Beit Yeshua
2008
April - June
PESACH
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Israeli
Folk
Dance
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An
Evening
Honoring
ISRAEL
60th
Birthday
Celebration
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SHAVUOT
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"The
Immigrant"
Blowing Rock, NC
Baruch Atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech Ha-Olam,
Asher Kidshanu b'devaro u'vishmo
Anachnu Madlikim Haneyrot Shel Yom TovBlessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the Universe,
Who has set us apart by His Word,
And in Whose Name we light the Festival Lights.Our seventh annual Pesach Seder in Lincolnton was Friday, April 25th, in the
Family Life Center of Covenant Bible Church.
Thursday, April 24: The Set-UP
On the evening before our Seder, we gathered to set-up the Family Life Center with tables, chairs and other Pesach decorations.
(Below) Curtis, Doug, Barry, Paul and Chuck begin setting up the low tables for the Seder
(Below Left) Carolyn gives Lynda and Janice directions for arranging the regular seating,
while Paul enjoys a snack
(Above Right) Melba, Myrl and Carolyn begin putting tablecloths on the tables
(Below Left) Stacy & Barry place decorative table-toppers on top of the table cloths
(Below Right) Paul & Lynda prepare Pesach candles for the tables
(Below) Jeremy, Janice & Curtis place Haggadahs on the low tables while Jane puts out
saucers and napkins to drip wine on when reciting the plagues
(Below) The entire set-up took about two hours
Melba makes some final adjustments
(Below) The set-up crew poses for a photo after everything is done
(Left to Right)
(Back Row) Andy & Jane, Jeremy & Jeanne, Melba, Janice & Chuck, Doug & Lynda, Stacy
(Front Row) Paul & Susan, Barry, Abbey, Curtis & Carolyn, Myrl & Duke, SherylFriday, April 25: The Pesach Seder
We had about 110 in attendance at our 2008 Seder.
(Below) Curtis at the low tables
Costumes are an optional element of our Seder
Guests Begin to Arrive
(Below Left) Curtis introduces Sandy & Marjorie to Doug & Chuck
(Below Center) Doug spends some pre-Seder time with co-worker, Jon
(Below Right) Wayne & Jeff pose for the camera
(Below Left) Three generations of the DeHaan Family observe Pesach together
(Below Right) Jane, Myrl & Sheryl visit with Jeanne, Karin, Mason & Adam
(Below Left) Myrl & Clarita
(Below Right) Melba, Cathy, Christi, Wayne & Barry
(Below Left) Old & new friends get together, including Rob, Carolyn, Norma, Melba & Jeff
(Below Right) We recently met Nancy at the Barry Segal VISION FOR ISRAEL Conference
(Below) Debbie & Shawn came after seeing an announcement in the Lincoln Times about the Seder
(Below Left) Kay, Ruby, Arrie & Joyce spend some pre-Seder time talking
(Below Right) Jane talks with several of the teenagers
(Below) Almost time to start ...
The evening begins with the sounding of the Shofar
Praise, Worship & Israeli Folk Dance
(Below) Dancing to the song "Peace of Jerusalem" by Kirk Dearman
Dancing the Israeli Folk Dance "Zemer Atik" to the song "He Shall Reign" by Paul Wilbur
Doug adds the colorful Spencer Williams silk flag,
proclaiming that indeed "Yeshua is Our Messiah"
The Seder Begins
(Below) As ladies stand to light the Festival candle at their tables,
Sandy lights them at the low table where she is sitting
(Below) Brad, Philip & Leslie take part in the ceremonial hand washing
(Below) Savanna asks the 4 Questions - with some help from her Mother & little sister, Ali
The Four Questions:
1. On all other nights we eat bread or matzah. Why on this night do we eat only matzah?
2. On all other nights we eat all kings of vegetables. Why on this night do we eat only bitter herbs?
3. On all other nights we do not dip our vegetables even once. Why on this night do we dip them twice?
4. On all other nights we eat our meals sitting or reclining. Why on this night do we eat reclining?The Four Answers:
1. As the children of Israel fled from Egypt, they did not have time for their dough to rise. Instead the hot desert sun baked it flat. But even more than that, the scriptures teach us that leaven symbolizes sin. Don't you know that a little leaven works through the whole dough? Get rid of the old leaven that you may be a new batch without leaven - as you really are. For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the feast... (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
2. As sweet as our lives are today, let us remember how bitter life was for the children of Israel in the land of Egypt. As bitter herbs (horseradish) is scooped onto a piece of matza, the bitter taste causes us to shed tears of compassion for the sorrow that the children of Israel knew thousands of years ago. 3. The children of Israel toiled to make treasure cities for Pharaoh, working in brick and clay. We remember this task in a mixture called Kharoset, made from chopped apples, honey, nuts and wine. We again scoop some bitter herbs (horseradish) onto a piece of matzah. But this time we also scooped some Kharoset onto the matzah. We all have had bitter experiences in our lives. The message God is communicating to us is His desire for us to press through the bitterness to experience the sweetness. The horseradish represents the trials and tribulations which come into our lives. If we allow these trials and tribulations to make us bitter toward God, we will never experience the sweetness of God's deliverance for our life. If we press through them, however, with God's help, we will taste and experience the sweetness of His promises contained in His Word to us.
4. The first Passover was celebrated by a people enslaved. The children of Israel were instructed to eat the Passover in haste, their loins girded, their staffs in their hands, their sandals on their feet, awaiting departure from the bondage of Egypt. Today we all all recline and freely enjoy the Passover Seder.
The Three Matzot
Three matzot are wrapped together for Passover. There are various explanations for this ceremony. The rabbis call these three a "Unity". Some consider it a unity of the Patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Others explain it as a unity of worship - the priests, the Levites and the people of Israel. Those of us who know Messiah can also see in this unique tri-unity - Yahweh, Yeshua & the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) - three in one. See how the matzah is pierced and striped, just like Yeshua, who became the "Perfect" sacrificial lamb for all of our sins and deliverance.
(Below) The middle piece of matzah is examined, broken and lifted up
The story of Passover is a story of miracles, a story of redemption,
and a story of the mighty power of Yahweh to overcome evil
Reader 1: The Lord had promised the land of Israel to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Yet here were their children in Egypt. The Pharaoh who had come to power feared them. "These foreigners in our midst are prospering and have grown numerous," he thought. "Suppose they join with our enemies and turn against us!" Pharaoh decided to exert greater control over this people, imposing harsh and bitter slavery upon the Israelites. Still, Yahweh blessed His people in strength and number.
Reader 2: Pharaoh grew more frightened and ordered every baby boy among the Israelites to be drowned in the Nile River. One Israelite couple hid their little boy for three months. Finally, entrusting his future to Yahweh, they set him in a basket and placed him upon the river. His sister, Miriam, watched as he floated downstream. Coming upon the basket, Pharaoh's daughter took pity on the child and chose to raise him as her own son. She called him Moses, Moshe in Hebrew, meaning "drawn from the water."
Reader 3: Moshe grew and became aware of the travail of his people. One day, in a rage, he lost control of himself and killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew slave. Fleeing the palace and the eye of Pharaoh, Moshe became a shepherd in the land of Midian, far from the cries of his suffering brothers.
Reader 4: The Lord, however, saw the affliction of the children of Israel and heard their groaning. He would raise up a deliverer to lead them out of bondage. It was then that He appeared to Moshe in the midst of a bush that burned with fire, yet was not consumed. Moshe drew close and listened as Yahweh commissioned him to go to Pharaoh. Fearful and reluctant, Moshe agreed to bring Yahweh's message to the king of Egypt, "Let my people go!"
Four cups of wine/grape juice are drunk during the evening
(Below) As each plague is recited three times, we dipped a finger into this second cup,
allowing a drop of liquid to fall, reducing the fullness of our cup of joy this night
Blood! Frogs! Lice! Beasts! Cattle Disease!
Boils! Hail! Locusts! Darkness! Death of the Firstborn!We Pause For the Covered-Dish Meal
Folks line up for some good home-cooked food - without "leaven", of course!
There were lots of great opportunities for fellowship during the meal
(Below Left) Savanna, Abbey & Ali are a new generation learning about the joys of Pesach
(Below Right) Jeanne & Jeremy enjoy themselves
Curtis spends some time with Brach & Donna
as well as Miss Vonnie
(Below) Chuck & Janice and Myrl & Duke enjoy eating and chatting with those around them
Some of our guests, like Cheryl & Bob (left), as well as Marcia (right)
traveled from the Charlotte area to join us
La'sha-na ha-ba'ah b' Yerushalayim!
"Next Year in Jerusalem"
* Thanks to Duke, Philip & Beth for taking the photos
Israeli Folk Dance - May 2008
Dancing Im Hupalnu (If We Fall Down) to "Blessed is Adonai" by Steve McConnell
2nd Part of the Dance:
Stomp Right, Going into the center of the circle walk Right Left Right Left, Stomp Right with lifted hands,
Backing out of the circle, Right back, Left slides back, Right back, Left, slides back,
Walking backwards step Right, Left, Right, Left
Dancing Hora Medura (The Campfire Hora)
Dancing Od Lo Ahavti Dai (I Haven't Loved Enough) to "You Are My Salvation" by Lamb
The State of Israel was established in May 1948 after thousands of years of Jewish dispersal, when out of the horrors of World War II they officially once again became a nation.
To honor this great Biblical and historical event and show our love for Israel & the Jewish people, we planned our own Birthday Celebration - and called it "An Evening to Honor Israel". Meeting at Doug & Lynda's home, we gathered for an evening of music, dance, teaching, prayer, eating and fellowship.
A birthday cake for the evening
Doug & Lynda had flags, balloons and other decorations to make the area very festive
Everyone was given a small Israeli Flag and an Israel wristband
Guests begin to arrive - including Chuck, Paul and Jeremy
Doug spends some time talking with Melba & Barry while others are arriving
(Above) Myrl, Stacy, Susan, Janice, Lynda, Stacy, Jeff, Jeanne and Doris
(Below) Chuck sounds the shofar to begin the evening's festivities
Susan light Shabbat candles, Paul says the blessings over the bread and wine,
then we sang "Hatikvah"
We moved into a time of singing songs about the Lord and His love for Israel.
Israeli Folk Dancing accompanied our singing.
(Left) Paul shared with the group about the history between Christians and Jews - frequently unpleasant in the past as he reminded us of the church's involvement in the Crusades, Inquisition, Pogroms and the Holocaust. Thank the Lord that we're at a new place today. We, who are Christian Zionists, anticipate the return of Messiah Yeshua and feel encouraged to stand with and support Israel & the Jewish people.
(Right) Andy shared the history of modern Israel, including their rebirth as a nation on May 14, 1948, the Six-Day War and other interesting information. All of this led to a lot of questions and some wonderful discussion.
Doug, Chuck, Jeremy and Paul listen intently
(Below) Doug shared what Scripture has to say about Israel, including...
... "The Origin of Israel" when Jacob is renamed Israel
... "God's Warnings as to What Will Bring Desolation to the Nation" if they depart from keeping His Torah
... How "Blessing Israel Pleases God and is Not Optional" and we were reminded how Balaam was hired to curse Israel but all he could do was bless Israel
... And "God's Eternal Promise to Israel" to write His laws (Torah) into their minds and hearts.
Genesis 12:2-3
And I will make of thee (Israel) a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Psalm 122:6-9
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.
Romans 15:26-27
For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.
We discussed becoming more involved with Vision For Israel & The Joseph Storehouse - humanitarian aid ministries to Israel, sponsored by Barry & Batya Segal.
Prayer for the people and cities of Israel
We've been praying for Israel and more specifically for Jerusalem for many years. This year Carolyn thought it would be a wonderful idea if each of us would take a specific city (in addition to Jerusalem) to pray for during the next year. Everyone embraced the idea whole-heartedly.
Carolyn had spent the week preparing handouts with interesting facts and information about many of the cities in Israel. If there was a handout, it was designated on the map by a heart. Many of the group chose one of the cities with a heart beside of her name, but others decided to choose one of the other cities.
Cities we will be praying for during the next year include: Arad
Ashdod
Ashkelon
Bat Yam
Be'er Sheva
Bethlehem
Beit Shemesh
Bnei Brak
Eilat
Hadera
Herzliya
Holon
Karmiel
Kiryat-Shmona
Ramalla
Sderot
Tiberias
Tel-Aviv
(Below) Chuck led the group into a beautiful time of prayer as we remembered Israel and the Jewish people - praying that God would bless and protect them - and allow them to see and know their Messiah. Many others joined into the time of prayer also.
Chuck also read the following prayer:
Avinu (Ah-vi-nu), Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Protector and Redeemer of Israel, bless the State of Israel which marks the first glimmering of our deliverance. Shield it beneath the wings of Your love, spread over it Your canopy of peace; send Your light and Your truth to its leaders, officers and counselors and direct them with Your good counsel. O God, strengthen the defenders of our Holy Land; grant them salvation and crown them with victory. Establish peace in the land, and everlasting joy for its inhabitants. Remember our brethren, the whole house of Israel, in all the lands of their dispersion. Speedily let them walk upright to Zion, the city, to Jerusalem your dwelling place, as it is written in the Torah of Your servant Moses in Deuteronomy 30:4-5, “Even if you are dispersed in the uttermost parts of the world, from there the Lord your God will gather and fetch you. The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it.” Unite our heart to love and revere Your Name, and to observe all the precepts of Your Torah. Shine forth in your glorious majesty over all the inhabitants of Your world. Let everything that breathes proclaim, “Aninu, Malkeinu (A-vi-nu, Mal-k-nu), Our Father & Our King, The Lord God of Israel is King; His majesty rules over all.” Amen.We concluded the night by singing the Aaronic Blessing and moving to a time of Oneg with great food and fellowship.
(Left) Several of the men settle outside in a group to eat and talk
(Right) Jeremy shares a smile as he prepares to join them
Nancy, Rita, Carolyn, Jane & Myrl settled at the kitchen table ...
... but there were also people in the living room, dining room and even in the billiard room
(Below) Janice, Lynda and Doug fellowship as they're filling their plates with some GREAT food that included everything from Gefilte Fish & Baklava to Chocolate Passover Cookies, Humus and a wonderful macaroni salad with olives and chick peas
Shavuot - The Feast of Pentecost
After a time of praise, worship and Israeli Folk Dance, the group settles back for
the annual "spontaneous" play from the book of Ruth
When folks arrived, they never knew who'd be asked to step up and read the parts of Ruth, Boaz, Naomi, the Kinsman Redeemer, and others in the play.
We know that Israel is the "Apple of God's Eye", but the book of Ruth reminds us that Ha'Shem/Yahweh has not forgotten the Goy/Gentile. Ruth was a Moabitess, a gentile herself, yet from her marriage to Boaz came the lineage of King David and even Messiah Yeshua. The 2008 Cast included (from Left to Right)
Naomi (Rita), Ruth (Janice), Orpah (Amber), Jewish Woman living in the city (Jeanne),
Boaz (Chuck), The Foreman of Boaz's fields (Jeremy),
The Kinsman Redeemer (Bill), Play Director (Curtis), Jewish Elder (Doug)
(Front Left) Stacy watches and listens as the story develops
After the deaths of their husbands, Naomi (Left) encourages her daughters-in-law, Ruth and Orpah, to return to their homes and their peoples
RUTH: Don't urge me to leave you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God, my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.
Orpah returns to her home, but Ruth refuses to leave her mother-in-law and returns with her to Bethlehem. NAOMI: Where did you glean today?
RUTH: The name of the man I worked with today is Boaz.
NAOMI: Yahweh bless him! He has not stopped showing his kindness to the living or the dead. Boaz is a close relative; he is one of our “kinsman-redeemers”.
RUTH: He even invited me to stay with his workers until they finish harvesting all his grain.
NAOMI: It will be good for you, my daughter, to go with his girls, because in someone else's field you might be harmed.
NARRATOR: The “kinsman-redeemer” was the nearest of kin. He had the responsibility of redeeming his kinsman's lost opportunities. If a person was forced into slavery, his redeemer purchased his freedom. When debt threatened to overwhelm him, the kinsman stepped in to redeem his homestead and let the family live. If a family member died without an heir, the kinsman married the widow and reared a son to hand down his name.
NAOMI: Tonight Boaz will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes. Then go down to the threshing floor, but don't let him know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, note the place where he is lying. Then go and uncover his feet and lie down. He will tell you what to do next.
So Ruth did as Naomi had suggested
BOAZ: Who are you?
RUTH: I am your servant, Ruth. Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a “kinsman-redeemer” to me.
BOAZ: May Ha’Shem, blessed be His name, bless you, my daughter. This is a great kindness that you have shown me. Don’t be afraid. I will do all that you’ve ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. Although I am near of kin, there is a “kinsman-redeemer” nearer than I, who is entitled to marry you. Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem you, then good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will redeem you and take you as my wife. Lie here until morning.
When the "nearer" kinsman refused to redeem Ruth, Boaz did and took her as his wife.
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife.
Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
Curtis gives the rest of the group a look at baby Boaz,
before the couple get to look themselves
Naomi holds the grandson that she received from Ruth and Boaz
WOMAN: Praise be to the LORD, Naomi. Ha Shem has not left even you without a “kinsman-redeemer”. May the child become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, Ruth, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given birth to a son.
READER 4: Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.
WOMAN: Naomi has a grandson through Ruth and Boaz. His name is Obed.
READER 4: Boaz was the father of Obed, Obed was the father of Jesse, and Jesse was the father of David, who became King over all of Israel.
To see the entire Shavuot Play about Ruth, Click HERE
Doug leads the group in a short teaching on Shavuot in the Original and New Covenants. Toward the end of the evening, everyone got to taste all the wonderful food that had brought for the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost. There were several cheesecakes and other dairy dishes, as well as Baklavah, Coconut Rice, Breads, and even several Israeli Salads.
After everyone had finished eating, we separated the group into two teams (men & women) to play our annual Torah game. Each group was asked a question (from 1 to 12 points), then allowed to discuss it with their group before giving their answer/answers. The women had won for the past two years, but the men were sure they were gonna win this year.
Some of the questions included: Festivals:
Q. Name the 7 major Biblical Festivals. (7 pts)
A. Pesach/Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot/Pentecost, Rosh Hashannah/Trumpets, Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement and Sukkot/Tabernacles
Q. What are the 5 purposes for celebrating the Feasts of the Lord. (5 pts)
A. (1) Unify the Nations
(2) Opportunity to Worship God
(3) Illustrate Spiritual Truths
(4) They Foretell Messiah
(5) Remembrance or Rehearsal
Passover:
Q. What is the Hebrew word for Passover? (1 pt)
A. Pesach
Q. How many matzot are placed in the matza cover? (1 pt)
A. 3
Q. What is one interpretation or meaning of the three matzot? (9 pts)
A. (1) Father, Son & Holy Spirit
(2) Priests, Levites & Israelites
(3) Abraham, Isaac & Jacob
Congratulations to the men, who did indeed win the Torah game for 2008 Blowing Rock Stage Company
at the Mariam & Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center
June 13 - June 22, 2008We're always looking for opportunities to fellowship and do a little traveling, too. When Duke & Myrl found out that the Blowing Rock Stage Company would be performing the play "The Immigrant", the story of Jewish immigrants coming to the US to start a new life, several of us decided we'd have to go see it. Duke & Myrl, Paul & Susan, Carolyn & Curtis drove up to Blowing Rock and on into Boone for lunch, with plans to meet up with Doug & Lynda later that afternoon.
Parked and ready for lunch
We stopped at Macado's for a wonderful lunch. They have everything on their menu from Reubens to Encheladas, Club Sandwiches, Subs, Lasagna, Pizza and all types of wonderful desserts. If you've never been there, you've got to check it out if you're ever passing through Boone, NC.
Check out their menu at http://www.macados.com/TAKEOUT3.pdf
(Left to Right) Carolyn, Susan, Paul, Curtis, Myrl & Duke
We met up with Doug & Lynda at their house in Blowing Rock, then drove to the Mariam & Robert Hayes Performing Arts Center for the play.
"The Immigrant"
PG-13The Immigrant is a true story about two Eastern European Jews who immigrated to a small Texas town in 1909. Inspired by his grandmother's photo album, Mark Harelik tells the story of two out of the thousands of Jewish immigrants who ended up in the American Southwest through an immigrant resettlement program.
Mark Harelik is a writer and actor, a native Texan who grew up in the only Jewish family in the small town of Hamilton, in Central Texas, where his two biographical plays, The Immigrant & The Legacy, take place. In 1991, The Immigrant, a telling of his Jewish grandparents' Immigration to rural Texas and their first thirty years of life there, was the most widely produced play in the country. It has been seen at nearly every major theater in the country.
Haskell Harelik (Christopher A. Kent) pulls his fruit and vegetable cart through the small
Texas town of Hamilton and pauses to chat with Ima Perry (Viki Boyle).
After opening his Dry Goods Store in Hamilton, Haskell informs Ima & Milton Perry (Stephen T. Ware)
that his wife Leah has just arrived from Russia.
(Left) Haskell Harelik with Milton Perry
(Right) Leah Harelik with Ima Perry
The play, aside from some mature language, was awesome - causing us to laugh as well as shed a few tears during the two hour performance.
After the play we headed back to Doug & Lynda's house in Blowing Rock for dinner.
(Left to Right) Lynda, Doug, Susan, Carolyn, Myrl, Duke, Paul & Curtis
What a view from Doug & Lynda's house in Blowing Rock!
A wonderful meal and fellowship!
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