Spiritual Maturity
August 2018
Dear Friends,
I’m feeling particularly grateful for the time I spent with Rabbi Shefa Gold at two conferences this summer: the ACC (American Conference of Cantors) Conference in Dallas and the Aleph Kallah at UMASS Amherst. During those intensives I learned so much about myself, my spiritual maturity and the tools I need to maintain my daily practice for mental and spiritual health. This has helped me get focused for the month of Elul and the preparation I am engaged in for my awesome congregation, Seaside Jewish Community in Rehoboth, DE. According to Reb Shefa, cultivating spiritual maturity involves four components: 1) Inner Sovereignty, 2) Establishing Pathways of T’shuvah , 3) Compassion, and 4) Knowing That You Don’t Know. Exploring these four pathways through chant and text study has been life changing for me and has opened a doorway to real spiritual growth and self examination. If you want to know more about the practices and chants involved with these teachings, go to: www.rabbishefagold.com
My prayer for all of us as we approach the Hebrew Month of Elul and the High Holy Day Season, is that we make plenty of time for our daily practice to help cultivate the compassion we need for self forgiveness and tikkun , repair of our hearts and our relationships.
May we open our hearts and begin the process of teshuvah, preparing our spirits for the days of Awe just ahead.
Namaste,
Lisa
