How to find God in the 21st Century

There has never been a single, authentic, way to be Jewish! Jewish diversity has existed from the earliest Bible stories to modern practices. The Jewish concept of God has always been varied and evolving.

Some people believe that God is always present and is all powerful. They believe that God answers prayers and performs miracles. Many of us do not believe in God working in ways that defy science or in the idea that God has a personal awareness of each individual. We are focused in the reality of the world as understood by modern science. Some are not even comfortable with the word God. Yet most people experience more in the world than the mere acting of physics in the world. We find love, awe, creativity, inspiration and conscience among our experiences.

I believe that there is a transcendental presence in the universe. We experience this presence as the source of the drive for goodness that exists in all of us and the source of creativity and awe in the universe. We see God is in the beauty around us, the awe of creation, and in the totality of ourselves. We experience God in the conscience that urges us to do the right thing. These are some of the aspects of God which do not conflict with logic and nature. Many recent archeological discoveries indicate that the experience of God, a transcendent presence, is about as old the existence of homo sapiens.

Is this God? Yes! Let us build this understanding of God and use it as the basis of religion: prayer, ceremonies, and a religious and spiritual life. We can be rational and religious. We can combine Jewish tradition with modern thought. These ideas are contained in Jewish teaching from the earliest scripture through the work of contemporary scientists. We find them in the Torah, the prayer book and throughout Jewish literature and practice. I welcome a chance to discuss these with you and your community.