Sept 19 Message - Shana Tova ! Just Enjoy the Dance
Call to Worship
As we prepare to worship, listen and recite the invocation in Hebrew along with the cantor. Let the words resonate within you and prepare your heart to be one with the mind of God.Opening Hymn
Opening Prayer
Scripture Reading
13And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.
14But when Yeshua saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
15Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.
16And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Mark 10:13-16
1At that time the disciples came to Yeshua and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Message
Today is a very special Sabbath. It is both the regular seventh day weekly sabbath and the sabbath (or holy day) of Rosh Hashanah. As we read in the scripture above, both days, the weekly sabbath and Rosh Hashanah, were divinely appointed to be celebrated for all eternity. Rosh Hashanah is also known as the Jewish New Year. It occurs on the 7th month of the Hebrew calender but it is the beginning of the new year. Rosh Hashanah literally means "Head of the Year". Today is the first day of the year 5770 of the Hebrew calendar. Happy New Year! The Jewish year begins on this day because it commemorates the day that God completed the work of this creation. In Genesis, after God created Man on the 6th day, creation was complete. That was the first Rosh Hashanah. In other words, you could call this day the birthday of human kind.
Rosh Hashanah is also known as the feast of trumpets. In ancient Judah, the Shofar, a trumpet-like instrument made out of a ram's horn, was blown in the temple on Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is still sounded in Jewish synagogues all over the world on this date. This year Rosh Hashanah falls on the sabbath...the day of rest. We have a two-fold mission this year. We are to celebrate a time of new beginnings and to rest from our work and worries.
After the difficult year this world has endured, new beginnings are welcome! It is very a attractive to leave behind all the troubles of last year. I am sure all of us would be happy to shut the door on the financial troubles, the job losses, the divisiveness of the political atmosphere in the US, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the mortgage crisis and all the other worries and stress we have suffered through in this past year.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to get in the mood to celebrate after all the recent difficulties. It is also hard to turn our mind off and rest. I think we all are a little shell-shocked. We are collectively suffering from a world-wide case of post-traumatic stress syndrome. Actually, the trauma is not really over. Many are still jobless. Many are still in the midst of losing their homes. Everyone, if not hurting themselves, knows someone who is.
How do we celebrate new beginnings when it seems like everyone is still suffering from the same old troubles. How do we do we turn our minds off and rest when there seems to be SO much to worry about? Yeshua pointed us to the answer to this dilemma. He instructed us to look to children as our example.
Little children are able to truly enjoy life because they trust adults to take care of them. They do not worry because they do not feel responsible for their survival. They realize that is the adult's responsibility. They just obey follow their parents blindly and blissfully. They know the rules. If they do what they are told, hold Dad's hand and don't go out of the yard, all will be well. As long as they stay in Mom or Dad's sight and follow their parents, they know they will be OK. Because they have placed the responsibility for their well being in the hands of their parents, they are able to fully immerse themselves in the joy of the moment.
We can find the same joy by trusting our Father and Mother to take care of us. Life gets overwhelming only when we place all the responsibility for our well-being on our own shoulders. God/Goddess never expected us to bear that burden. Just like little children, all we were meant to do is trust our Father to protect us and listen to the instruction of our Mother. Take God's hand. Let Him guide you. Just follow. It is OK. You don't have to know where you are going. Just trust and follow the rules. Stay close to your Mom and Dad and you will be safe.
I was reminded the benefits of the child-like mindset just recently. I participated in a traditional Hopi Indian corn dance. It was part of a celebration we had at the Hopi Health Care Center. Some of the children of the staff danced with us. The adults who were dancing worked hard trying to stay in step and remember all the movements. The children just danced and usually did better than the grown-ups. They were certainly more fun to watch!
After a couple dances, I realized that just listening and feeling the music worked better than trying so hard to follow the steps. I just had to relax and let my feet flow with the drum beat. The next day some of the other staff said they wished they had participated in the dances too but they were afraid to get out in front of so many people. Others said they didn't think they could find a costume or that they thought the practice for the dances would be too difficult. Most regretted not enjoying the dance
The moral of the story: Life is like a dance. To fully enjoy it you must fully participate. Don't let worry get in the way. Don't try to figure out the steps ahead of time. Your Father and Mother will beat the drum. You just flow with the music and the steps will come. If you choose to stand on the sidelines you will regret it. So join in and enjoy the dance.
