Yom Kippur 2026

Each year I direct our prayerful attention to some of the holy days on the Jewish calendar: last week, Rosh Hashana (beginning a new year) and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement), begining this year at sundown today and ending at sunset tomorrow, September 21.

In traditional Judasim, repentance consists of remorse having committed a sin, resolving not to commit that sin in the future, and confessing that sin before God. While repentance for one's sins can and should be done at any time, it is considered especially desirable during the Ten Days of Repentance between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, and particularly on Yom Kippur itself.  Thus, the Yom Kippur prayers contain extended confessions which list varieties of errors and sins, and to which one can add their own missteps, along with requests for forgiveness from God.

While we don't observe or keep these feasts as Christians, they invite us to prayer in profound ways.  Once again, I turn to Alden Solovy over at To Bend Light and one of his prayers for Yom Kippur.

Meditation 

 

Wait.
There is something else,
I must show You,

God of Old. 

    It’s dark

    And secret.

    Part sadness.

    Part anger.

    Part fear.

 

Listen.

There is something else,

I must tell You,

God of Old. 

    It’s hard

    And heavy.

    Part pride.

    Part guilt.

    Part shame.

 

Stay.

There is something else,

I need from You,

God of Old. 

    It’s ancient

    And new.

    Part Torah.

    Part Mitzvot.*

    Part joy and love and light.

 

God of Justice,
God of Mercy,
Hear my plea.
Wait for me to return to You.

Listen as I confess to You.
Stay as I struggle to live my life as a blessing,
According to Your wisdom,
According to Your law,
According to Your word.

 

© 2011 Alden Solovy and To Bend Light

*There are 613 mitzvot (commandments) in the Torah,  the first five books of the Hebrew scriptures.

This song is sung at the end of the morning service on Yom Kippur. 

 

Hayom T'amtseinu by Craig Taubman

 

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Today may You strengthen us,
Today may You bless us,
Today may You exalt us, Amen. 

Today may You grant us well-being,

Today may You inscribe us for a good life,

Today may You hear our cry, Amen.

Today may You sustain us 

    in Your righteousness, Amen.

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Pause for Prayer: SUNDAY 9/20

I know you want to be known, Lord,

because to know you is to know your love,

your mercy, your kindness,

your truth and your compassion... 

And I know you want me to get to know you

    more deeply,

    more personally,

    more intimately..

   

And precisely because of that, I know

you never stop revealing yourself to me

precisely so I might know you 

more and more...

So I wonder, Lord:

    how will you disclose yourself to me today?

    what clues will you give 

        to help me find you?

    what hints will you drop 

        to help me know what you ask of me?

    what leads will you give 

        to help me map my journey toward you?

    what word will you whisper 

        to teach me your ways?

    what wisdom will you share

        to dissuade me from my foolishness? 

    what cues will you give

        to help me make wise choices?

    what signs will appear 

        to deepen my trust in you?

    what tips will you give 

        to point me in the right direction? 

    what traces of your presence 

        will appear along my path today?

    what nudge will you give 

        to help me get a move on? 

    what prompts will you offer 

        to keep me on my toes?

    

Not a day goes by, Lord, without you giving me

clues, hints, leads, words, cues, signs, 

tips, traces, nudges and prompts 

    - right in my lap - 

revealing your presence 

and your desire for me to know you

    more deeply,

    more personally,

    more intimately.. 

 

So, today, Lord, Sunday, September 20,

open my mind, my heart and my soul,

my intuition and my imaginaion

and all of my senses 

to all the ways you'll reveal yourself 

and invite me to know you 

more and more and more... 

 

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Saturday 9/19

 I saw this online: 

I don't think I'm addicted, Lord,

but I know there's a thing or two,

or maybe three or four or more things,

foolish things for which 

    I give up, 

    put aside, 

    delay, 

    neglect,

    sidestep

    avoid,

    ignore, 

    deny,

    forget,

    dance around 

other, so much more valuable things 

    that are important,

    that I desire, need and want,

    that are good for me,

    and good for those I love and who love me,

things that are

    beautiful, sound and lasting,

    enriching, life-giving and healthful,

    simple, pure and solid,

    honest, real and true...

 

For sure, Lord,

there is a thing or two,

maybe three of four or more things,

    that hold me back, 

    keep me down,

    and fill my life with junk;

foolish things that

    steal my time,

    rot my brain,

    distract, confuse and fool me;

empty things that

    dull my very soul,

    desensitize my conscience,

    blunt my joy in living

    and sap me of my strength;

crazy, useless things that

    defeat my best intentions

    damage my integrity

    and serve no useful purpose...

Help me, Lord!

Help me recover what I've lost,

    what I desire, want and need,

    what's good for me to have,

    what will help me grow in love,

    what will calm my fears

        and bring me peace of mind,

    what will help to become

        the person you created me to be...

There are some things, Lord,

for which I give up way too much:

 help me name those things tonight...

 

And give me the grace I need, Lord,

    to let go the things that bind me

that finally I'll be free

    to welcome and receive

all the good things, gifts and blessings

    you have in store for me...   

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

 

Amen.

 

These Alone Are Enough by Dan Schutte

 

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Pause for Prayer: SATURDAY 9/19

Bend me, stretch me, pull me, Lord,
    beyond the meager limits I might set...

Bend me, stretch me, pull me, Lord,
    in just the ways I usually resist...
 
Bend me, stretch me, pull me, Lord
    towards that which I'm most likely to avoid...

Bend me, stretch me, pull me, Lord,     

    'til I become the person you call me to be... 

Bend me, stretch me, pull me, Lord,
    'til others' needs are well within my reach...

Bend me, stretch me, pull me, Lord,
    as much as I need bending, stretching, pulling!

With the grace of all your gentle strength,
    Lord, bend me, stretch me, pull me...

Amen.

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NIGHT PRAYER: Friday 9/18

Today was a gift, Lord 

- a bonus day - a beautifully mild, 

sunny day in September,

perfectly suited to soothe my soul,

already grieving summer's passing,

and to ready me for autumn's beauty

waiting not too far away,

just around the corner...

 

Today was a respite,

not the end of cares and problems,

but a needed, welcome healthy break

from all that weighs upon my shoulders

and deeper and heavier in my soul...

 

Fall's chill will be here soon enough

and the trees' leafy glory will have fallen 

long before my heart lets go

its hold on long, warm days...

 

But tonight, Lord,

I give you thanks for this day's grace

and pray you'll open all my senses

to any gracious respite you might grant me

in the days and weeks and months ahead... 

 

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me while I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep rest in your peace...

Amen. 

 

Come Find His Rest

A hauntingly beautiful collaboration between modern hymnwriter Erik Dewar and Dan Forrest, this anthem weaves together a newly written hymn with "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say." Performed by the Beckenhorst Singers, conducted by Craig Courtney, with Dan Forrest, piano and Holly Wiper, vocal solo.

 

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Pause for Prayer: FRIDAY 9/18

 No day passes without your speaking to me, Lord,

   in nature, 

   in my circumstances,

   in my mind,

   

   in my dreams,

    

   in my imagination,

   

   in scripture,

   

   in my heart, 

   

   in song,

   

   in prayer,

   

   in silence,

  

    in every sound I hear...

I wonder when you'll speak to me today...

I wonder what you'll say to me today...

And will I be listening?

And if I'm listening
   - will I hear you?

And if I hear you
   - will I believe?

And if I believe
   - will I respond to what you say?
   - will I do what you will ask?
   - will I go where you path leads?
   - will I change as you might counsel?

No day passes without your speaking to me, Lord,
   so I know you'll speak to me today...

Open my ears, my eyes and my heart, Lord
      - don't let me miss a word! 

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NIGHT PRAYER: Thursday 9/17

I was about to thank you, Lord,

    for the gift of this beautiful fall day,

I was going to mention

    it was a gift I didn't deserve

and then I remembered:

    I'm not deserving of any of my blessings,

    I've done nothing to merit them,

    I'm certainly not owed them

    - indeed, I'm the one in debt to you...

Every good thing in my life, Lord,

is a blessing, a grace from you:

    unmerited, freely given,

    from you who owe me nothing

    but to whom I'm in debt 

    up to my ears...

 

Every good thing in my life, Lord:

    this beautiful September day;

    every breath I take;

    my family, my friends

        and all who love and care for me;

    my memories, good and bad alike;

    my imagination and my sense of humor;

    every joy I've ever known and treasured;

    every sadness that has stretched my heart;

    all my talents, skills and abilities,

        intuition, curiosity and sense of wonder;

    and everything I sense and know

        through vision, sight, hearing, taste and touch;

    all this, O Lord, and more, pure gift from you:

        undeserved, unmerited, unearned...

And in return, Lord, I've so little I might offer

    save my gratitude, my humble thank-you,

        my small, empty hands, raised up in prayer...

 

So, thank you, Lord, for this day's gifts 

    and all that fills my heart 

and for your Spirit opening wide my eyes 

    to see how truly blessed I am...

Protect me, Lord, while I'm awake

    and watch over me as I sleep

that awake, I might keep watch with you

    and asleep, rest in your peace...

 

Amen.

 

How Great Thou Art by Home Free

 

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Oh Lord, my God
When I, in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

 

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art

 

When through the woods 

And forest glades I wander

And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees

When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur

And see the brook and feel the gentle breeze

 

It is well with my soul

It is well, it is well with my soul

When Christ shall come

With shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim, my God, how great Thou art

 

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Pause for Prayer: THURSDAY 9/17

 

Refresh me when I'm tired, Lord:

   rouse me when I'm drowsy,

   replenish my zest for life,

   sharpen my fading focus,

   rekindle my sense of purpose,

   revive my imagination,

   rejuvenate my soul,

   lift my drooping spirit,

   bring back my sense of humor,

   quicken my get-up-and-go,

   restore my drive to do what's right,

   renew my faith and trust in you...

 

Give me peace with what's now past, Lord

    joy in the day at hand,

        and hope enough to see me through tomorrow...

Refresh, rouse and replenish me,

   sharpen, revive and rekindle me,

rejuvenate, uplift and quicken me,

   restore and renew me, I pray, O Lord!

That's what I need and all I ask,

    be generous, Lord, I pray

        and fill my heart with grace...

 

Amen. 

Refresh Me by Leeland

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You are my shelter from the hurricane
You are my rock, You are my shade
Never changing always the same
God refresh me

 

And when my burdens are breaking me down
And the enemy's cries shake the ground
I hear Your voice pierce the sound
Saying "I am with you."

 

So I lift my hands to You; I lift my heart to You
Refresh me, O God refresh me
And I raise my weakness high, in it You're glorified
Refresh me, O God Refresh me

 

You are my shelter from the hurricane
You are my rock, You are my shade
Never changing, always the same
God refresh me

 

And when my burdens are breaking me down
And the enemy's cries shake the ground
I hear Your voice pierce the sound
Saying "I am with you, Yes I am!"

 

So I lift my hands to You; I raise my heart to You
Refresh me, Oh God refresh me
And I raise my weakness high, in it You're glorified
Refresh me, Oh God Refresh me

 

Let the river run down from your thrown
Let it wash me now and make me whole
Lord, fill my heart, flood my soul
Oh refresh me, Oh God refresh me

 

I loose my hands, Take control
God let your purposes unfold
There's a greater story to be told
Oh refresh me, oh God refresh me

 

So I lift my hands to You; I lift my heart to You
Refresh me, Oh God refresh me
I raise my weakness high, in it You're glorified
Refresh me, Oh God Refresh me

 

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