Rundown from the Rabbi
I was preaching recently about the story of the Exodus
from Egypt.
God did not lead them “by the way of
the land of the Philistines, even though it was near,” because He was concerned
they might contemplate war and want to return to Egypt. He had another plan.He would drown the entire Egyptian army and
all 600 of their chariots in the Red, or Reed, Sea. God said, “I will gain glory through
Pharaoh and all his army, and [they] will know that I am the LORD.”This thought has been running through my mind ever since, and has caused
me to think more carefully about my life, words, actions, and purpose. I want God to be glorified in everything I
do.
Since our last newsletter in fall 2006, we have
finished the Book of Hebrews and have begun a study in the “Minor” Prophets
beginning with the Book of Daniel. People
are wondering how long we will be in this study, and so am I. We are very excited about this
teaching/preaching series. You can hear
them online at www.BeitTikvah.us >
Messages. May God gain glory from our
preaching and teaching of the Word.
One of the most significant changes at Beit Tikvah has
been revising the format of our Friday night service. We are calling it Kabbalat Shabbat, which
literally means, “Receiving the Sabbath.”
We begin the evening with a sit-down Erev Shabbat dinner at 7 PM. Tablecloths, candles, Kiddush, challah, the
works. Everyone contributes to the
meal. It is sweet and beautiful. Then at 8 PM we gather in the sanctuary for a
time of worship and intercession. This,
too, has been meaningful and significant as we seek the LORD in earnest prayer and song. We are using a model from the International
House of Prayer in Kansas City
called, Harp ‘n Bowl. “Harp” is worship
and “Bowl” represents prayers as incense.
You are invited to participate in worship and intercessory prayer. May God gain glory as we seek Him on Kabbalat
Shabbat.
By the grace and timing of God we have outgrown our
classrooms and our Fellowship Hall.
So last year we purchased a 2000 sq. ft. modular building as an
alternative to expensive new construction.
It will be placed next to our Fellowship Hall and will be used as an
overflow for onegs and other meals. It
will have its own sound system and will be used for worship and intercession
for Kabbalat Shabbat. It will also be
used by our growing youth group.
We hope to break ground in April and have the project
completed by the end of July. We are
constructing a full walk-in basement, which will create a total 4000 sq ft. of
much needed usable space. We are looking
for people who can donate time, materials and finances. At the same time, people are talking about
knocking out the walls of our sanctuary.
It’s getting crowded there, too. Some
plant, others water, but God causes the growth.
Growing pains are challenging but produce great rewards for the Kingdom of God.
May we hear Him say, “I will gain glory through Beit Tikvah Messianic
Congregation.” Ahmen.
Hylan Slobodkin
Messianic Rabbi
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