How Do You Pray in Modern Times?

When I’m not considering issues related to human potential, personal growth and practical spirituality, I’m considering issues related to writing and publishing. I see that they all come down to one thing: Learning to find our soul purpose and manifest that in a way that can help others. In this way we connect to our true selves, we reach our highest potential and we come closer to God.

This past week, I saw another intersection of my two worlds. I read an article written by Sue Fischoff’s article in the Washington Post in which she reported that  ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications is in the process of digitizing many of its 1,500 publications. That means the Jewish publishing houses is turning its printed books into ebooks. However, the article explained that Jews shouldn’t expect to go online to purchase Shabbat and High Holiday prayer books–sacred texts–for IPads or other digital reading devices.

Ah…that brings up the issue of whether or not sacred texts should become digital books, or whether prayer and sacred texts should be modernized in this manner.

Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz, president of the Orthodox-run publishing house, told JTA, a Jewish news agency,  “The vision of people coming to shul on Shabbat with their e-siddur just doesn’t cut it.” Other reasons exist, including restrictions based on Jewish law. You can read more here.

Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the Rabbinical Assembly, the Conservative rabbinical association, asks an important question: “Even if you could daven (pray) from a Kindle, should you?”

On Twitter, one of my “tweeple” said that praying with a Kindle would be okay during the week; on Shabbat, this would’t be okay. You’d be using an electronic device, like a tape recorder or camera, all of which are forbidden by Jewish law. Electricity is likened to lighting a fire, which is forbidden on the Sabbath; this constitutes work. Turning on a switch of any sort is work–at least for the observant Jew.

Now, I tend to pray lying in bed at night. I pray on my bicycle. I pray or chant morning prayers as I go for a walk. I even pray in the car. Sometimes I set aside a time at home to pray. I used to have more time to go to services on Friday night or Saturday morning to observe the Sabbath regularly, but my children’s schedule in the secular world precludes that most of the time. I do have a Sabbath meal each Friday night…

I pray as I can, adapting my prayer habits to my life…so at least I do pray rather than not praying at all. I suppose if using a Kindle helped me pray, that might be a good thing. My Twitter friend pointed out that people have had prayers on hand-held devices for some years now, but they haven’t used them on Shabbat.

So, how do you pray in modern times? How do you pray in a secular world (if you are Jewish)? Do you pray?