Jewish Law makes it our duty to pray three times daily: in the morning, in the afternoon and at nightfall. These prayers are called morning prayer (shacharit), afternoon prayer (minchah) and evening prayer (arvith or maariv)…
Category: Blog
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Life Is Not a Picnic
I have never really cared for picnics. First you make lunch, then you pack it in containers, then you pack it along with cutlery, napkins, condiments, blanket or tablecloth, etc. You must then unload, unpack, and then do everything in reverse when it is time to go home. Once home it all must be unloaded, stored or cleaned, and put away. That is just not fun…
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Perspectives
Though I don’t remember where I first saw this, it struck me as worth sharing. It was originally titled as rules but I’m taking the liberty of editing it a bit. To me, recommendations sound better than rules. Not every recommendation is applicable to all. Choose those that fit your situation and circumstance in life…
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Equipping the Saints
One of the taglines I keep returning to as a missionary for The Apple of His Eye is that our mission is to “boldly declare Yeshua as the Messiah of Israel to Jewish people and Gentiles; equip local congregations to do the same.” That mission statement fits beautifully with St. Paul’s words in Ephesians 4:11-12…
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Joy, Joy, Joy
When was the last time you were surprised by joy during worship? Do you find your time in corporate gatherings more an act of routine than one of zeal before the Lord? Look at the faces of those around you. Do they reflect happiness and joy or a stoic resolve to get by another Sunday service?
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God Created Children
(And in the process grandchildren.)
To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, or our grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students…here is something to lighten your day…
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Let’s Go Fishing
While I was living in Jerusalem, I produced a monthly newspaper for women (although men read it also). I opened it up for submissions, and the wife of a UN worker there wrote the following…
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Prayer in Jewish Life – Part 2
In Judaism, prayer is largely a group activity rather than an individual activity. Although it is permissible to pray alone and it fulfills the obligation to pray, you should generally make every effort to pray with a group, short of violating a commandment to do so…
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What is a Mezuzah?
The Hebrew word mezuzah means “doorpost.” According to tradition, the mezuzah is to be affixed to the doorpost at the entrance to a Jewish home as well as at the entrance to each of the interior rooms except for bathrooms. The mezuzah itself consists of a small scroll of parchment (k’laf ) on which are written two biblical passages. The passage first is Deuteronomy 6:4–9…
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Jewish and Lutheran
The Question
As you all know, I am a pastor in the Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod (hereafter the LCMS) and a Jewish believer in Jesus. What many may not know is that this dual reality often results in a lot of questions from people. Being a Jewish believer in Jesus is already a place of curiosity for people.