The Prayer Circle

Feeling bored and restless when it comes to organized prayers, but feeling a need to pray at times, I always try to find new ways of expressing love and thanks to God. So I got an e-mail about a Prayer Circle being held on Saturday in a lovely older part of Jerusalem. I knew the people holding this event because Michael was at one of the Interfaith seminars and gave a beautiful presentation to the 25 young Palestinians while wearing a colorful fringed garment that Jews wear during prayer, and he spoke about the reconciliatory move from a black-and-white picture on the blackboard to a colorful picture of the rainbow, that represents the acceptance of the variety of humankind that gives room to each color to improve itself on its own pace. So I thought I'd give his thing a try. Now usually Hubby likes to do his Caveman thing on Saturdays, mess around with his tools, and hibernate in his cave so I tried to devise clever ways in which to entice him to accompany me. I told him about it and added "...and probably all the wackos in Jerusalem will be there." Meeting new "wackos" is usually enough for him to want to leave his Cave. He actually kept reminding me about it Saturday morning so it was meant for us to go. We got there and the crowd was small but not at all wacko. Michael's wife Ruth led the services (she is an ordained Rabbi with the Jewish renewal movement - a group I only recently heard of). She noticed I didn't bring any prayer books and figured I wasn't ready for ready-made liturgy. We gathered in their garden I had the urge to go barefoot and so did everyone else. Even Hubby joined in the circle and we began by twisting from side to side and then picking a flower in the garden and meditating on its beauty, etc. Then we sat in a circle and praised God in our own words for whatever we wanted to praise Him for. People were saying "Thank ye God for the friends I have, for the flowers of different colors that all are different but get along together, etc." I couldn't say the "ye" thing. But I was able to praise God and felt that these kinds of prayers are also as effective if not more effective than what I call synagogue speed-praying. We sang some Hallelujahs out loud, together with the birds. By that time, Hubby left the circle to lie on his back in the sun but he didn't pick up and leave, so he may have enjoyed the strange beauty of it all. Then we took turns sharing and I said that I believe God enjoys it when you notice what He creates so this kind of prayer is effective. Ruth said that that is probably one of God's female attributes (Jewish tradition holds that God has both male and female attributes) so the - did you notice my new perfume (in the guise of flowers)- is quite appropriate to praise.