Posted December 5, 2003 by Rabbi Judy Abrams. Please refer to Maqom's home page for information about previous passages.
Greetings! I thought we might do something different this time around. So often, when we are praying (or reading along) in services, we aren't connecting with the words of the prayer book. One way to make the prayers come alive is to link them to your own memories.
Try this exercise. Take this web page and fill in your memories to each item. Then print it out and take it to services with you or use it as a guide for private prayer. The "key"that relates the memories to the prayers is listed below. Invoking your own memories should help you get in touch with the prayers' themes. Please share your memories with the Maqom community at maqom@shamash.org. Enjoy!
Write down your recollections of the following experiences:
1. A time you felt moved to pray.
2. A time you greatly enjoyed nature.
3. A time you were uplifted studying Torah.
4. A time you felt at one with God's will for your life.
5. A time when something was going wrong and then it went right.
6. A time you felt secure.
7. A time you felt connected with your grandparents.
8. A time something dead in you came to life.
9. A time when you dedicated yourself totally to one relationship.
10. A time you deeply enjoyed the Sabbath.
11. A time you wanted someone to accept you.
12. A time you felt grateful.
13. A time you felt at peace.
14. A time you felt connected to the Jewish people.
15. A time you remembered someone who died.
1. The Barechu
2. Yotseir Or or Ma'ariv Aravim
3. Ahavah Rabbah or Ahabat Olam
4. The Shema
5. The Mi Chamocha
6. Hashkiveinu
7. Avot v'Imahot
8. Gevurah (ressurection of the dead)
9. Kedushah
10. The Shabbat section of the Amidah
11. R'tsei
12. Modim
13. Shalom
14. Aleinu
15. Kaddish