Moment of Oneness, January 21, 2026 - Prepared by Denise Hackert-Stoner

Photo by Scott Stoner

Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772
Meeting ID: 815 0755 1772
To connect by phone dial: +1 646 558 8656

Welcome to our evening prayer.  It is Mid-January now, and we are beginning to notice that light is returning to our part of the world.  It returns little by little, increasing by mere minutes each day.  But soon we will be flooded with enough light to thaw the ground and call the sleeping plants forth from their sleep.  Let us meditate on light tonight, both what it means to us and what it means to God.

First Reading:  From Tree of Souls, by Howard Schwartz: Shattering the Vessels, a Creation Myth from the Kabbalah

At the beginning of time, God’s presence filled the universe. When God decided to bring this world into being, to make room for creation, He first drew in His breath, contracting Himself. From that contraction darkness was created. And when God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3), the light that came into being filled the darkness, and ten holy vessels came forth, each filled with primordial light.
In this way God sent forth those ten vessels, like a fleet of ships, each carrying its cargo of light. Had they all arrived intact, the world would have been perfect. But the vessels were too fragile to contain such a powerful, divine light. They broke open, split asunder, and all the holy sparks were scattered like sand, like seeds, like stars. 

That is why we were created — to gather the sparks, no matter where they are hidden. And when enough holy sparks have been gathered, the broken vessels will be restored, and tikkun olam, the repair of the world, awaited so long, will finally be complete. Therefore it should be the aim of everyone to raise these sparks from wherever they are imprisoned and to elevate them to holiness by the power of their soul.

Second Reading: Holding the Light, by Stuart Kestenbaum

Gather up whatever is 
glittering in the gutter,
whatever has tumbled 
in the waves or fallen 
in flames out of the sky,

for it’s not only our
hearts that are broken, 
but the heart
of the world as well.
Stitch it back together. 

Make a place where
the day speaks to the night
and the earth speaks to the sky.
Whether we created God
or God created us

it all comes down to this:
In our imperfect world
we are meant to repair
and stitch together 
what beauty there is, stitch it

 

with compassion and wire. 
See how everything 
we have made gathers 
the light inside itself
and overflows? A blessing. 

Intentions:  

For living bodies broken in conflict:  We pray that governments learn to settle grievances without resorting to violence. 

Response:  May our prayers repair the world.

For broken systems of health care, food supply and shelter access:  We pray that our actions and our voices speaking loudly on behalf of those in need will help steer our broken systems away from greed and toward compassion.  

Response:  May our actions repair the world.

For broken hearts:  We pray for the lost, the lonely, the forgotten.  We pray for the vision to see them and the compassion to reach out to them in friendship.

Response:  May our open hearts repair the world.

Closing Prayer: 

Holy One, we are willing.  We are able.  We are looking for the scattered shards of our broken world.  With your grace we are gathering them into shining vessels of your holy light. In answer to your call, we are repairing the world.  Be with us in your peace. Amen.

Closing Song:  Tikkun Olam, Repair of the World

https://youtu.be/dAXAMdeztQM?si=UAmZNjyGpCm4CTgM