Joshua Lee: Church Visit #2

Church name: the Messianic Congregation of Chicago (MC^2)

Church address: 1709 W Cornelia Ave. Chicago, IL 60657

Date attended: 18, October, 2014

Church category: Different Ethnic or racial demographic 

1.       Describe the worship service you attended, How similar of different?

      I entered the Messianic Jewish Congregation expecting to be greeted by a full-bearded rabbi and scrolls of Torah. But instead, I saw a piano, drum, guitar, and a projector—a typical contemporary church setting. Even the people, who were mostly of the Jewish ethnic background, were not distinctively Jewish in their attire or manner, per se. The only outstanding Jewish element was the Menorah, the Seven-branch candle stand, which was on the table. Setting-wise, the Messianic congregation was not so different from my home church.

But yet how subtly and powerfully different the service was! There was so much awe and reverence for God. The service started with lighting of the candle and the blessing in Hebrew. We then faced towards Jerusalem and dedicated a prayer. After, we read Shema from Torah, reminding ourselves that the Lord is One and the only Adonai. Finally, we read passages from the Torah, Haftarah, and the Brit Hadasha (New Covenant), which created a strong sense that Yahweh of the Old Testament is Yeshua of the New Testament---indeed, the Adonai was One.  

2.       What did you find most interesting or appealing about the worship service?

      It was so evident that the congregation approached the Lord with so much awe and thirst. Jesus was not just a name thrown haphazardly for comfort and love. He was not a subject of ambiguous passion. Rather, he was the one to be praised and one to be depended on. He is the transcendent Son of God, yet He was so immanent in his Incarnation as Yeshua. The Lordship of the Adonai pervaded the whole service.

And it was so neat that there was a strong connection between the Old Testament and the New Covenant. We reach passage from the Torah (Genesis), Haftarah (Isaiah), and Brit Hadasha (Luke). It really felt like the Bible was a continuous history of redemption, climaxed by Jesus’ incarnation and resurrection. The Torah laid down the Law that the Brit Hadasha fulfilled; Haftarah prophesizes and points towards Yeshua of the New Covenant. There was no disconnect between the God of the Old Testament and Christ of the New Testament, a disconnect that I felt in typical church services.

3.       What did you find most disorienting or challenging about the worship service?

     I wish I knew the Hebrew language. Some portions of the services or responses were in Hebrew, and knowing the meaning of the phrases would have enriched my experience. I am sure there are some parts of the passages that couldn't be captured by English translations.

Also, I wish I knew the Jewish Culture. The preacher explained the special season that the Jewish community was celebrating. A cultural understanding would have deepened my appreciation for the celebration of these holidays.

Finally, I wanted to know more about the special place that the Israel holds in the history of redemption. The Messianic Congregation conveyed a sense that the Israel held a special role in salvation. I want to know this theology more.

4.       What aspects of Scripture or theology did the worship service illuminate for you that you had not perceived as clearly in your regular context?

      I left the church with the renewed sense of God’s sovereignty. Throughout the prayers, responses, and sermon, I was constantly reminded to de-center myself and put the Adonai in the center of my life. God became bigger and bigger as the service went on, while I became smaller and smaller.

Also, the use of the term Yeshua and the reading in Hebrew reminded me of the doctrine of specificity: God gave the Torah to a specific ethnic Group, and He entered into time as a male, Palestinian Jew. Therefore, we need to understand at least some cultural and linguistic contexts to understand the Lord.

Finally, the celebration of the Torah reminded me that the Law, which is often vilified in the West, is really a blessing for the people of God. As much as the Law communicates God’s justice, it is filled with mercy and righteousness that hold abundant promises of blessings and steadfast love. It reminded me that the Law is an intricate part of salvation, not an obstacle. Yeshua has fulfilled this Law, and growing in His likeness would require us to live out the Law in our own life, as summarized by Jesus’ two greatest commands: Love the Lord with all our hearts, and love our neighbors as ourselves.