Shanah Tova!
Tonight begins Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It doesn't have any significance for most Christians today, but it was celebrated alongside the Jews early in Church history. It is a compelling time of year, full of mysteries and hopes for The Lord's blessings. I've been really blessed by my observance of Teshuva this year (which will continue until early October), and have experienced a certain amount of excitement for this spiritual New Year ordained by God to Moses centuries ago. These coming last 10 days of Teshuva are called "The Days of Awe", and I (along with millions of other Jews and Notzrim Christians) intend to put greater focus on redemption, charity, and love for fellow men with the hopes that we will be written down for a good year! It's doubly important this year as we enter a Shmita or Sabbath year. Maybe The Lord will find some way to forgive those pesky student loans I'm still paying....
What has struck me most in my study of the High Holy Days from a Christian perspective is the prophecy involved. This is "Rapture Season", and many of us Notzrim earnestly look for Messiah to return for His Church somewhere around this time of year. This is also the build up to the time of Messiah's actual birth, believed by many scholars to be the Feast of Sukkot (Oct 8 this year). My husband is super excited because I'm already gearing up many of the hymns and large-scale orchestral pieces that most folks put off until Advent.
I pray that by next year there will be a greater availability for Christian observance of these Holy Days. It's so important, what with Halloween right on our doors... I have been so blessed by this whole experience and this is an amazing time for fellowship, but those focusing on the root practices are so far away from each other. I've felt mostly in left-field :-/ Still, I can't help but wonder if this year is just another "dress rehearsal".
Shanah Tova! May you be written in the Book of Life for another good year!
What has struck me most in my study of the High Holy Days from a Christian perspective is the prophecy involved. This is "Rapture Season", and many of us Notzrim earnestly look for Messiah to return for His Church somewhere around this time of year. This is also the build up to the time of Messiah's actual birth, believed by many scholars to be the Feast of Sukkot (Oct 8 this year). My husband is super excited because I'm already gearing up many of the hymns and large-scale orchestral pieces that most folks put off until Advent.
I pray that by next year there will be a greater availability for Christian observance of these Holy Days. It's so important, what with Halloween right on our doors... I have been so blessed by this whole experience and this is an amazing time for fellowship, but those focusing on the root practices are so far away from each other. I've felt mostly in left-field :-/ Still, I can't help but wonder if this year is just another "dress rehearsal".
Shanah Tova! May you be written in the Book of Life for another good year!
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