Rosh Hashana Review

Before September is completely over, I felt I should journal about this year's Rosh Hashana celebration, for the record if nothing more.

This was actually the first time we celebrated Rosh Hashana as a family... and we dared to invite others to participate as well even though we barely knew what we were doing. I feel that each and every time we practice one of the Lord's feasts we gain a deeper understanding of the Lord and the feast itself. It is one thing to read about them, or study them, but when you practice them personally, it's another entirely. Perhaps this is why the Lord writes, "TRAIN up a child in the way he should go..." and not "Teach a child..." Experience counts. It counts a lot, and we had none. Yet, we forged ahead, invited our pastor and his wife and several friends from church.

I used a book called Celebrating the Biblical Feasts in your Home or Church. For a beginner, it was an excellent resource. We read the book once through and then returned to the feast we were planning and studied it more in depth. I organized a picnic style feast at a park on a river, so we could all participate in Tashlich, a ceremony of repentance.

The book called for some traditional foods, including a fish with the head still on, round Challah bread, carrots, apples and honey. Each food item had significance and so as we passed the food around the table, we taught the group what each thing represented and why it was significant to this particular feast. We blew the shofar. My husband was disappointed that he wasn't able to make much of a sound in it before that day. Learning to blow that thing really isn't as easy as it looks. I was a little more successful, so he started off by talking about reasons to blow the shofar while I blew that thing 12 times. By the end I was a little light headed and my throat hurt, but mission accomplished.

The group stood and seemed to be quite enthralled by the ceremony and the teachings. We taught about the history very briefly and mentioned some of the prophetic significance as well. We all gathered at the shore of the river, collected handfuls of stones (most people were not wearing clothes with pockets so we improvised) and tossed a stone in for each sin we repented of.

All in all, it was a beautiful event, rich in significance and history. Our pastor's wife asked about teaching it next year for children's church and the pastor himself asked to do it for the church.

There is so much rich history, symbolism and prophecy wrapped up in each and every feast. It's a lot like peeling an onion. When you skim through the Bible references to the feasts, you don't get much out of it. When you study them you understand a little more, but when you practice them you begin to see why they are important to God. Notice, I said begin. We have a lot of layers to peel yet. But, we are thankful that some other people began to peel some layers as well and will themselves begin to see the rich gift God gave us when he commanded these feasts.

Out of the Tent - Into the Wilderness

September is closing fast and October is on the horizon. That means colder weather, snow is coming and the campground is closing. In just a couple days we have to load up the camper and move on out!

It's ok. We knew it was coming. We had planned initially for our house to be completed by now, but alas, bureaucracy has tied our hands in red tape. Now, we don't expect to be finished with the house and ready to move in until the middle of winter - a less than ideal time to move.

We are wonderfully blessed by a friend who has offered her home for our family of six to live in. Yet, even as we embark on this journey, and as blessed as we feel, I feel some trepidation. Will my four kids behave in someone else's house? Will they break something important? Will they be too loud? Will our friendship survive this? I know I must cast my anxieties on my Lord.

For the last three months we've been in our camper. It's not the same as a house. It's small and cramped, it's poorly insulated, the shower is never warm, the stove is a pain to light. But it was our space.

God has designed life to include many seasons. Right now, we are in the season of tenting, albeit in a 37-foot camper. The Israelites tented across the desert for 40 years. Sometimes they moved frequently, other times, they stayed in one place for years. We are moving out of the camper and the campground and we are moving into a home, but not our home. It's a bit like going out of the tent and into the wilderness, and yet the Lord is everywhere.

The Feast of Tabernacles or Sukkoth begins in just a few days. And as it begins, I had expected to be heading to our home, or still dwelling in our camper. For us, this year, it is our friend's lovely home. It is a temporary dwelling, and that is just what Sukkoth is designed to remind us of. We ought to remember that heaven is our dwelling and this earthly home is temporary. We ought to recall the Israelites wandering in the Wilderness on the way to their Promised Land. We ought to not expect to become too comfortable here, because the Lord is our Shelter and the Holy Spirit is our Comforter.

This Sukkoth, we will not be spending a few days dwelling in a temporary shelter, although we may still spend some time in the camper in the back yard, but we will certainly feel as much as ever, or maybe more than ever, that this is not our home.

An Adventure from Christmas to Hanukkah

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are past and while we still are very much looking forward to Feast of Tabernacles, I am also beginning to plan for Hanukkah. I was concerned that I would struggle to find some decent material for a believer in Jesus to celebrate Hanukkah appropriately. I recall last year finding some material, but I was left feeling it a bit boring and rushed.

Last year we celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas as a way to introduce it to our kids and ourselves less abruptly. I wasn't sure my husband was ready to abandon Christmas, and honestly, I wasn't nearly as convinced that we needed to. I really had just begun considering incorporating Jewish feasts and hadn't discovered the long buried Christian mistake of adding pagan Christmas to our religious calendars. I had heard years earlier from my friend, but still had not been convinced by the Holy Spirit until later on in the Spring.

Nonetheless, I think it was a nice transition. If I had announced to my 13, 10, and 7 year olds that there would be no more Christmas and that instead we'd celebrate Hanukkah from now on without having allowed them the privilege of experiencing it last year, there would have been tears and all sorts of drama that just isn't necessary. After having both holidays last year, they learned to see some of the beauty of the eight days of Hanukkah before we excommunicated Christmas altogether.

As we announced it this year, they seemed actually ok with the change. We never made a big deal out of Santa anyway and as long as there are still presents they'll make the best of it. Of course, our children actually enjoyed the Bible study time we did each night at dinner, the candle lightings and getting presents for eight days as well. We didn't even incorporate games or entertainment really last year. I had wanted to, but I just didn't really plan enough.

This year, we won't even be in our own home, so there will be a different feel once again. I may even have to suffer through a Christmas tree in the living room, but God has a purpose in everything and I am thankful that we will be sharing the season with the good friends who have offered to let the six of us share their home over the next several months while our house is being built.

So, last night I began researching some material for believers who celebrate Hanukkah and I found a remarkable little book online, entitled, Hanukkah, the Light is the Messiah. It's completely free, posted by other believers who feel the same as we do. And it is comprehensive! It starts with a parable that somewhat explains why we celebrate Hanukkah and not Christmas any longer, and continues to include almost everything we need to do it well. I have just begun reading it because it is quite in depth and lengthy, but here is the link just in case someone else is searching too and happens to stumble upon this article instead of their book first.  http://www.haydid.org/hanukkah.pdf

To the family who wrote this beautiful description and explanation and detail account of how to celebrate, I offer my sincerest thanks! It is so wonderful to discover others who have gone before us in this wonderful adventure.

Living In Tents

I have no Jewish ancestry. I've never been to a synagogue. I identify as a Christian. And this fall, I am very much looking forward to celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, or Sukkoth. Thousands of years ago, the Israelites left Egypt and wandered in the Wilderness for 40 years, living in tents, picking up and moving every time the Spirit of God moved. I've long thought, "That was then! Such a life could never work nowadays!" Yet, over the past few years, as my family has committed to obedience, following God wherever He takes us, and giving up control, the Lord has taken us on a modern day journey.

To date, we are moderately homeless for the second time in three years. It's not as bad as it sounds. God always provides, though at first the concept seemed overwhelming and many tears were shed. Maybe because we've done this before, maybe because we see the light at the end of the tunnel, or maybe because we've learned something over the past couple years, this time it isn't so bad.

Last time, we had to leave our beautiful rental, and we had no place to go. Trusting that God would provide something, we relaxed while packing and got nervous only on moving day. God did provide, but not exactly as I'd have liked. We stayed with friends for a week, my father in law for a month, my sister in law for a month, and finally found a place to live just before school began that fall. That was our home for almost two years, when we had to move again. Only this time, we'd just begun building a house.

Fortunately, we had booked a campsite for the summer. So currently, as we are still working toward getting this house built, we are enjoying the summer at a wonderful family campground.

It really has been a journey - a beautiful and sometimes frustrating journey! And so, that brings me to our wandering. We are living in a camper, which is a step up from a tent. We must move campsites occasionally to accommodate weekenders who booked before us. And as fall approaches, we'll remain in the camper a little longer, celebrating the Jewish feast, Sukkoth. We'll be camping. We'll be still on the move, provided for all the way by our Lord, and the feast will mean so much to us as a family.

Our promised land is on the horizon. We can see it, but we haven't taken possession just yet. Keeping our eyes on Jesus, he leads us on.

Offending

About 4 years ago, a friend of mine, told me of her discovery of the origins of Christmas and Easter. At the time, I was not ready to grab a hold of that information and do anything with it, even though her evidence was strong. Briefly I would forget about it entirely, only to remember as my family headed to the tree farm to chop down the family tree each year. These were traditions I loved! My family loved these traditions. We had based much of what we do around these traditions, from Christmas parties, to handmade stockings, special desserts, and heirloom ornaments. I just couldn't part with these things!

Then one day I discovered all the same truth again, all on my own, entirely by accident. But I remembered. I began digging and researching and the more I looked, the more evidence I found to indicate a change was needed. I shared my discoveries with my husband and we have spent the last year transitioning our family from Christmas to Hanukkah, not that we're entirely done with that transition.

My point, is this: I reconnected with that friend and told her about our decision and how I shared our findings with others. How we just wanted them to hear us, not necessarily make any change in their own lives. Ultimately we'd love to see a change sweep over the modern church, but we know that we cannot do this. That must be a work of the Holy Spirit.

However, my friend began sharing with me that I should not tell people around these holidays, that I should only tell them ever if they ask, or more likely beg to know, because she does all she can to avoid sharing. She says she lives it and her life speaks volumes. But is that how we as Christians are supposed to operate? Are supposed to fear offending someone?

Certainly we should try to carefully word our statements, time them appropriately, and be understanding that not all have come to this wonderful realization as we have. Yet, should we avoid the truth and force people to beg us to tell them?

When I began to tell my mom about this, that I was going to speak with my pastors, she warned me. "Don't mess with people's holidays!" I understand, really. But that is similar to suggesting we not mess with people's sin either, and the Bible tells us we are to point out to a brother or sister when there is sin in his or her life. We cannot make them change and we need to approach them with compassion, but we should certainly call their attention to it.

In this case, the sin lies deeply within the church. Ages ago, thousands of years ago to be exact, the church entangled itself with paganism. Most modern pastors aren't even aware or haven't spent the time researching this enough to make an informed decision. They do have their hands full with a host of other issues in the church to say the least. The sin, the prostituting of the church with pagan gods, occurred long ago. Now, it is merely business as usual, until and unless the Holy Spirit opens the eyes of a few good men and women who are willing to obey and seek change.

It is not for us to judge, but it is for us to share. I am sure that when I stayed home last Easter Sunday I offended a mighty few people at my church, but I cannot worry about offending. I can only seek to be kind, share my story with love, and speak truth.

Roots

I am embarking on a journey, blazing a new trail. Or at least it sure feels that way. Over the last year, my family - or at least my husband and I - has come to grips with the pagan origins of many Christian religious traditions. I am full aware that we are not the first to undergo such a transition, or even the first to undergo this transition for the very same reasons. We are not alone. There are others out there! And yet, there is no community of us, at least not that I've found, and not around these parts. There are few resources and unearthing the resources that do exist seems cumbersome to say the least.

Yet, it is about the roots. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are grafted into the vine. We are not Jews, either by birth or nation or even choice. We are Christians. We believe Jesus Christ was the foretold Messiah of the Jews, and of the world. By our choice to believe in Him, we are His. He is a Jew. And that makes our spiritual heritage, our roots, distinctively Jewish.

We need not become Jews first to be saved, because God's Word has proven that Jesus came for Jew and Gentile. His very lineage includes a few Gentiles. And yet, that makes Him no less Jewish. So, we struggle to know Him, even while He wants to be known. The best way to know Him is by reading His Word. And in that Word, we find command after command. It is through obeying these commands that we can know Him more, understand Him more.

When we begin to see the Law as more than a set of rules... when we see His feasts and Holy Days with purpose for our modern lives... when we come to understand that His law, His ways were designed for our benefit, as a gift and not a burden... then we begin to catch a glimpse of Him. It is also when modern Christianity stops making sense.

Many modern Christians insist we don't need to keep the law. Some even insist that we musn't keep the law, although even those individuals would admit there are some laws we need to keep. The phrase "We aren't under the law," is used all too often as an excuse to continue with modern Christian traditions that have no Biblical basis, or worse, to continue in blatant sin.

When we see the gift of the law, without the burden of acquiring salvation through it, we experience true freedom in knowing Christ. At the same time, this is also when faced with separating ourselves from the world ever more, and in some cases, separating ourselves from mainstream church traditions.

Do your own research. Examine the scriptures. Allow God to reveal Himself and His ways to you.

Halloween Alternatives are No Alternative

Before you begin to read this article, I want to start by stating this is not a commonly accepted viewpoint. Just last year, I offered and supported our church's Halloween alternative event, called Light the Night. Nice name, isn't it? We had a hay ride, carnival games, balloons, candy, face painting, popcorn and cupcakes and all sorts of things the kids loved. The kids had fun and nobody came wearing Satanic looking costumes. Just last year, I could see nothing wrong with such an event. The year prior I even enthusiastically endorsed it and even insisted it be larger, better, more... to be an outreach for the community. It's a nice idea, and I am certain that the many churches who offer these types of events in whatever format are thinking the same "good" thoughts. Yet this past year, my eyes were opened to the pagan influences behind many of our Christian holidays and I began researching their origins. I discovered that the early church shunned Easter as pagan and many were persecuted for it; I learned that even the Puritans who came to the New World just a few hundred years ago shunned Christmas and refused to participate in it. My research left me concerned and convinced what my family needed to do in response to those two days, and then I was approached to help with our Halloween alternative event. I don't know if it is because I know the origins of the day already, or if it is because I just don't consider it a big church day, but I hadn't even given it a thought to that point, and yet I intuitively knew my answer. Still, I decided to research it and prayerfully give it a due amount of thought, and as I prayed and pondered I saw the potential for a terrifying future.

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Many churches offer alternatives to Halloween, such as carnivals, bonfires, hayrides, etc., so that parents can have something fun for their children to participate in while neighborhood children go door to door collecting candy.

On any normal Tuesday, it might be ok to knock on a neighbors door and to accept candy if it is offered. Yet on October 31, many churches contend that knocking on neighbors doors and receiving candy is unacceptable. Why is this? Because it is an occult day and this mainstream way of celebrating this occult day has become a popular way to denounce the celebration of this day.

On any normal Tuesday, attending a carnival, bonfire, or hayride is perfectly acceptable as well. On October 31, many churches offer these “alternatives” for their church-goers and community members to detract or distract from the celebration of Halloween. Yet, are they detracting from it, or are they rather adopting Halloween as their own?

If candy, visiting neighbors and dressing up are not the issues, then the issue is the day, Halloween, October 31. Therefore, if trick or treating is an occult practice so would be these many church alternatives. In fact, that the church has adopted worldly celebrations, even occultic celebrations such as Halloween, is cause for more concern than some church-going parents who may allow their children to go trick or treating.

The church is supposed to be separate, different, and to have nothing to do with evil and the occult. By adopting an alternate means of celebrating an occult day are we not in danger of adopting the occult itself. In fact, in 100 years, Halloween (albeit possibly under a new name) may well be considered a Christian celebration. As more churches adopt this day in whatever form and celebrate it, it is not even difficult to imagine the church’s adoption of this occult day as their own. 

Churches may wonder then how they should respond to Halloween? Seeing as it is a day when the practice of the occult is at a peak, perhaps prayer would be the right alternative. As it comes to children who would like to be out enjoying the festivities with their classmates and neighbors, perhaps instructing them in the ways of the Lord and explaining why Christians should keep themselves separate and holy unto the Lord would be an appropriate alternative. 

I know! I realize I am a party-pooper, I am a downer, and even my own kids will be displeased with my decision on this; however, my aim is to please the Lord and to raise them in the instruction of our God. Sure, they can dress up any time of the year, and my girls I am sure will! They can have candy various times throughout the year as well. They can even go visit neighbors. But no matter the form, whether in our neighborhood or at our church, we will not participate in the occult.