Prayerful thoughts

I was thinking about God tonight, which isn't too surprising because I think about God a lot every single day.  I was born that way.  One of my earliest memories, from when I was three or four, is asking my atheist mother plaintively, "Do we believe in God?" and being very disappointed when she said that we didn't.  (My mother was a very authoritative woman.  If she said we didn't believe in God, then God help anyone in the family who professed any faith whatsoever.  Besides, at three or four, I thought my mother knew everything.  I still sometimes think she knew almost everything . . . )

Back a few centuries, they knew how to pray -
no hour and a half and then schnaps and a nosh!

Anyhow, I was at a midweek evening service, sparsely attended, which was lovely.  On my way home, I started to wonder what one could do to improve the attendance.  I thought to myself that in a way, I understand people who don't come - it's the middle of the week, once a week is enough (or more than enough!), there are so many other things to do . . .

But really, if you think about it (and if you believe both in God and in worshiping God), if we were to pray all day, every day, it still wouldn't be enough, unlike the Passover song, "Dayenu" which means "It would be enough." "Dayenu" celebrates all the wonderful things God did for us when we were slaves in Egypt, and after each miracle or blessing bestowed upon us, the refrain is, even if he hadn't done more than that, it would have been enough.  Well, a  version of that about our gratefulness to God might be "Lo Dayenu"  ("It is not enough").  I can imagine some wag objecting that if one did nothing but pray, all day, everyday, there wouldn't be much to be thankful for.  Point taken.  Obviously no-one can pray all day, every day, and I don't think God expects or wants that that of us.  We are supposed to live our lives and engage with others.  But going to services two times a week doesn't seem excessive.  Even if one doesn't feel motivated on the way to prayer, the inspiration will come during prayer, and the feeling of lightness and just plain satisfaction is quite bracing.

I have a good friend who is very religious and talks about God all the time, practically, but shows up at prayer only sporadically.  That I don't understand.  God wants his people to come together in prayer regularly.  Communal prayer isn't because we have to, or because it's the law:  it is good for our souls!  It refreshes our spirit, and strengthens our faith, to be with others together singing God's praises.  It is like a marvelous medicine which tastes wonderful and cures us of what ails us, fortifying us against the infections which surround us during the week.  Saying "thank you" and admitting our faults is so freeing; being reminded of what we believe and hope is so fortifying.  I wouldn't miss it for the world.