Question: Religious titles

One of the most distinctive features about MJ is their return to Judiasm while retaining a faith in Yehsua as the Messiah. Anyone who tries to attach the name Messianic "Judaism" and yet not support a Judaistic worship style is misleading.

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Since the Torah is a finite book expressing the will of an infinite God, many lessons must be derivable from each passage from all the infinite angles.

i.e. Undeserving Recipient of Mercy and Love

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I thank you, and in my experience this is true. The three or so MJ congregations I have visited all celebrate it in the same manner as most Protestants do, often using a traditional Jewish blessing before the scriptural words of institution, which is fine of course.

The real issue is that Vis doesn't approve of using the scriptural word for thanksgiving ("eucharist" when Anglicised)- because Christians also use it. If I had dressed up the rite in Judeo-speak maybe she would have not even noticed the post. Perhaps I should call it a "Messianic Seder" or "Yeshua's kiddish" or whatever to make her happy. Same difference, same rite, same means of grace, of course. It's all about the costume to some people, so perhaps it needs to be dressed up to look "Jewish" more.

One thing I have learned- the more contact with MJs (in the real world) I have the more I see them as having common ground with me and my faith awhile it appears that they have less in common with some of the people that post here using the MJ icon.

That's a good question that I'd love to see answered.

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...and the $64 question is...what is truly "Judaistic" and what isn't. I think true worship of God is found in the liturgy the ancients churches use- the liturgy grounded and founded in both Temple and synagogue liturgy, where almost every point is from ancient Judaism, down to the colours of the vestments. Others, however, think it should look more like a modern synagogue mixed with pentecostalism or versions thereof. I think there's some room for both, others think only theirs is ok. I guess I'm just more open minded on this point than some. I have no idea where you stand on this, and it's ok by me no matter what you choose to follow.

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I thought being a MJ meant believing in Jesus and yet following the (written) Torah. Am I wrong in such an assumption?

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Jewish, Zionist, and Free Thinker.

I think MJism shares in the same dilemma that Judaism has- that is: how to follow the Torah when it's clear that one cannot follow every point. The decider is whose halacha one chooses to follow- Yeshua's and His decendants or the decendants of the Pharisees, the modern Rabbis. In both religions there is a lot of ground and room for interpretation IMHO.

Over the years I have discovered that following Yeshua is a lot harder than following the Rabbis. The commandment to love and forgive above all things and in everything is the ultimate human challenge, and all theology, ritual and religion fades into insignificance when one really looks in the mirror and works out that one has failed to love on a day to day basis. However, God's grace continually sees us through, helps us in our need and teaches us to love when we seemingly cannot.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

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That's an interesting statement. What do you see them as having in common?

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