Spirit of life and love and connection — be with us now.

We are here in a month when we have lost 2 of our long-time beloved Follen friends, Mark and Sandy. We hold Mark and Sandy and their families and friends in our hearts this morning as they grieve, as we grieve, their passing. May Mark and Sandy be at peace.

We are also here in the days of awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And we are here at a time when the world is on fire.

Spirit, sometimes there are no words. It is all just too much. I really struggled with what to say this morning. At these times, what do we do? How do we sustain ourselves?

Here’s one thing I believe can help — our heart connection. We are connected in love and compassion and grief. Let us take a quiet moment to remember our loved ones who have died, to feel the connections of our hearts and minds and souls, in this place and time.

This is one of the ways we deal with times of despair/all that we are experiencing. Spirit, help us move forward.

This time of year in the Jewish calendar, and this season in general, resonates for me as a time of reflection, a time for asking forgiveness and making amends, and a time to embrace hope for new beginnings. Perhaps you are feeling this too, the comfort of knowing we can always begin again.

As we say in this tradition – May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for a happy, healthy, sweet new year.

Spirit, may we claim our joy in the midst of loss and chaos. May we all find ways to sustain hope, work for justice, love each other and this beautiful world.

Amen and blessed be.

—Jane B.