[HANASHIR:2706] Environmental service

[GurevitzR <GurevitzR...>]

Here are some ideas:

Use the 'morning blessings' part of the service (the bit that usually goes 
... 'wakes my eyes from slumber' etc) as an opportunitiy for spontaneous 
morning blessings from congregants about nature.  Start with 'Baruch ata..... 
melech haolam; or Brucha at.... ruach haolom, and then leave a silence for 
people to add their own endings (for the sunshine/rain this morning; for bird 
call, for.... etc.)

Use the 2nd para of Shema as a focus for environmental messages (if we don't 
live with respect for the earth then the rains won't come/rains will be 
polluted/rains will flood; soil will be damaged etc...)

One really powerful idea that we use in renewal that can infuse the whole 
service is the idea of the name of God, YHVH as sounding like a breath if you 
try to say those hebrew letters without vowels.  Rabbi Arthur Waskow does a 
wonderful teaching about how all that we breath out the plants etc. breath in 
and what we breath in they breathe out.  So another way to think about God is 
as the all-encompassing Breath of Life which supports and creates all in 
every moment.  That is why we have reconstructed the way we pronounce some of 
our blessings to say Baruch ata Yah (said in a breathy way - this is an 
ancient name for God, as in Hallelu Yah), Ruach haolam.  Ruach means 
spirit/breath.

If you have an opportunity to go outside during the service, it is a great 
place to invite people to do their own Amidah where they can 'talk' out loud, 
or just notice the nature. 

There are many sources of environmental stories - see if you can get your 
hands on 'Let the Earth teach you Torah' produced by Shomrah Adamah, based in 
Washington D.C.  Or you could get this resource from COEJL (see earlier 
posting from someone else).

Musically, and quite timely still, are anything from Song of Songs - all 
about Spring; related to Pesach as the ultimate freedom story, and 
traditionally read every Shabbat.  Dodi Li (Steve Sher, Debbie Friedman), 
Kumi Lach, etc. (Debbie has several, in English and Hebrew).  Shefa Gold has 
some beautiful chants based on Song of Songs.  See her Chantscendence (sp?) 
album especially.

Some of this needs to be adapted, depending on the age you are working with.

Hope it is of help.

Rachel Gurevitz

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