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“Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it.” (Psalms 127:1) | |
O Creator of the Universe by whose will the world is renewed day by day, Thou hast implanted in us a spark of Thy creative spirit.[1] Possibly a reference to the tselem elohim — the divine likeness in Genesis 1:26-27. The scholar Rabbi Louis Jacobs (1920-2006), on the history of the popular belief in innate divine sparks within all of us: “The belief that there is a special mystical ‘spark’ in every human breast can be traced back, in western mysticism, at least to Jerome in the fourth century. Both Bonaventura and Bernard of Clairvaux speak of this mystical organ; the latter, calling it scintillula, a small spark of the soul, and speaking of the nearness of God, said: ‘Angels and archangels are within us, but He is more truly our own who is not only with us but in us.’ However, both these mystics are anxious to prevent an identification of this mystical spark with the divine. Eckhart, on the other hand, embraces the identification, calling the spark, among other endearing names, das Kleidhaus Gottes, ‘the house in which God attires Himself ’. This and other pantheistic tendencies in Eckhart’s thought were condemned in the papal Bull of 1529…” (in “The Doctrine of the ‘Divine Spark’ in Man in Jewish Sources” Studies in Rationalism, Judaism and Universalism, ed. Raphael Loewe (Humanities: 1966) 87-114.) Belief in this innate divine spark in each person is important in the theology of George Fox (1624-1691) and presents an important point of connection underscoring social justice movements among both Jews and Friends (i.e., Quakers). Thou dost arouse us from lethargy and dost send us forth to work and to achieve. Thus are we impelled to seek improvement, to make new plans, to organize and to build. For this creative impulse, for the desire to progress, for the urge towards greater achievement, we thank Thee, O Creator. Thou hast made us partners of Thee in the building of the world. | |
Often we cannot tell whether what we build is in harmony with Thy larger plans. It may, alas, happen that our structures are morally ugly and mar the landscape of Thy creation. We need Thy guidance day by day. Therefore I pray to Thee:— Guard Thou my steps in the new enterprise which I am about to begin. Grant that its success be not built upon the ruins of another’s failure; that no added prosperity which may come to me will increase the misery of my fellowman. | |
Thine earth is bountiful. Thou openest Thy hand and satisfiest all with Thy favor. May, therefore, the achievement which I hope to attain for myself and my dear ones add also to the contentment of others. Let my work be done in harmony with Thy laws of justice, goodness and truth. | |
Strengthen me, O Lord, in the enterprise which I am now beginning. Make clear to my vision that I may discern the outlines of the future. Make strong my will that I may not falter when the tasks grow heavy. Make wise my judgment that I be not led into folly. | |
More than for all these blessings, I pray, O Lord, that the strains of new work shall not injure my health, nor so absorb my energies that I neglect my dear ones, or become estranged from the worship of Thee. Let me walk in the light of Thy presence so that success will add to my spiritual strength and my achievement be a source of encouragement and blessing. Amen. |
“Beginning a New Enterprise” is the third prayer in the “Personal Prayers for Special Occassions” section of the Union Home Prayer Book (CCAR 1951), pp. 43-44. Unfortunately, as with so many of the prayers published as a result of CCAR committees from this period and earlier, we cannot yet attribute this prayer to any known author. (If you know, please leave a comment or contact us.)
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Notes
| 1 | Possibly a reference to the tselem elohim — the divine likeness in Genesis 1:26-27. The scholar Rabbi Louis Jacobs (1920-2006), on the history of the popular belief in innate divine sparks within all of us: “The belief that there is a special mystical ‘spark’ in every human breast can be traced back, in western mysticism, at least to Jerome in the fourth century. Both Bonaventura and Bernard of Clairvaux speak of this mystical organ; the latter, calling it scintillula, a small spark of the soul, and speaking of the nearness of God, said: ‘Angels and archangels are within us, but He is more truly our own who is not only with us but in us.’ However, both these mystics are anxious to prevent an identification of this mystical spark with the divine. Eckhart, on the other hand, embraces the identification, calling the spark, among other endearing names, das Kleidhaus Gottes, ‘the house in which God attires Himself ’. This and other pantheistic tendencies in Eckhart’s thought were condemned in the papal Bull of 1529…” (in “The Doctrine of the ‘Divine Spark’ in Man in Jewish Sources” Studies in Rationalism, Judaism and Universalism, ed. Raphael Loewe (Humanities: 1966) 87-114.) Belief in this innate divine spark in each person is important in the theology of George Fox (1624-1691) and presents an important point of connection underscoring social justice movements among both Jews and Friends (i.e., Quakers). |
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“Beginning a New Enterprise (CCAR 1951)” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license.
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