how is a messianic jewish (hebrew christian) service like?

Question

can anyone explain how it's like? is it like a typical jewish service, or?

Answer 1

It really depends on the type of Messianic congregation and there is a wide amount of varience.

There are some that do the entire Shabbat service from the Siddur in Hebrew and often give no message in English, or just a short synopsis of that week's Torah portion. No instrumental music on the Sabbath. These would be very much like an Orthodox congregation. However, you should expect these to be in the minority and you are unlikely to run into them. I suspect that less than 5% of Messianic Congregations fall into this category. The congregations towards this end of the spectrum sometimes do not welcome Gentile visitors.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are Messianic congregations which would be similar to a Charismatic Christian congregation. They might only say the Sh'ma in Hebrew or they may not have any liturgy at all. There music will be instrumental and of a contemporary style, but with more of a Jewish flavor than anything Christian. They probably will not celebrate any Christian holidays and will do some level of observance of the Biblical Feasts. This would be the "Hebrew Christian", "Jews for Jesus" end of the spectrum. These will have no objections to the congregants going to a local restaurant after service. These are also a minority within the Messianic Movement.

The majority of Messianic congregations will be somewhere between the two extremes. If the congregation has a Torah scroll they may read one 7th of the Torah portion for the week in Hebrew. The Hebrew liturgy will be much shorter than the full Orthodox service, but there will be a message delivered in English. Usually there is an Oneg afterwards, which will vary from being snack foods to being a full potluck meal. The majority of Messianic congregations do not take an offering. Instead there is one or more "pushkah" boxes at the back of the seating area where donations can be dropped.

You can get a rough idea of what Messianic liturgy is like from this site:
http://www.messianicliturgy.com/

If you are interested in visiting one of your local Messianic congregations it is often best to call first to determine what form of Messianic Congregation they are. Most are very open to non-Jewish visitors and members. But, as I said above, there is a minority which believes the Messianic Movement is only for Jewish members.

There is also a growing movement of Messianic "Hebrew Roots" congregations that are primarily an outreach to Gentile Christians to get them to understand the Biblical Feasts, calendar, etc. They are often focused on getting traditional Christians to reject the pagan traditions that became integrated into modern Christianity. (The goddess of fertility Ishtar / Easter for example.) Often these congregations are more mindful of properly keeping Sabbath and the Feasts than many of the "Hebrew Christian" congregations are.

Most Messianics believe in keeping the Torah. Many Christians would consider them to be "under the law" as a result. In actuality "under the law" refers to those who stand guilty - like a guilty man standing before the judge. Those who are obedient are not judged as being guilty nor are those who are repentant. Christians who believe that they should disobey Torah obviously are unrepentant and are therefore the ones who are actually "under the law". However, only the minority on the Orthodox end of the spectrum tend to believe that the Talmudic Oral Torah commands are to be obeyed.

Answer 2

They are not all the same. Some Messianic Jews believe that they are still under the Law and that they have to keep kosher and keep all of the Holidays as layed out in the Old testament. Others believe that Jesus fulfilled the need for the law and they live under freedom. In other words they do not believe that they HAVE to keep Kosher and observe all of the Holidays. However, they usually still do observe the Holidays becuase they have so much more depth than the Holidays that the average Christian participates in. Most holidays that the average Christian celebrates have pagan origins. Does that make them bad?? Well not necessarily, but it is very enlightening to realize the significance of the Holidays that were celebrated in the Old-Testament

Answer 3

Messianic Judaism is not Judaism as others have said. But, many of the people who have converted to Judiasm at our shul went through that step. If messianic Judaism is a camp in your journey, then you will have to stop there and learn whatever it is that you are supposed to learn there. There are fundamental differences between Judaism and christianity that go far beyond the christian belief in the person they worship. It has to do with accepting responsibility for our own actions. As Jews we understand there is a way Hashem wants us to live our life. Doing the mitzvot IS the way to establish our connection with Hashem. This concept is basic to Judaism. Christianity teaches an exemption from following the Torah. But don't be afraid to visit a few shuls before you make your decision. Talk to the rabbi frankly about where you are and the rabbi may be able to help you. May you be blessed in your spiritual journey, Gershon

Answer 4

AWESOME! I dont know, I have never been to a typical Jewsih service.

There is nosh first (some eats) and then praise and worship. Some english songs, some in Hebrew. Alot of them are Psalms sung, which is really cool.

Sometimes there is a Torah reading or testimony.

Then an offering and the Word! We alsways sing "Shabbat Shalom" at the end and then there is ONEG...more food!

Men wear the kippah, but you dont have to. They use a HNV Bible, Hebrew names Version. So Jesus is Yeshua, John Is Yochanan, etc. There are Bar mitzvahs, Passover service, etc. All biblical feasts and days, no pagan ones. Enjoy it!

http://www.messianics.com

http://www.iamcs.org/Directory.php?Country=USA

Blessings and Shalom in Yeshua
David T

Answer 5

I have not done a lot of research on it but you can look into "Jews for Jesus". To my knowledge, they practice the laws of Judaism while holding the belief in Jesus of Nazarath. I always forget the book and writer in the KJV who dismissed the following of Jewish law but this has been questioned by many. If your interest is in this I suggest you read that part of the KJV to see if you feel it is divenly inspired.