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Family Shabbat I
Candlelighting, bread, wine
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Host: |
On this Shabbat we create our moment in time. We pause to reflect upon
our yesterdays and tomorrows, to renew our ties with our families and friends,
to restore our energies, to refresh our spirits. |
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Reader l: |
As the sun descends and shadows lengthen, the distractions of the day
give way to the
stillness of night. It is time now for us to see not with our eyes, but with our
hearts and
minds. As the day gives way to evening, it is time for us to welcome the
Shabbat. |
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Reader 2:
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The candles stand before us waiting to be lit. We recall our ancestors as
we too seek to
dispel the darkness and banish the cold, to bring glowing softness-, warmth and
safety into our homes. |
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Reader 3: |
May the dancing flames of these candles kindle warmth within our hearts,
wisdom in our
minds, passion in our souls.
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All:
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Baruch ha-or
ba-olam.
Blessed is the light within the world.
Baruch ha-or ba-adam.
Blessed is the light within each person.
Baruch ha-or ba-shabbat.
Blessed is the light of the Shabbat.
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Wine
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Reader 4:
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We celebrate the fruit of the vine and the bounty of nature as we lift
this cup and sip its
wine. For we are part of nature which gave us birth and continues to sustain us.
Even as we depend upon nature, so do we influence its course.
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Reader 5:
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Through the search for understanding we have gained the knowledge to shape our
world.
Guided by the best of human wisdom and the compassion of our spirit, we accept
the
responsibility which rests upon us.
May the taste of this wine upon our lips stir within us a reverence for nature
and a respect
for human endeavor.
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All:
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Baruchim ha-cha-him
ba-olam.
Blessed is the life within the world.
Baruchim ha-cha-yim ba-adam.
Blessed is the life within us.
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Challah
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Reader 6:
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As the fingers of the challah intertwine, so do we join hands in our
common humanity,
sharing the fruits of our labors. We cherish that which has been created through
human
effort. For it is through the work of our hands, the strength of the human
spirit, the vision
of our minds, that our dreams are woven into the tapestry of time.
We celebrate the accomplishments of yesterday and today, anticipating the
possibilities of
tomorrow.
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All:
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May the sharing of this challah strengthen our bonds with others who walk upon
this earth.
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Baruch a-mal ka-pei-nu
Blessed is the work of our hands.
Baruch cha-zon ha-adam.
Blessed is the vision of our minds.
Baruch le-chem ha-aretz.
Blessed is the bread of the earth.
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(Prepared by Stacie Fine)
(Provided
as a public service by the Congregation for Humanistic Judaism of Fairfield
County, Connecticut. For more information on its High Holidays, Sunday
School, Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and adult programs, visit www.humanisticjews.org
or call 203-226-5451.)
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