Category Archives: Psalms

My Good

Va’ani kirvat Elohim li tov
My Good in Hebrew
And as for me, God’s nearness is my good. (Psalm 73:28)

In Kabbalah there are 4 worlds that describe a continuum between the infinite Source and our limited reality. The world that is closest to God is called Atzilut, which means nearness. In moments when we touch the world of Atzilut, we feel close to the Source of All. This practice is the expressed realization that those moments of touching and being touched by Source allow goodness to flow in and become our own goodness. We are inspired to keep drawing near to that Source, through heightened perception, inquiry, praise and celebration. When we touch that Divinely sourced goodness within, we can open our own flow and bring that goodness to the word.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click My Good PDF. For the musical notation, click My Good notation PDF.

The God-Field

HaBotayach ba’Adonai chesed y’so’v’venu (Psalm 32:10)
The God-Field in Hebrew
The one who trusts in God will be surrounded with loving-kindness.

Trusting in God means that my heart rests in the deep knowing of my ultimate safety. (Yes, even Death is safe!) I relax and know that I am connected to an infinite resource that I can call on to deal with whatever might emerge in this moment. When I take off my armoring, and my heart opens, I receive the grace that is always flowing. That Divine flow fills my energy field, and protects me with an aura of kindness, a God-field that surrounds me.

To hear the chant, use the audio player. To download the chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

NOTE: This chant was slightly updated to use Adonai (instead of the original Ya) on 10/15/21.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click The God-Field PDF. For the musical notation, click The God-Field notation PDF.

Calming the Restless Heart – Ach El-Elohim

Ach Ayl-Elohim dumiyah nafshi
Calming the Restless Heart in Hebrew
Only towards God my soul (turns in) silent calm. (Psalm 62:2)

St. Augustine said, “…our heart is restless till it rests in You.” When I touch the place of deep silence within me, I just naturally turn to God who is waiting for me. And in that turning, my restless heart is stilled and calmed. Only when I face The Mystery, does that silence deepen within me, and my restless heart is calmed.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Calming the Restless Heart PDF. For the musical notation, click Calming the Restless Heart notation PDF.

Singing a New Song

Halleluyah!
Shiru L’Adonay Shir Chadash;
T’hilato b’k’hal Chasidim
Singing a New Song in Hebrew
Sing to the Lord a New Song;
God’s praise is found in a community of Lovers. (Psalm 149:1)

Praise is the practice that lifts us up into the emerging possibilities of THIS moment. It is always new. When we come together as a community of lovers, we spark, inspire each and send each other to the praise of the moment. Praise happens in the synergy between us.

To hear the various parts of the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click the note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Singing a New Song PDF.

Taking Refuge in You: Chanayni

Chanayni Elohim, Chanayni
Ki v’cha chasayah nafshi
Hebrew for Taking Refuge in You
You pour out your grace to me, Oh God,
When my soul takes refuge in You. (Psalm 57:2)

There are many names for God. When I invoke the name Elohim, I am sometimes startled to remember that this name is grammatically in the plural; I must explore that great Multiplicity if I am to find my way to Unity. On some days I call God “My Beloved”; on some days I call God “My Friend”; on some days I call to God as “The Great Mystery”; on some days I know God as the “Infinite Invisible”. Today as I face a world that is reeling in flux, I take refuge in God, and I call Her, “Spacious, Loving Awareness.”

Taking refuge in Spacious, Loving Awareness allows me to re-contextualize my own troubles, lean into a larger perspective, and surrender into this expanded moment. This act of taking refuge beneath the wide wings of Shechina, is what opens the apertures of my heart, allowing Grace (the Divine flow) to pour in. God is always flowing. It is only I who sometime closes in response to trauma, fear, doubt or wounding. Our spiritual practice is to open to that flow by taking refuge, giving ourselves over to God’s loving embrace.

To hear the chant, use the audio players. To download a chant, right-click a note and save (or download) the linked MP3 file.

To download the PDF file for this chant, click Taking Refuge in You PDF. To download the chant’s notation, click Taking Refuge in You notation PDF.