This morning was a Men’s Club meeting at Temple, and for whatever reason, my mind started pondering in a religious and spiritual direction.
Pondering The First. A large problem in organized Judaism is the large congregation that becomes the marble house of plastic people. This doesn’t happen in smaller congregations because everyone needs to pitch in and gets to know one another. My mind began wondering if there was a way to get the best of both words, perhaps taking a page from LAUSD and how they create small communities within larger choose. Is there a way to create villiages within the congregation—virtual congregations of perhaps 100-150 member familes. They might have their own boards in certain areas (for example, religous practices, social action, etc.) to give each villiage their own character, but would also have a shared infrastructure with the other villiages in the congregational community, sharing clergy, perhaps fundraising, administration, etc. I’m not sure how this idea might fully work, but I do think it might be a way to save congregational life in this area where congregations are merging just to survive.
Pondering The Second. As I was driving back, my IPod started playing the song “Anytime (I Am There)” by Bill Finn from his musical “Elegies”. It struck me as a very spiritual song, and I just wanted to share it:
| Any time you laugh Any time you cry Any time you hear a sound When you’re on the grass Lying on the ground Any time you wash your hands I’ll be around I’ll be there on the baseball field And I am there each morning Any time you pray |
I’ll be there in the maple trees I’m a summer breeze On a perfect evening I’ll be there when you celebrate When the world seems great I’ll be waiting by your side Any time Yes! Any time And I am there each morning And I am there in flowers Be aware I am there |
