The UMJC has always sought to serve our diverse grass-roots movement by balancing central planning and resources with local initiative. When we talk about welcoming Messiah home, we want to include the “home” of each local and regional Messianic Jewish community. Years ago we launched regional conferences, in addition to our major international conference, and the idea has caught on in other organizations as well. More recently, we have begun to experiment with smaller, more accessible regional events, like a yearly Shabbaton (extended Shabbat of worship and study) in cooperation with our New England congregations.

This year, Scott Moore, director of our Mid-Atlantic Region, brought a similar idea to his area—a brief, affordable, and upbeat mini-conference, on Saturday evening and Sunday morning, March 13-14. The theme echoed the theme of our annual conference and our Prayer Campaign from Passover to Shavuot: WALK THE TALK. Here’s a report from local congregational leader Ralph Finley.

The conference was a big success. Considering the short time given to put it together Scott and Sherry Moore and team did a wonderful job.

The conference started on Saturday evening (7:00 PM) with a special dance presentation by the Ohev Yisrael dancers. Afterwards the worship team from Beth Messiah, MD led us in a night of praise and worship.  Yahnathan Lasko and crew did a wonderful job of infusing old messianic tunes with a new sound that had Middle Eastern rhythms and jazz undertones.  Their blend of liturgy with the worship was greatly appreciated.  They flowed right into Havdalah and the whole gathering entered into it with them with great enthusiasm.  Russ addressed us that evening and laid the foundation of walking the talk.  Later that evening the younger generation and those young in heart continued late into the wee hours of the morning with more worship and prayer and seeking the face of God.

The Sunday morning session was led by a team from Sha'arei Shalom, Raleigh, NC.  They did a wonderful job of combining musical melodies with the elements of a shacharit service. Afterward Joshua Brumbach gave an inspiring message springboarding off of Russ's message on walk the talk, which challenged us to be a light to the nations and discover new ways to live out that walk from within. In between Joshua and the next speaker, youth from Ohev Yisrael presented a special Purim skit based on the Wizard of Oz, which left everyone cheering and hissing, and full of delight. Jamie Cowen challenged us to not become disqualified in our walk with his message, "Say it ain’t so Joe," based on Shoeless Joe Jackson's participation in a scheme to fix the World Series.

The hotel was the National Sheraton in Arlington, VA, with an awe-inspiring view in our meeting room of the Pentagon, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, the Arlington Cemetery and the Air Force memorial on one side, and the landscape of Virginia on the other. The rates for the room was very reasonable and the registration fee for the conference was family friendly. UMJC congregations represented were Rosh Pina and Emmanuel Messianic Jewish Congregation from the Baltimore area, Ohev Yisrael, northern Virginia, Beth Messiah Congregation and Chavurah Succat Shalom from Maryland, Tikvat Yisrael, Richmond, VA, Sha'arei Shalom, Cary, NC, and Ahavat Yeshua, Washington DC.

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I was personally encouraged by the retreat, as were the other leaders with whom I spoke, especially because it provided a vision of the UMJC future. The significant participation by younger folks, including the two worship teams, which both achieved an amazing integration of fresh new sound with familiar songs, and contemporary material with tradition. Josh Brumbach, as a younger colleague among the main three speakers, brought together a solid exposition of the Messianic Jewish vision and what he termed its “cosmic” implications, with a fresh call to unity, saying that we have far more uniting us than dividing us.

I provided a foundational message on the retreat theme at the beginning, as Ralph noted, and Jamie Cowen wrapped it up with five specific ways to make sure that we walk the talk, specifically in how we deal with our failures to do so:

1) Be honest with yourself.

2) Don’t make excuses for your behavior.

3) As soon as you become aware of sin, confess it to the Lord and to others as appropriate.

4) Recognize that you never become so holy that you cannot sin.

5) Allow God’s Word to penetrate your soul.

The simplicity of the schedule allowed plenty of time to hang out and interact. By keeping everyone together throughout the whole time, rather than breaking into workshops, the event built a lot of unity and common vision in a modest amount of time. The quality of the music groups and their ability to join fresh music and rich tradition in a thoughtful and creative way contributed greatly to the unifying quality of the event.

Russ Resnik

Walking with Vision

UMJC Mid-Atlantic Regional Retreat

Joshua Brumbach

The UMJC's conference theme this year is "Walk the Talk."  However, we cannot walk the talk unless we know what we are walking and talking. We need to get back to basics.

We are a Messianic Jewish movement united by a common vision.  That prophetic vision is the restoration of Israel.  As Israel, we are the harbingers of a cosmic message with cosmic ramifications.  God's Name is intimately linked with the Jewish people.  We are partners with God in bringing redemption into the world.  And as God's remnant, Israel has a specific and unique role to play in the cosmos.  So what exactly is this "cosmic message"?

Therefore tell the house of Israel that Adonai Elohim says this: ‘I am not going to do this for your sake, house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name ... The nations will know that I am Adonai,' says Adonai Elohim, ‘when, before their eyes, I am set apart through you to be regarded as holy.' (Ezekiel 36:22-23)

Kiddush HaShem

Israel exists to Kiddush HaShem - to sanctify the Name of God.  God has chosen us, Israel, the Jewish people, to associate His great Name - i.e. "The God of Israel." As such, Israel is unique and interconnected with God in the deepest way. According to Abraham Joshua Heschel:

The question of religion is what we do with the presence of God: how to think, how to feel, how to act; how to live in a way compatible with our being created in the image of God.

What is at stake in this message is not just Jewish cultural identity, but the honor and sanctification of the Name of God.  There is action that is required of us.

I will put my Spirit inside of you and cause you to live by my laws, respect my rulings and obey them.  You will live in the land I gave to your ancestors.  You will be my people, and I will be your God.  (Ezekiel 36:27-28)

Holiness is not some mystical state we all someday hope to obtain.  Rather, according to Scripture, holiness is a lifestyle.  One of my favorite Torah portions is Kedoshim, because it is an entire portion dealing with holiness.  If we want to know how to live a holy life, God gives us the details - show neither partiality to the poor nor deference to the mighty ... don't stand idly by the blood of your neighbor ... keep my Shabbat ... observe the mitzvot ... (Leviticus 19 & 20).

These are the details of holiness.  The Bible often paints an image quite different from our western concepts of what it means to be holy.  Although there is an element of mystery to holiness, holiness also does not exist apart from a way of life.  We are to be holy as God is holy. 

The Spiritual Restoration of Israel

The above passage from Ezekiel 36 clearly outlines what the spiritual restoration of the Jewish people will look like:

1. Being filled with the Spirit
2. Back in the Land
3. Living in covenant faithfulness to HaShem

Repentance, spiritual renewal, and a return to the Land are all scriptural (we see this pattern in other passages as well).  Covenant renewal and spiritual renewal always go together (there is no Torah vs. the Spirit).  According to Ezekiel 36 and 37 God puts His Spirit in us so that we can live out Torah in covenant faithfulness to HaShem.

And what Ezekiel also makes clear is that Messiah is central to this scenario and not a New Covenant add-on - and my servant David will be king over them, and all of them will have one shepherd (Ezek. 37:24). This descendant of David is none other than Yeshua!

All of Scripture culminates in this cosmic message.  There is no end-time consummation for the Jewish people OR the nations apart from Mashiach!  Thus, our cosmic message is this: Yeshua, the one through whom all of this is accomplished and who is glorified by the fulfillment of these things, is intrinsically bound up with his people. Yeshua is the embodiment of Israel (Yeshua is One Man Israel).

The Restoration of Israel AND the Restoration of the Nations

Our restoration as Jews is fundamental to God making Himself known to the nations.  Israel was given the task of being "Or L'Goyim - a Light to the Nations."  Israel is a partner with God in world redemption.  According to Romans 11, the restoration of Israel will lead to the final remaining restoration of the nations.  God is restoring Israel to Kiddush HaShem - to sanctify the Name of God in order to reach the world!

This is the Messianic vision. We embody a cosmic message the world needs to see and hear.  For we are not just partners with God in the redemption of our people, we are partners with God in the redemption of the nations as well.

This idea is summed up nicely in a quote by Abraham Lincoln from his second inaugural address:

"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with the firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive to finish the work we are in ... to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all Nations."

It's time we walk with vision ... it's time we Walk the Talk.  God has imparted to us a cosmic message, and the challenge to each of us is will we live out and carry this message to the rest of the world.  I hope we will!