CLICK HERE on or after Wednesday, April 8 for a Good Friday DFW Online Worship Resource List AND/OR your Instructions for the Mt. Olive Lutheran Church Good Friday Candle Prayer Video Vigil.
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha’Olam,
May this candle be a light for you to enlighten me. May it be a fire for you to burn out of me all pride, selfishness and impurity. May it be a flame for you to bring warmth into my heart; warmth towards my family, my neighbours and all whom I meet. Amen. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/shabbat-candles/ Next Friday is Good Friday. And I have been contemplating in preparation how Jesus learned to celebrate Friday, or the beginning of SHABBAT, from Mary (and Joseph). For most of us, when worship is restricted in public places, it means worship is relegated to our homes. But in Hebrew homes, there is a tradition dating back to Deuteronomy 6, and likely before, that worship ORIGINATES in the home. The home has primary, rather than secondary status. So, I wonder. What did Mary do on Good Sabbath, whenever she returned to her home after the crucifixion? Did she light a candle 🕯 . Or two? 🕯 🕯 And say this prayer 🙏🏽 below, as the family always had. Or a different one. When the Light of the World has died on that very day, does a mother cling to familiar traditions? Or pray a new and different way to the Creator, who said, Let there BE LIGHT. And there was Light. Nikhil and I prayed this prayer today at the intersection of Firefall Way and Reflection Place. If you ever turn off of Walnut Hill at the Trader Joe’s near US-75 and head past the Preston Hollow Modern Market, you may have seen this gorgeous reflection pool. And the many braziers. Usually there is no parking anywhere close, so I’ve never been able to linger there. Plenty of spaces these days. So we stopped. And lingered. And prayed: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלהֵנוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָנוּ חַגִּים, חֻקּוֹת, וּמוֹעֲדִים לְשִׂמְחָה לִכְבוֹד יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֲדוֹנֵינוּ, אוֹר הָעוֹלָם bah·rookh at·tah Adonai E·loh·hei·noo me·lekh hah·oh·lahm, a·sher nah·tan lah·noo chag·geem, choo·kot, oo'moh·a·deem le·seem·chah, leekh·vohd Ye·shoo·a ha·mah·shee·ach a·doh·ney·noo, ohr hah·oh·lahm "Blessed art You, LORD our God, King of the universe, who has given to us holidays, customs, and seasons of happiness, for the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the light of the world." https://youtu.be/_u2B_3lJaUY https://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Shabbat/Candles/candles.html