FOR THE SINS THAT WE HAVE SINNED

 

על חטא שחטאנו;  AL HET SHEHATANU

Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D

 For the sins that we have sinned against our parents

…………………………………….against our siblings

……………………………………against our children

…………………………………....against our spouse

…………………………………….against our friends and relatives

……………………………………against our teachers and students

........................................................against the elderly

........................................................against the sick and the handicapped

 We are deeply sorry.

 For the sins that we have sinned consciously or unconsciously

……………………………………by the abuse of our power

 ………………………… ……..   by using deceitful language

……………………………………by hardening our hearts

……………………………………by speaking slander

……………………………………by hiding the truth

……………………………………by ignoring the pleas of the poor and innocent

…………………………………….by hurting others

…………………………………….by failing to respond to people in need

 We are deeply sorry.

 We are committed to undo the wrong we have caused.

HOW TO WRITE A PRAYER IN THE SPIRIT OF RELIGIOUS NATURALISM?

Rabbi Rifat Sonsino, Ph.D

For me, prayers represent our hopes and expectations. They help us identify and clarify our needs- for ourselves and those we care about. In formulating these, we need to pay attention to some details:

1. Instead of addressing God, we need to invoke God, who, I maintain, is the energy of the universe. God does not “listen” to our pleas.

2.    In expressing our wishes, we need to be realistic and not ask for “miracles” which will not happen just because we need them. God works in line with natural laws.

3.     In formulating our expectations, we need to indicate what we are willing to do ourselves in trying to achieve our goals.

4.     It is always appropriate to praise God and express gratitude for everything we have or have achieved.

5.     The answer to prayer comes as we face the future with openness, with clarity of mind and realistic expectations.  

Here is an example of a prayer for healing, written in the spirit of religious naturalism:

 We invoke God, the energy of the universe, and express our gratitude for every moment we experience good health and wellbeing, and our hope for a speedy recovery. We also think of our friends and relatives who are in pain. In particular, we think of…..(names here). We hope that they will be restored to good health, both physical and spiritual, in due time. We want them to know that we are thinking of them and will keep them in our mind continually. May we continue to enjoy their company in better times. And for those with a terminal illness, we hope they will have the strength to leave life without much suffering and with a gentle touch of peace.

Amen.