CBB welcomes interfaith prayer resources. Here are several prayers based on elements from the Jewish liturgy but adaptable for use in a variety of contexts.
At the New Moon,
--originally published at A Song Every Day
Oh God, our God and God of our ancestors,
everything we accomplish is but a reflection of Your gifts to us,
much as the moon only reflects the light of the sun.
At the new moon, only the barest sliver of moon is visible to us,
and there is much we cannot see.
Today, too, from our separate communities, we see but a sliver of the whole.
There is much we cannot see.
As the moon waxes, so too may our understanding of the wider world of faith and thought, particularly, those with whom we differ.
Renew our lives, we pray,
for a life of peaceful co-existence in our belief variety;
for a life of goodness,
enriched by a widening sense of community;
of blessing; of sustenance; of health;
marked by piety and fear of sin, as we recognize
the image of God in each individual;
free from shame and reproach, as we renew our efforts
to guard our tongues and our thoughts;
of abundance with honor;
filled with love of Your word, in all its facets,
and reverence for You,
in which the worthy desires of our hearts
will be fulfilled for good.
May the One who has done wonderful things for our ancestors,
who redeemed them from slavery to freedom,
bring us from the narrow confines of our own philosophies and practices
to a wider understanding and love for our people, scattered to the four corners of the world.
Bring us together toward a world united,
for life, rejoicing, happiness, salvation and consolation.
And let us say: AMEN.
Printable versions:
New Moon Prayer in PDF
New Moon Prayer with Introduction
Rabbis for Human Rights' "These I Remember"
Shelter for Those Who Suffer
"We may have traveled on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now."
At the New Moon,
In Solidarity, For Understanding
--originally published at A Song Every DayOh God, our God and God of our ancestors,
everything we accomplish is but a reflection of Your gifts to us,
much as the moon only reflects the light of the sun.
At the new moon, only the barest sliver of moon is visible to us,
and there is much we cannot see.
Today, too, from our separate communities, we see but a sliver of the whole.
There is much we cannot see.
As the moon waxes, so too may our understanding of the wider world of faith and thought, particularly, those with whom we differ.
Renew our lives, we pray,
for a life of peaceful co-existence in our belief variety;
for a life of goodness,
enriched by a widening sense of community;
of blessing; of sustenance; of health;
marked by piety and fear of sin, as we recognize
the image of God in each individual;
free from shame and reproach, as we renew our efforts
to guard our tongues and our thoughts;
of abundance with honor;
filled with love of Your word, in all its facets,
and reverence for You,
in which the worthy desires of our hearts
will be fulfilled for good.
May the One who has done wonderful things for our ancestors,
who redeemed them from slavery to freedom,
bring us from the narrow confines of our own philosophies and practices
to a wider understanding and love for our people, scattered to the four corners of the world.
Bring us together toward a world united,
for life, rejoicing, happiness, salvation and consolation.
And let us say: AMEN.
Printable versions:
New Moon Prayer in PDF
New Moon Prayer with Introduction
Prayers for the Vulnerable
The ancient Jewish community added a prayer on Yom Kippur for those in an especially vulnerable spot while praying for the welfare of the community in the year to come. As Jewish communities the world over enter a solemn day of prayer and atonement at the close of the ten Days of Awe, Clergy Beyond Borders offers some prayers for the especially vulnerable:
May this year that is coming be one of abundance, building, compromise, dialogue, respect and understanding, a year in which all realize their interdependence and work together for the common good. And concerning the inhabitants of Washington, DC, we all say: May it be Your will, Adonai, our God and God of our ancestors, that they find common ground on which to safely build in the days to come, so that the fault-lines of race and class do not become their demise. --from A Song Every DayA misheberach [blessing] for victims of torture and of human trafficking
Rabbis for Human Rights' "These I Remember"
Shelter for Those Who Suffer
"We may have traveled on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now."