Yom Kippur
Monday, 10 Tishrei, 5781
28 September, 2020
On the Jewish Calendar, today is Yom Kippur, the Holiest Day of the Jewish Year. The final day of the “Days of Awe,” which span Rosh Shoshana (The New Year) to Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement).
Part of one of the readings for this Holy Day is from Isaiah 58:
11 And the Lord shall always lead you, and He shall satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones; and you shall be like a well-watered garden and like a spring of water whose water does not fail.
12 And [those coming] from you shall build ancient ruins, foundations of generations you shall erect, and you shall be called the repairer of the breaches, restorer of the paths, to dwell in.
יאוְנָֽחֲךָ֣ יְהֹוָה֘ תָּמִיד֒ וְהִשְׂבִּ֚יעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת֙ נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ וְעַצְמֹתֶ֖יךָ יַֽחֲלִ֑יץ וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ כְּגַ֣ן רָוֶ֔ה וּכְמוֹצָ֣א מַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹֽא־יְכַזְּב֖וּ מֵימָֽיו:
On these days Jews intentionally devote themselves to prayer, repentance and acts of charity.
I love this short passage that begins with God’s action -- to always lead us, to satisfy your soul in drought and strengthen your bones. Then there is God’s promise of who we shall be: “like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose water does not fail.” This is a promise upon which I hope we can stand. This is a season where it may seem easy to feel parched and unable to see or claim the energy of an ever-flowing stream. God commands our response -- repairer of the breaches, restorers of the paths.
I heard Justice Ginsberg’s rabbi cant Psalm 23 in Hebrew and then read it in English at a memorial service at the US Supreme Court as I was preparing to write this. Again, the words of God’s promise to abide with us and offer us what we need washed over me. She finished with, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I shall dwell in the house of Adonai (the Lord) forever.’
Words of a song I learned in Young Life in High School came to me:
Come to the Water (Marsha Stevens-Pino)
You said You'd come and share all my sorrows,
You said You'd be there for all my tomorrows;
I came so close to sending You away,
But just like You promised You came there to stay;
I just had to pray!
And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I saw ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I strove to remind you that for those tears I
died."
Your goodness so great I can't understand,
but, dear Lord, I know now that all this was planned;
I know You're here now, and always will be,
Your love loosed my chains and in You I'm free;
But Jesus, why me?
And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I saw ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I strove to remind you that for those tears I
died."
Jesus, I give You my heart and my soul,
I know that without God I'd never be whole;
Savior, You opened all the right doors,
And I thank You and praise You from earth's humble
shores;
Take me, I'm Yours.
And Jesus said, "Come to the water, stand by My side,
I know you are thirsty, you won't be denied;
I saw ev'ry teardrop when in darkness you cried,
And I strove to remind you that for those tears I
died
In these Days of Awe and depression and regression it is good for us to remember God’s promise of an abiding presence and actions in and through us. These are challenging days, but both God’s promises and commandments remain. Let’s dust ourselves off, get to the water and then be about repairing the breaches. There are many places where God’s precious people are falling through the cracks. The Church has work to do!
Loving God sustain us for a life in you that we may be for the world, the Body of Christ redeemed by your blood. Amen.
May this devotion provide you with a moment of faithful reflection and care. You are involved in ministries of justice and witness, in ministries of standing up and standing with people working to create better systems and communities, in ministries of learning and searching and researching to become more aware and awakened, more technologically savvy and proficient, more virtually and personally present in your churches and communities and world. Each of us who serve as members of your Wisconsin Cabinet write these devotions in grateful prayer for you – for sustenance and buoyancy, for strength and courage, for safety and just actions, and for faith and love to be full and fulfilled in your daily lives. God’s grace and blessings, God’s challenge and healthy discomfort, God’s Spirit and energy be with you, in the hope Christ offers us all.