Jewish Holidays Upon Us
This week, our Jewish brothers and sisters will be celebrating two very important holidays. The first being Rosh Hashanah which is the celebration of a new year or the anniversary of the day of creation and then Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.
As Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was also Jewish, I believe these holidays to be equally important to us as Christians. Please join me in the up and coming weeks and help celebrate with our brothers and sisters in the Jewish community.
Rosh Hashanah?
September 21st (Thurs) – September 22st
The Jewish New Year, anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, a day of judgment and coronation, and sounding of the shofar, an ancient musical instrument made of a ram’s horn…
What: It is the birthday of the universe, the day God created Adam and Eve, and it’s celebrated as the head of the Jewish year.
When: The first two days of the Jewish new year, Tishrei 1 and 2, beginning at sundown on the eve of Tishrei 1.
How: Candle lighting in the evenings, festive meals with sweet delicacies during the night and day, prayer services that include the sounding of the ram’s horn (shofar) on both mornings, and desisting from creative work.
Why Rosh Hashanah Is Important
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah actually means “Head of the Year.” Just like the head controls the body, our actions on Rosh Hashanah have a tremendous impact on the rest of the year.
As we read in the Rosh Hashanah prayers, each year on this day “all inhabitants of the world pass before God like a flock of sheep,” and it is decreed in the heavenly court “who shall live, and who shall die … who shall be impoverished and who shall be enriched; who shall fall and who shall rise.”
It is a day of prayer, a time to ask the Almighty to grant us a year of peace, prosperity and blessing. But it is also a joyous day when we proclaim God King of the Universe. The Kabbalists teach that the continued existence of the universe depends on G‑d’s desire for a world, a desire that is renewed when we accept His kingship anew each year on Rosh Hashanah.
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur begins at sundown on Fri, 29 September 2017.
Yom Kippur, also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services. Yom Kippur completes the annual period known in Judaism as the High Holy Days (or sometimes “the Days of Awe”).
The question for us as Christians is—how do we celebrate a holiday in which the whole point of it is to make atonement for sins—when we know Jesus has already made that ultimate atonement for us? Is there an appropriate way for Christians to celebrate traditionally Jewish holidays?
First, you can extend radical forgiveness. Just as Jesus has given us grace, we too can extend grace and heal broken relationships during Yom Kippur. “When you don’t have the grace or strength to forgive, ask God to supply both of those in greater measure.”
Second, you can consider fasting for a meal or entire day. During your time of fasting, spend time praying and meditating on the gifts God has given us, not only meeting our physical needs, but our spiritual needs in Jesus.
Third, you can gather your family and friends for a tashlich ceremony. In Jewish culture, during this ceremony the people of the synagogue go down to a local stream or river and empty their pockets of crumbs, symbolizing sins being washed away. Why not do that and celebrate that Christ has once and for all washed away all your sins?