Q. What did your family think about your keeping these traditions, I mean, was it welcomed wholeheartedly, was it, kind of, did they think it was weird? How did they respond?
A. Not so much weird as "don't quite understand it". I think for extended family members, umm, it's probably considered a little weird. "I wonder what they're into now." [laughs] That kind of thing. Because even being a born-again, sold-out-for-the-Lord Christian is a little bit weird for some people. So now taken this level of trying to understand Jesus and His life, yeah, it is considered a little weird. I don't know that it's judged so much as it is cautioned.
Q. What do you mean by cautioned?
A. I think they're cautious, people are cautious because they don't want to be weird, they don't want to do things that are weird. They want to be your normal, average people. And so they don't want to take themselves in any way that would make them look weird.
But the truth is, once you get to understanding this [the Feasts of the Lord], it doesn't matter what people think because you get so much more of a level of richness about your Christian faith and your Christian walk that it's all worth it.
This is interview comes from the fine folks at Threads Media, who were kind enough to send me a free copy of their Feast leader kit: a pack of materials for small Christian groups wanting to learn about the Feasts of the Lord.
It contains a CD with Christian Feast-centered music and interviews with the Christians who keep the Feasts, a DVD of Messianic Rabbi Derek Leman and friends sharing a Sabbath meal together and talking about the tradition and what it means in their lives as Messiah-followers to keep the Feasts of the Lord.
It also contains Derek's new book, Feast: Finding Your Place at the Table of Tradition.
Questions like,
Why keep the Feasts of the Lord?
Why should gentiles keep "Jewish" feasts?
How in the world can a non-Jew living in this culture keep the Feasts? What am I supposed to do?
The materials in the Feast leader kit look at these questions from a gentile Christian perspective and answers them with personal experiences of other Christians. If you're a Christian who's even the least bit curious about the Feasts of the Lord, you owe it to yourself to discover more of the times the Lord appointed for His people: His set-apart Feasts.
Some time in the coming weeks, I'll be doing a little Q&A interview with Derek about his book and about the Feast kit. Do you fine blog readers have any tough questions for Derek? Skeptical questions about the Feasts? Maybe you've got a quote from Paul that just shuts down all this Jewish stuff? Or maybe you're curious about how to go about actually celebrating one of the Lord's Feasts?
Here's your chance to ask a Real Live Messianic Rabbi® your questions about the Feasts. Post them in the comments and I may use them in the interview.
Shalom.
The question I have is...if I start doing this do I have to cook?
ReplyDelete:0(
I want to think about this and come back to it when I have more time but you know, I'm pretty much a person to whom one day is like another and holidays interupt my routine and make a lot more work for me and it is usually work I don't enjoy that much, like cooking. People who are into Christmas would call me a Scrouge. It was easy for me to bag the pagan celebrations but in honesty, this is probably one reason that I drag my feet on adopting Jewish holidays. I also don't think it is necessary so I lack motivation. I know that in the Kingdom, if there are holidays to celebrate, they will be the Jewish feasts and festivals but I'm hoping that when I am glorified, I won't have to coook, clean, or clean up after.
:0/
"Here's your chance to ask a Real Live Messianic Rabbi"
ReplyDeleteJudah I must admit, this made me laugh out loud...
I am interested in learning more about the feast in general, as I know they are all related to the Messiah...
I knew that Christmas falls on the winter solstice, but I didn't know the extent of it's paganism, or that Easter (Ishtar) is the name of a pagan goddess...I did some research on the origins of these two holidays last December, after my house was already decorated for Christmas. Being greatly disturbed, I prayed about it, and asked the Lord for help...He led me to remove some things from my apartment, namely anything that symbolized winter or any personified image (i.e. reindeer, snowmen, etc.)
This year, I believe I will let the Holy Spirit guide me in my celebrations...
I see from the New Testament that Jesus celebrated Hanukkah, perhaps the Rabbi can explain the significance of that holiday?
Last Fall I stumbled upon the Feast of the Lord while preparing home-school studies for my Kindergarten son. I say stumble upon because my church NEVER EVER has mentioned anything about it. Or could it be that I was not paying attention? Well, maybe they do say that they are not necessary anymore... Anyway, it has been a blessing to celebrate God through the feasts. And to learn of his redemptive plan through them.
ReplyDeleteTwo months ago a group of friends and I completed Derek Lemans "Feasts" and it was like not other Bible study we have experienced.
We have always kept the Sabbath, but after this study on the feasts, we now celebrate Sabbath!
I will go back and check my book...I know I have more than one question.
Dorla
@Pam, sounds like there are a few questions in there. Thanks, I'll pose them to Derek.
ReplyDelete@ J. Gabrielle,
It's good to laugh, isn't it? I'm glad I got an "LOL" out of you. :-)
I'll keep your question about Hanukkah in my notes and may use them in the interview. Thanks.
@Dorla,
Glad to hear Derek's Feast study helped you out. It's been a very encouraging read to me as well.
It is good to laugh, Judah. That statement made me think you are often exoticized for being Messianic, and I'm sure just for being Jewish. As an African American, I am often amused at how excited others can be about my perceived culture...
ReplyDeleteThank you for considering my question. Even if you don't use it, I'd love some guidance on finding information about Hanukkah and it's significance...
Hi Judah,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to see all my questions in my silly comment. I am truly interested in the answers.:0)