From the Editor – Issue 16
By Kesher Editor
This journal is a testimony to the maturity of the Messianic Movement and the growing influence of messianic leaders and scholars in the academy, the church and synagogue, and the wider Jewish world. Our contributors and subscribers are from a variety of backgrounds: some are messianic, while others are interested in the distinct voice of…
The Way of Life
By Andrew Sparks
A Vision I had a vision. A vision of our people turning toward the Messiah in unprecedented numbers. A vision of thousands of messianic congregations spreading across the world. A vision of a thriving messianic seminary where our young people can be trained to go forth with boldness, wisdom, and compassion. A vision where we,…
For Every Generation: Preaching As Imaginative Mediation Of Rabbinic Tradition
By Jonathan Kaplan
Though the history of preaching1 is rooted in the liturgical life of the ancient synagogue (which is amply evidenced in the Gospels and Acts), preaching does not play a prominent role in the worship of the modern synagogue.2 The synagogue service is a service of the heart, Avodah, in which prayer and the recitation of…
Jews And Palestinians: The Search For Justice And Reconciliation
By Marc H. Ellis
This month my new book arrives in the bookstore and I am wondering whether its arrival is already too late. The subject matter is Israel and Palestine and carries two subtitles. The first, "Out of the Ashes," is easily understood with the situation on the ground in the Middle East as it is today. During…
Defining Messianic Judaism
By Russ Resnik
Addendum 1: What Do We Mean By "Jewish"? The UMJC Theology Committee defines Messianic Judaism as a Jewish congregational movement for Messiah: Messianic Judaism is a movement of Jewish congregations and congre-gation-like groupings committed to Yeshua the Messiah that embrace the covenantal responsibility of Jewish life and identity rooted in Torah, expressed in tradition, and…
Issues For Clarification In The Self-Defining Statement
By Chaim Urbach
Are We Becoming An Unbalanced Fiddler On The Roof? I would like to begin this article with a note of appreciation for the work that has gone into the UMJC's self-definition statement of Messianic Judaism. I affirm the need to be integrally part of our people, as well as the need to function and witness…
Let the Real Israel Please Rise: Defining Messianic Judaism and the Israel of God
By A.B. R.
Recently, I had a conversation about the task of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) to define Messianic Judaism. The individual with whom I spoke said, "Good luck, why not just follow the Lord?" My first thought was, "I did not know that the two were mutually exclusive." In addition, the question that entered…
