It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion of its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion—its message becomes meaningless. (Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man, p. 1)
As I read these words this morning, I was again reminded of the crisis that we face in the messianic movement. In our desire to recapture the faith of the apostles, we very often replace worship with discipline, and love with habit.
While all of the questions that we wrestle with, questions of identity, questions of halakah, etc., we must not forget to worship, to love, to have compassion. We must not forget to ask the deeper questions, allowing the search light of the Scriptures and the leading of the Holy Spirit to draw us to the Father.
It is far easier to concern ourselves with how to do something right than it is to seek to find the heart of God and encounter Him in what we’re doing. If our families are not seeing the love that God has for us in Yeshua in all that we do, then we’re failing. If our Shabbat tables are simply the repeating of liturgies, and ritual without worship, then our children will grow up despising the God that set us free and gave us the Sabbath. If our prayer times are all about doing things the right way (bind the tefillin like so, wrap the tallit like so, bow now, don’t interrupt, etc.), then we will miss meeting with the Father.
I’m not in any way diminishing the importance of reverence, or speaking against any of the practices that are mentioned above. However, I am stating that we must remember that God set His people free to worship Him. If we ever lose sight of that fact, then our faith will diminish into something that is simply a heritage. In today’s culture, that heritage, it is left at only that, will not continue.
Very true, very true Aaron.
Of course, for many of us, learning to do things traditionally will always take a time of learning. Things we be awkward. Once we get comfortable with it, we will be more able to focus on the intention of our hearts.
You’re right Seth that there is a lot of time required for learning. I think that part of the challenge is to keep the focus in the right place while learning. I know for me that the vast majority of the time I’m more concerned with doing things the “right” way, rather than in encountering God in what I’m doing. It really is a delicate balance many times, but I fear that due to the fact that many in our movement are more concerned with getting it “right” than in encountering God we are in danger of compromising our message, both to the greater body of Messiah, as well as to Judaism.
I’m not arguing for sloppy practice, but I do believe it necessary to search our hearts and strive to worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth. If that means that we have to depart from accepted halakah for a time, or for forever, then so be it. We must do whatever is necessary to guard our hearts so that Avinu is honored.
I understand that halakah was developed with this in mind, but it was also developed within the context of greater Judaism. Most Messianic Believers do not have the privilege in worshiping in communities that support, or at the very least, are flexible with regards to standard halakah. That being the case it is difficult, if not impossible to study halakah on a given topic and implement it without worrying whether or not “I’m doing x correctly.”
Great post, Aaron, thanks for this.
Very true, you say; “God set His people free to worship Him” That’s very important. It’s our free choice to worship Him. And if we are set completely free, then the result is: we do not worship, but choose our own life. How sad! And to prevent this (for our children e.g.) we build a religious framework to protect one from loosing God.
What we need is a restoration of Gods image into our very heart. So what is left, if you ask me, an honestly prayer for applying the light unto our soul, the light of the Messiah who is full of light. We didn’t need to make that ourselves. We definitely have to receive it in stead of to make it.
Jos