Susan Reinhardt Revocable Trust

Selected Religious Writings Susan Reinhardt Revocable Trust

Starting with the premise that God can only be apprehended in human terms, Dr Rettek has brought together a group of his religious writings that are quite original. In the chapter, Faces of God, for instance, after discussing ways of knowing God as guide and as giver of life, he discusses God as mystery and God as the unrecognized and writes about spirituality in simple understandable terms. Included, too, is an intriguing section, A Word to Benevolent Skeptics. This original approach extends to a series of three dialogues two of which deal with the question of healing the spiritual damage resulting from living in an unholy dysfunctional society. The third dialogue confronts the question with which all observant people of all denominations must deal. Will they be a "people who shall dwell alone" (Nu. 23:9), as Moses told the Israelites, for "the Lord has chosen you to be a peculiar people unto Himself (Deut. 14:3)? Or, following John Donne's "No man is an island, entire of itself every man is ... a part of the main." will observant people accept that they are part of a community comprised of people of diverse values and backgrounds? There is a poignant story about a young girl, brought by her frantic parents to Bal Shem Tov, a healer and founder of an important mystical movement of the 18th century CE. Natasha, their daughter, is dying and in spite of their skepticism, out of desperation they bringher to the Bal. Dr. Rettek has included over twenty poems, some scripture based, all dealing with religious themes, many of which include Ruach Adonai, the Spirit of God as part of their themes. Included are several amusing poems including You Gotta Be Practical and a poem entitled, IfJesus Came Back. In a lighter and creatively original way, the lengthy poem Return Unto Me And I Shall Return Unto You, based on Malachi 3:7, sketches the salient features of the modern renewal movements we see today. Included, too, is a Passover Seder Service for ourtimes and a fresh look