If Jesus is indeed the Yes to all God’s promises, the promise to Abraham is fulfilled through the impact of Jesus, not by restoration of land to the Jewish people. Jesus gave a new direction and message for the people of God, one which did not feature a special area of land for them. . . . Promises about the land of Israel were never intended to be taken literally, or as applying to a defined geographical territory.

The report drew so much criticism from Jewish and Christian communities that it was withdrawn for revision on May 8, and then re-issued at the opening of the General Assembly on May 17. Click here to download the full report. 

The UMJC joined with other international Messianic Jewish organizations in issuing the following response.

Leaders of the International Messianic Jewish Alliance (IMJA), the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America (MJAA), the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC), the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues (IAMCS) and the British Messianic Jewish Alliance (BMJA) have issued the following open letter to the Church of Scotland as they consider adopting this report and position against Israel.

Throughout history, Christian anti-Semitism and persecution of the Jewish people have followed a distinct and clear pattern. The first phase is the defaming, delegitimizing and demonizing of the Jewish people, thus providing justification for further persecution. The second phase often isolates the Jewish people economically by calling for boycotts of Jewish businesses and products. This leads to further measures which include the destruction of Jewish communal life, often resulting in national expulsion and bloodshed. Over the last seventeen hundred years this shameful pattern has resulted in the loss of millions of Jewish lives.

In recent decades, Christian denominations, as well as individual Christian thinkers and theologians, have renounced Christian anti-Semitic attitudes and anti-Jewish positions and helped to open a whole new era of understanding and Jewish-Christian dialogue. “The Inheritance of Abraham,” originally released on May 3 and still under consideration by the Church of Scotland, abandons this progress to revert to centuries-old mischaracterizations of the Jewish people in the following dangerous ways:

1. The report ignores the clear contextual teaching of Scripture in favor of a faulty, out-of- context, and biased theology. This is evidenced in the report’s claim that, “Promises about the land of Israel were never intended to be taken literally, or as applying to a defined geographical territory” (p. 8; emphasis added). Thus with one brief and unsupported comment the report attempts to overturn not only the plain sense of Scripture, but also centuries of Jewish biblical interpretation and practice. As the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities noted on May 3, “The arrogance of telling the Jewish people how to interpret Jewish texts and Jewish theology is breathtaking” (http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Scottish-church-Jews-not-entitled-to-Holy-Land-312088, accessed May 5).
2. A second profound flaw is the report’s mischaracterization of Zionism and the history of Israel. In 1947 the Jewish people accepted the UN partition plan, which established the borders for both a Jewish State and a Palestinian state. It was the Palestinian Arabs, as well as every Arab nation around Israel, that rejected the partition plan and immediately attacked the fledgling state with the intent of destroying it and, as they so famously stated, “pushing the Jews into the sea.” In recent years the Palestinians have rejected at least two offers of statehood.  Despite these realities, the report speaks repeatedly about “the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” and “Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.” But in reality the report supports the radical Arab position that the entire State of Israel, the territory at the time of independence in 1948, and not just territories held since 1967, is “occupied.” Furthermore, the report accuses Israel’s pioneers of failing “to treat the indigenous Palestinians with respect and good judgment,” ignoring years of Zionist advocacy for equal rights and fair treatment for the Arab inhabitants of the land, before and after statehood. The Israeli Declaration of Independence, the ultimate Zionist document, explicitly proclaims “the equality of all its citizens,” including Israeli Arabs, as the report itself acknowledges (p. 5).
3. The report ignores or invalidates the numerous prophetic promises throughout Scripture given to the people of Israel concerning the land of Israel. While it is true that Israel’s disobedience, as described in Scripture, could and did result in the expulsion of our people from the land of Israel, the report completely ignores the fact that whether Israel is in or out of the land, God always refers to it as the land of Israel. He never transfers the right of tenancy to another. In addition, the report also ignores the numerous prophecies found throughout Scripture which clearly state that in the future God will regather Israel to their own land and restore Israel both physically and spiritually. “For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land” (Ezek. 36:24, etc.).
4. And finally, the report cites the biblical call for “a commitment in every place to justice in a spirit of reconciliation,” but violates the most basic premises of justice. It hears only Palestinian and anti-Zionist voices and accepts their allegations uncritically. The proverb says, “The one who first states a case seems right, until the other comes and cross-examines” (Pr. 18:17), but perhaps the drafters of the report would say that this text also was never intended to be taken literally.

In short, “The Inheritance of Abraham” is an instrument not of peace and reconciliation but of religious imperialism, which imposes its own faulty interpretations upon texts that originate with the Jewish people and are part of their ongoing identity. The report claims a commitment to peace, but actually serves to undermine a realistic peace process by delegitimizing the Jewish State of Israel. Furthermore, the report demands that Israel recognize and unconditionally correct the “inequality in power” between itself and the Palestinians, with no concern over the rocket attacks and terrorist acts that this inequality in power is keeping under control. Expecting Israel to place itself in a weaker position and to abandon its founding vision as a refuge for the Jewish people is not only foolish but unjust.

As Messianic Jews who stand in the line of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the prophets and apostles, we remind our Christian brothers and sisters that they worship the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was because of the sacrifice of many Jewish men and women that the good news of the Messiah’s redemption for all was brought to their forefathers. Without the benefit of that vital work the Church of Scotland would not exist today.

As Messianic Jewish leaders representing the international Messianic Jewish community, we call on the Church of Scotland to remove the report from consideration ahead of its forthcoming General Assembly, and restore a sense of justice and integrity to their proceedings consistent with the Jewish Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation. We also call upon our colleagues in the Christian world to join our condemnation of this report, to stand with Israel and the truth of Scripture, and to urge the Church of Scotland to reject it.

And from the day after the sabbath, from the day on which you bring the sheaf of the elevation offering, you shall count off seven weeks; they shall be complete. You shall count until the day after the seventh sabbath, fifty days; then you shall present an offering of new grain to the Lord. Leviticus 23:15-16

The count of days between Passover and Shavuot, the Days of Ascent that many of us are completing this week together, is designed by Jewish tradition to create a sense of spiritual expectancy. Rather than experiencing a letdown and a return to normal routine after the intensity of Passover, we turn Passover into the starting-point for another holy festival, Shavuot, which marks the giving of Torah from Sinai seven weeks after our departure from Egypt.

For the Messianic Jewish community, of course, Shavuot also marks the outpouring of the Spirit seven weeks after Messiah's resurrection, as recorded in Acts 2. I believe we need to renew our sense of expectancy toward the Ruach, the Holy Spirit, during this season, and keep that expectancy alive throughout the year. Just as the story of the Exodus is incomplete without the Mount Sinai encounter, so our Messianic Jewish story is incomplete without the Ruach encounter, both past and future.  

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Parashat Behar-Bechukotai, Leviticus 25:1-27:34

While walking home from teaching school in 1986, I was surprised to encounter two neighbors in a heated argument. One had been working hard in his yard and garden. “What are you doing? You can’t do that! Halakha doesn’t permit uprooting trees!” yelled the elderly of the two gentlemen, as he approached the working neighbor, his hands waving in the air. “Stop it!”

“What are you talking about? It’s perfectly according to the Torah!” answered the second man. “It’s permitted to do what is necessary to save the life of my trees and plants!”  “Well, I’m going to tell my rabbi!” the elderly gentleman continued, “You are totally wrong!” Because I knew both neighbors, I stepped in for a minute and tried to pacify the argument, to no avail. I had never seen such passion displayed about the instructions given in this week’s parasha. The elderly gentleman saw it as incumbent upon us to strictly observe the Shmitta instructions given in the Torah. And the gardener also had some familiarity with what was required to work in his garden during the Shmitta (Sabbatical) year.

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SCOPE

Dor L’Dor—generation to generation: a prominent Jewish value, both historically and in contemporary Jewish contexts.

Artists can explore the following questions, as well as their own, through imagery, concept, and allusion:

-          What can be gleaned from the idea of generation to generation?

-          What is the responsibility of one generation to the next, and of the younger to the older?

-          What is truly communicated from generation to generation, good and bad? How is it communicated?

-          What is the import of this concept to a messianic context?

FEE

-          There is no submission fee for the contest

-          The artist is responsible for sending prints of any accepted artwork to MAC. If the artist would like the print to be returned, the artist would be responsible for return shipping costs.

ELIGIBILTY

     Must be a MAC Member*

-          Print of 2D artwork (original piece will NOT be displayed at the exhibition)

1. Each piece must be able to be printed at 300 dpi at full size

HOW TO APPLY

      Artists can submit up to 5 pieces.

1. Please see specifications under Art Display below

-          Email high resolution images to messianicartists.co@gmail.com

1. Don’t feel the need to send us a print ready file until accepted, a preview is just fine!

-          In the email, include:

1. Your name
2. Dimensions of piece
3. Medium/Materials used
4. 2-3 sentence artist statement per piece as to how this piece fits into the overall theme
5. Attached photographs
6. Do you plan on attending the event

-          Subject Line: Dor L’Dor Contest Submission

TIMELINE

      April 21^st: Artists can begin to electronically submit up to 5 pieces of art.

-          May 31^st: The last day to turn in submissions.

-          June 14^th: Accepted artists/artwork will be notified

-          June 21^st: All prints of artwork must be postmarked by this date (print only: do NOT mount artwork in any way!)

-          July 4^th: Dor L’Dor Exhibition at the MJAA conference

-          July 25-28: Dor L’Dor Exhibition at the UMJC conference

ART DISPLAY

 Selected artists will be showcasing their work at both conferences. MAC will mount each artwork in a similar style, for a cohesive exhibition. For the MJAA conference, the gallery will be outside. For the UMJC conference the gallery will be held indoors in a designated space. Each exhibition will be staffed with MAC curators. If you will be in attendance for either conference, please let us know! We would encourage you to be an active part of the show.

*How to become a MAC member:

-          Go to www.messianicartistscollective.com

-          Click on the Apply Tab

-          You must be 13+, creating original work, and connected to the Messianic Jewish community.

-          Once you submit your application, you must finish the process by paying the $10 non-refundable application fee.

The period of counting the omer is one of spiritual eagerness and anticipation. This year we’re praying together through this period as the Days of Ascent, leading us up from bondage in Egypt to the revelation of God at Mount Sinai, as the Lord promised Moses: “And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain” (Ex. 3:12). These days also mark the seven weeks from Messiah’s resurrection during Passover to the outpouring of the Spirit on Shavuot. But over the long centuries of Jewish history, this period has taken on an aspect of mourning because of a number of tragedies associated with it.

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Parashat Sh’mini: Leviticus 9:1–11:47

Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan, put fire in it, and laid incense on it; and they offered before the Lord alien fire, which He had not enjoined upon them. And fire came forth from the Lord and consumed them; thus they died at the instance ofthe Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the Lord meant when He said:

And Aaron was silent. (Lev. 10:1–3, NJPS)

Nadab and Abihu must have sinned greatly to deserve such swift and decisive punishment. Yet, Scripture says only that they offered “alien fire,” which God had not commanded them. Nadab and Abihu are priests, mediators between God and his people. Whatever the exact nature of their sin, it is clear that they somehow misrepresented God, because the Lord responds to their sin by saying, “Through those near to Me I show myself holy.” Such misrepresentation is a grave offense indeed.

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This Week’s Readings:
Torah 1: Exodus 12:21-51

Haftarah: Joshua 3:5-7; 5:2-6:1, 27

There is a certain level of stress in keeping Passover that is just not part of the rest of the Jewish holidays. There are so many details, so much activity, and of course the elimination of leavened products, which makes eating far more complicated. Yet Passover is a holiday packed with theological meaning and spiritual instruction that is invaluable for us as Jews and as followers of the Messiah Yeshua. There is great value for each one of us to both intentionally and thoughtfully observe and remember Passover again this year.

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The Afikoman—A Sign of Messiah

At Messiah’s last seder, as the meal and reading of the Haggadah continued, Yeshua took a piece of matzah (Matt. 26:26). Of course, the entire meal would only include unleavened bread or matzah as this is one of the strict requirements of the holy day. Matthew’s wording here implies that Yeshua took a particular piece of matzah on the table. From ancient times to this very day, Jews have celebrated the seder with a specific focus at one point on a special matzah tash/pocket. This is a ceremonial container that may have a variety of artistic shapes or sizes, anything from a plate to a linen case. What is especially distinctive is that the matzah tash always has three separate compartments, each with one piece of the unleavened bread. Anyone familiar with the Passover seder details knows that this ceremonial plate is one of the key items placed at the table every year.

Even more amazing is the focus on the middle piece of matzah within that matzah tash.

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Perhaps it would have been easier to spend this drash discussing sacrifices and making a plug for how Messiah has been our ultimate sacrifice. Amen. Today, however, I wish to represent the purpose I have found in Leviticus chapters six, seven, and eight and to convey a strong reminder about the necessity to taking God seriously. To do so, I plan to address the specifics of offerings and the bloody consecration of Aaron and his sons for the priesthood described in Leviticus. Then, I hope to consider the doubt that Malachi expresses about keeping the law because of God’s apparent absence. Finally, I hope to conclude with reminders of God’s swift justice in the time of final judgment.

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Torah: Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Haftarah: Ezekiel 45:16-46:18
Brit Chadashah: Hebrews 10:1-18

We live in a world which claims such Enlightenment ideas as “reason versus emotion.” In 2011, New York Times best-selling author David Brooks wrote a book entitled, The Social Animal, in which he attempts to unpack what drives the decisions people make. His book is very much focused on the false dichotomy of reason versus emotion, concluding that there is an integral relationship between emotion and reason, and that both are constantly driving all of our decisions. In other words, the heart cannot be separated from the mind; we cannot dismiss passion for the sake of the intellect nor can we ignore reason for the sake of pleasant feelings.

In today’s Torah Portion, God speaks to Moses from the Tent of Meeting, instructing him how the people of Israel are to bring offerings to God.

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The scholarship pays for the conference registration fee, and two will be rewarded, for one male and one female. The competition goes until April 7, and winners will notified and announced on April 21. Applications can be sent to the committee at umjcyouth@gmail.com. If you have any questions about the conference or more about the scholarship, do not hesitate to email the committee!

Parashat VaYakhel

In 1906, Boris Schatz, court sculptor to the king of Bulgaria, brought six of his students to the land of Israel to found a school of arts and crafts. Schatz sought to establish a center that would affect the cultural life of the whole Jewish settlement. Donors helped to find a market for the weaving, needlework, metalwork, and carvings the students would produce. Within five short years, 460 students and craftsmen labored in the school and its workshops. What is the name of this school, which continues to thrive in Israel today? It is named after the greatest craftsman of the Torah, the one in charge of building the tabernacle and its furnishings—Bezalel.

Schatz and his colleagues were undoubtedly thinking of Bezalel’s artistry when they named their school after him. But equally prominent in the biblical account is Bezalel’s spiritual empowerment. To equip him for his great task of artistry, God fills Bezalel with the Spirit and Exodus describes this infilling twice, both before and after the crisis of the golden calf:

See, I have called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship. (Exod. 31:2–3)

See, the Lord has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; and He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and understanding, in knowledge and all manner of workmanship. (Exod. 35:30–31)

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"Look what your kids are doing! Go see what your kids are making so much commotion about." Parents, have you noticed that when your children fail to perform at acceptable levels they cease to be your little angels and become your spouse's out of control problem?

Parashat Ki Tisa contains a very interesting dialogue between Moses and God, in which the Holy One appears to have developed the kind of selective memory problems that we often have regarding our own children. It shouldn't shock us to hear Hashem say, "My children have gone astray," or even something as extreme as "they have prostituted themselves before idols." Or even "they are a stiff-necked" people, as he does happen to say in this parasha. But here, following the building of the Golden Calf, we see the kind of disclaimer reminiscent of "Mission Impossible" – "Should anything happen, we will disavow any knowledge of your actions."

One would expect Moses to become the disheartened accuser of the children of Israel, but like the audacious super-nanny, Moses pleads the case before God concerning His children. You can almost hear Moses say, "None of the honors and none of the lands were wonderful enough for your darlings, so you left them slaves in the land of idolaters for over 400 years, and did you think they would not become idolaters?"

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The annual prayer campaign is one of our best UMJC traditions. Every year between Passover and Shavuot, congregations and supporters join in 49 days of prayer in honor of the tradition of counting the Omer, based on Leviticus 23:15-16. Here's your "Days of Ascent" prayer guide.    

As we count off the days, we unite in focused prayer, which culminates in an offering for Shavuot that goes to strengthen and advance the Messianic Jewish community, both within the UMJC and in Israel. Being part of a worldwide campaign of prayer is a huge encouragement every year, and this year will be no exception.

Our theme this year, “Days of Ascent,” will lead us on an upward journey from bondage in Egypt to the revelation of God at Mount Sinai, as the Lord instructed Moses: “And when you have freed the people from Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain” (Ex. 3:12). When we count the Omer we also mark the days from Messiah’s resurrection during Passover to the outpouring of the Spirit on Shavuot. Let’s join together and make this a time of personal renewal as we count off each day in prayer. Through the seven weeks, we’ll trace the seven stages of the journey from Egypt to Sinai, and each one is filled with spiritual light and insight.

The Holy One Blessed Be He said to Moses: “Write down the stages by which Israel journeyed in the wilderness, in order that they shall know what miracles I wrought for them.” (Numbers Rabbah 23:1)

Your Days of Ascent prayer guide.

{mosmodule module=Shavuot 2013}

Introduction to Messianic Judaism: Its Ecclesial Context and Biblical Foundations

“Messianic Jewish Synagogues” by David Rudolph and Elliot Klayman

“Messianic Jewish Worship and Prayer” by Seth N. Klayman

“Messianic Jews and Scripture” and “Messianic Jews and Jewish Tradition” by Carl Kinbar

“Messianic Jewish Ethics” by Russ Resnik

“Messianic Jewish Outreach” by Stuart Dauermann

“Messianic Jews and the Jewish World” by Mark S. Kinzer

“Messianic Jews and the Christian World” by Daniel C. Juster

as well as “Messianic Jews and Jewish-Christian Dialogue” by Jennifer M. Rosner.

Congratulations to David Rudolph and his UMJC colleagues for providing an important voice for Messianic Judaism, and for gaining a major platform for their views!

For in-depth reviews of the book visit Joshua Brumbach’s blog: http://www.messianicjudaism.me/yinon/2013/02/20/book-review-intro-to-messianic-judaism/, or Derek Leman’s blog: http://www.derekleman.com/musings/.

"The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor. And in every province and in every city, when the king’s command and decree arrived, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday." Esther 8:16-17

Our enemies tried to destroy us.

God delivered us. 

Let's eat!

Purim will soon pass and we will begin to think of Passover and Hashem’s deliverance and the deliverance of Messiah Yeshua. Their close proximity in the calendar always links these two holidays, with Purim feeling like a late winter/early spring warm-up to Pesach. But eight years ago a simple invitation and the soul searching that followed brought the stories of Purim and the sacrifice of Messiah together for me in a way that has become indelible in my thinking.

In 2005 I reluctantly turned down an opportunity to speak at an annual Good Friday service organized by the Simsbury Clergy Association and held each year at a local Lutheran church. Though as Messianic Jews we commemorate the resurrection during Passover rather than Easter, as do most Christians, I normally try to take every opportunity to participate in the events hosted by the local clergy association to demonstrate our unique symbiotic relationship with the broader communion in Messiah.  But at that particular time, my conscience would not allow me to participate, since Good Friday and Purim fell on the same day. The conflict was not merely one of timing, though that was significant, but rather one of perspective, loyalty and imagery. Let me explain.

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