Jewish

Lamb

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Recently, I discovered an old-school CCM group. Technically, they’re a Messianic Jewish group that’s a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll (if you got that reference, it’s probably time to schedule your next colonoscopy).

This record definitely has a Jewish feel to it. Primarily, the lyrics are partly in Hebrew (spelled phonetically and thankfully with translations so I can follow along). It’s about as Scriptural as you can get. In fact, many of the songs are straight from Scripture.

Lately, I’ve been appreciating more and more the Jewish roots of my Christian faith. I think churches do a disservice when they try to separate Christianity from Judaism, especially considering that Jesus Himself was Jewish and took the Law very seriously (not so much with the extra traditions and man-made laws the religious leaders created to further burden the people they were supposed to be helping).

I imagine these songs are probably on a streaming service somewhere, but I still love putting the record on the turntable and dropping the needle and hearing music from 1976 (or whatever year the music was recorded) coming out of my speakers. It’s still just as magical for me as it was when I was little.

Also, this music is a reminder that God still cares about His people. The Bible says that in the last days a multitude of Jewish people will embrace Yeshua as Messiah. I’m praying that day comes soon. I long to see true Israel finally recognize Jesus as the one they have been waiting for all these years.

My next quest (or one of my next quests) is to find more old Lamb records. The hunt continues!

Berakah Blessings

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Lately, I’ve been getting a triple dose of The Chosen. I’m watching the latest season on the app, reading the books as they hit the shelves, and listening to the novels based on earlier seasons on Audible.

One thing I notice is how many times the disciples and other followers of Jesus will recite a prayer of thanksgiving that starts “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe . . .”

Today, I was reading in my devotional, 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know, and the word for today just so happens to be berakah. It’s the Hebrew word for blessing. The Jews of biblical times practiced berakah blessings throughout the day. Those are basically short prayers of thanksgiving for things like waking up, watching the sunrise, meals, and various other things. They even have a prayer for going to the bathroom.

In 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul instructs believers to “pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I don’t think he meant to walk around all day every day with your eyes closed in prayer. There’d be a lot more accidents — especially traffic accidents.

I do think that Paul wanted us to keep a spirit of prayer and an open dialogue with the King of the Universe. One way is to recite these berakah blessings throughout the day. I’m sure there are prescribed prayers you can follow. As a Gentile believer grafted in, I can’t speak with authority on this, but I think it’s okay to make up your own prayers of thanksgiving and blessing.

I like the idea of starting each prayer with “Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe” because it feels connected to the people of God of old. It’s also a healthy reminder that there is a King and it’s not me. I’m not the one in charge who’s supposed to figure out every detail. That’s God’s job. My job for today is to follow Jesus and the rest will take care of itself.

I have to give credit to the character of Matthew from The Chosen (and to the incredible screenwriters and director). It’s such a great line that fits in with the gospel accounts and message. Follow Jesus, seek the Kingdom of God, and give thanks. That’s my job.

Holy Saturday Hope

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“O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen” (from The Book of Common Prayer).

I don’t think I’ve ever participated in any kind of church service centered around Holy Saturday. Typically, every church I’ve ever attended makes a really big deal about Easter Sunday (and with good reason). More recently, I’ve seen some Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services.

But nothing for Holy Saturday.

Maybe that’s because there really isn’t much to celebrate or commemorate. At this point, Jesus is dead and in the tomb. The disciples are scared to death, grief-stricken, and hiding out. There is nothing in Scripture about anything happening on this day at all.

But we as believers with the gift of history and hindsight know what’s coming. We know that the worst moment in history is about to give way to the greatest. From absolute despair and sadness will come overwhelming amazement and joy.

In the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day, Saturday was a day of rest. So possibly it’s good not to have yet another service in an already packed holy week. Perhaps we need to take time to meditate and reflect on what has happened up to this point and what is yet to come.

On Holy Saturday, we learn once more how to wait well.

Neighborliness

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“Neighborliness is not a quality in other people; it is simply their claim on ourselves. Every moment and every situation challenges us to action and to obedience. We have literally no time to sit down and ask ourselves whether so-and-so is our neighbor or not” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship).

Who is my neighbor? That’s the question that the expert in Jewish law asked Jesus. In other words, who am I required to love?

Jesus turned the question around from “Who is my neighbor?” to “How am I being a good neighbor to those around me?”

So, a neighbor is anyone who is in need and who is within my power to help. I can’t help every single one in need, but I can meet the needs of those who are in front of me, and those by Jesus’ definition are my neighbors.

Ultimately, the Good Samaritan is a picture of Jesus Himself. I’m the one who foolishly took the dangerous road alone and ended up beaten up and robbed. I’m the one lying half-dead on the road whom the Neighbor spotted and had pity on.

That changes the parable quite a bit, doesn’t it? It means just as the Good Samaritan wasn’t the kind of hero the Jewish audience was expecting, Jesus wasn’t (and isn’t) the kind of Messiah we were expecting.

We prize physical strength and virility. We prize magazine-cover good looks. We love take-charge, grab-the-bull-by-the-horns people.

I wonder sometimes if we’d know Jesus as Messiah if He showed up today as He did almost two millennia ago. People were expecting someone to rally the people against Rome, but instead got a man who insisted that we turn the other cheek and go the extra mile.

Sure, Jesus overturned those tables in the Temple, but He also said, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

I’m thankful most of all that in Jesus, I got not the kind of Savior I might have wanted, but the kind I so desperately needed. He loved ( and still loves) me just like I am but refuses to let me stay that way.

PS Credit for all of this goes to Mike Glenn, courtesy of tonight’s Kairos message. Check it out some Tuesday evening if you’re ever in the Brentwood/Greater Nashville area.

 

Things I Love 34: To Infinity and Beyond

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island hammock

“Life is so urgent it necessitates living slow”  (Ann Voskamp).

“Thanksgiving-giving thanks in everything-prepares the way that God might show us His fullest salvation in Christ” (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are).

“At the last, this is what will determine a fulfilling, meaningful life, a life that, behind all the facades, every one of us longs to live: gratitude for the blessings that expresses itself by becoming the blessing” (Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are).

I entertained thoughts about stretching this series to 2,000.  But then again, I’m much too lazy for that. Besides, I probably mentioned some things I love more than once, so these extras should compensate for my oversights. And I’m still having too much fun with it to stop now. So we pick up at #1,001.

1,001) Getting radically out of my comfort zone to serve at VBS with inner-city kids.

1,002) Any kind of a front or back porch swing.

1,003) Seeing videos and pictures of my Romanian friend’s wedding.

1,004) That I now have prayer books from three different faith aspects: Episcopalian (The Book of Common Prayer), Roman Catholic (The Liturgy of the Hours), and Jewish (Siddur: The  Traditional Prayer Book).

1,005) Packing school backpacks with school supplies and prayers to give to inner-city children.

1,006) That no one can make me feel anything. I choose my response and by the grace of God, I can respond to hate with love, anger with kindness, and mockery with respect.

1,007) Knowing that I’m not who I used to be or what I one day will be.

1,008) Walking through meadows filled with flowers.

1,009) That I finally grew out of eating ketchup sandwiches.

1,010) Being very nonlinear and random.

1,011) Hot showers in the morning to help me wake up.

1,012) Groupon deals.

1,013) Not having to worry about living anyone’s life but my own.

1,014) Those rare couples who stay pure in the midst of dating and don’t move in together until after they’re married.

1,015) Stopping my car at twilight to catch a family of deer running across the road.

1,016) Free books that the library gives away.

1,017) Free anything.

1,018) Finally figuring out how to do a screen capture on my iPhone.

1,019) Tiny flower pots. What do you plant in those?

1,020)  Fans blowing on me while I sleep.

1,021) The way the sunlight reflects off of Radnor Lake in the summer time.

1,022) Fallen pine needles strewn across the ground on an autumn afternoon.

1,023) The crunching sound of walking through dead leaves in the fall.

1,024) That you can’t say the word “rural” and not sound like you’ve had one too many.

1,025) Adele Live at Royal Albert Hall on blu ray.

1,026) The Amplified Bible.

1,027) Getting lost in a good book.

1,028) Model trains.

1,029) All the amazing people I’m going to see in heaven one day.

1,030) Spring reminding me of the hope that the Resurrection brings.

1,031) The scent of vanilla.

1,032) The clean feeling after I’ve just brushed my teeth.

1,033) The music of Duke Ellington.

1,034)Mechanical pencils.

1,035) That if I were to list every single thing in my life that I’m thankful for and that is really a gift, I’d have to blog until I’m as old as Methuselah to get everything down (and then I’d still leave something out).