
— Psalm 8:5-6
Feeling our power and strength and making the decision to infuse our actions with kindness and generosity
We ask ourselves in each encounter: What is the wise and compassionate choice?
Practice for today:
Judge everyone on the side of merit.
—— Pirke Avot 1:6
Balance Within Strength
The beginning of wisdom is awe.
The strength of the spiritual warrior who remembers she is not the source of her power
— Psalm 111:10
She is the channel through which the Divine power flows.
Our lives are conceived in mystery, Our strength comes from the Most High. We bow to the Source of All
as we yield to the power that flows through us.
Practice for today:
Reflect on something you believe to be true. Feel the rightness,
the truth of this idea, this thought. Then say to yourself: I could be wrong. Sit with the sensations that arise.
Enduring Strength
The strength to go forward The ability to see beyond ourselves,
beyond our immediate circumstances Knowing that our actions unfold
beyond anything we can ever see or know
Practice for today:
Perform an action aimed at bringing benefit to others.
Great is the unfolding of the mystery, accessible to our deepest yearnings.
— Psalm 111:2
Glory Within strength
Let this day be a holy vessel. Sit in whatever is. You are filled with Divine light. Feel yourself shine. Practice for today: Take some time to sit. Let your attention rest on your breath. Notice the breath moving through you. After a few minutes, imagine the breath as a clear, pure light. The light might take on color or texture. Notice its qualities. As your mind wanders, draw your attention back to your breath. With each breath in, feel yourself filled with light. With each breath out, watch the light spill out into the world. Notice that even as you breathe out, you remain filled with light. Close the sit by giving thanks. Fulfilled is a person who lives in awe, who deeply desires connection. For him, lights shine in darkness, lights of grace, compassion and justice. — 22 — — Psalm 112:1,4
Foundation Within Strength
Aligning ourselves with the highest will, Grounded in the sacred fire of the earth, We pray to act for the good of all. Practice for today: Take time to feel your strengths, to give honor to your abilities. Make a commitment to use your power to bring benefit and blessing. We are called to act with righteousness, grounded in deep faith. — Psalm 119:138
Majesty Within Strength
We are all channels for the holy, here to be of service. Our lives are our offerings. May we serve with humility and strength. Practice for today: We ask ourselves, In what ways do I need to be more rigorous with myself? In what ways do I need to be more gentle? What are the practices and rituals that guide and sustain me? From the mystery, the Holy One gazes upon us to see if there is someone who has the good sense to seek God in all. — Psalm 14:2
Discernment Within the Heart
I place the One before me always. Cultivating the strength to live what is true even when it is difficult We notice the joys, pain and challenges of our hearts, letting it all rise without judgment or shame. The shining through of whatever is true brings healing. Practice for today: Take notice of what hardens your heart and what allows your heart to soften. Say these verses for yourself and for people in your life with whom there is need for healing: May my (your) heart know happiness, May my (your) soul know joy and may my (your) whole being dwell in trust. — 27 — — Psalm 16:8 — Psalm 16:9
Strength Within Endurance
My cup overflows. We ask for the strength to do what is right, the discipline to follow through on our commitments, the perseverance to act for good, even when we don’t see the results we long for. Practice for today: — Psalm 23:5 Do one action that brings you into connection with others, that turns you toward the Mystery, that encourages awe and love, that is aimed at bringing forth good. May goodness and kindness pursue me all the days of my life. I will dwell in the heart of the Mystery always. — Psalm 23:6