News

There are a lot of people in today’s Messianic Movement. Some of the larger congregations have hundreds of regularly attending weekly members, and even some of the smaller groups boast numbers over 100. There is also certainly no lack of families and especially young children in the movement. (As a father of 5, I know this very well).

But sadly, there are a number of people who are too far away from a local Messianic community. Whether that be from living in a rural area or being unable to commute to weekly Shabbat services. There are also those who are commonly overlooked. This may be people with physical disabilities who are unable to contribute to Synagogue work days or filling care packages for the homeless. This may be people who are spread so financially thin that they are not able to tithe as much as expected (or in some cases, at all). This may be the single man or woman who does not have a spouse and children and so often gets excluded from many of the assembly’s family-oriented events. Or perhaps it’s the single parent who has a hard time connecting with others due to being full-time parent and full-time employee.

And many similar such cases there are. So I hope – and pray – this article accomplishes at least two things.

Awareness

The first thing I hope this article can accomplish is to bring awareness to these facts. People in these situations are often overlooked not out of malice or spite, but generally out of absentmindedness. While leadership is especially accountable for checking in with people and making sure people are doing well – physically, emotionally, mentally, and especially spiritually – the responsibility does not fall solely on the pastors and Rabbis. It also falls on the congregation as a whole. These “overlooked” people are still members of the Body for whom Messiah Yeshua died.

That divorced father of three might not feel like he fits in at the midweek chavurah (small group) when the study topic is “having a thriving marriage” and everyone else there is married. He feels like the odd one out. He feels like he’s surrounded by successful relationships while he himself reels from the fallout and “failure” of divorce.

The single woman with no children may not feel at home at oneg with all the other women who have grown kids, teenagers, toddlers, and infants. Naturally the process of child-rearing arises as a common topic of conversation. But to her, she can only listen and contemplate what she may feel is absent from her life.

To be clear, these are not bad things. Helping members of a small group learn how to contribute more to their marriage, die to self, serve their spouse, these are good things. Conversations about raising children – the thing simultaneously most rewarding and most difficult – are wonderful topics to discuss and trade stories and advice about.

But the widow who rarely comes to service because she feels isolated even in a crowd; the elderly man on disability who has a hard time getting ready for morning worship service; the couple with seven children who can barely afford the gas to drive each week. All of these such cases and more exist all around us.

And we – and I say this including myself – have a tendency to get caught up in our own interests, our own discussions, our own cliques. First and foremost, I want believers to become aware of the overlooked persons in their own congregations. Reach out to them. Invite them over for dinner. Not simply out of pity, but out of genuine concern. We all have blind spots, areas where we don’t notice things. That is simply a feature of being human. But we can also overcome that, we can make better habits, we can learn to truly see people.

Encouragement

The second thing I hope this article does is encourage people who may be in the situations – or similar ones – to what I have described. Whether that is because you feel like you don’t fit in or because for one reason or another you can’t attend a local congregation.

Or even, for many folks, you may not even have that as an option. Military members in foreign countries, couples living in rural areas, single parents working nights. Whatever your case may be, I want to encourage you to keep pursuing the Lord. This walk is hard. I have said numerous times that isolation and loneliness is a terrible thing. It is contrary to the plan of Adonai for His people. In fact, the very first deficiency ever found in humanity was when Adam was alone without a human companion (Gen. 2:18).

For those that are able to relocate, I would encourage you to do so. Not without forethought and proper planning, but if you are too far from a local assembly to attend and are in the position to relocate, I would strongly encourage you to find a community you can connect with, engage with, and be accountable to. (Note: do a lot of research on them first and be sure to visit a few times before officially moving. There are too many groups that operate like cults and have persuaded many people to move to the area on false pretenses).

For those unable to relocate, do what you can. Maybe you can connect with and attend a local Bible study at a non-Messianic Church. Maybe you are the spark that is needed at that congregation. Maybe you just need brothers and sisters to fellowship with, to pray with, to “do life” with.

For those without even that option, get connected online. If the only option available to you is to watch services online, be sure to also reach out to a congregation. Work on building relationships however you can, even if just through Zoom or Facebook.

I know it’s hard when you feel disconnected. It’s hard to see people on the other side of the country uploading Facebook photos of their Sukkot with their synagogue and what an incredible, blessed time it was. It feels like you’re missing out. But be encouraged.

Scripture speaks of the care God has for those that are lonely and brokenhearted.

Psalm 34:18(19) says, “Adonai is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those crushed in spirit.” (TLV)

Psalm 147:3 – “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (TLV)

Psalm 68:5(6) – “A father of orphans, defender of widows, is God in His holy dwelling.”

And don’t forget: the message of salvation, the Good News of the Kingdom, the Gospel itself, was proclaimed by Yeshua as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. This message was, first of all:

“The Ruach of Adonai Elohim is on me, because Adonai has anointed me to proclaim Good News to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, 2to proclaim the year of Adonai’s favor and the day of our God’s vengeance, to comfort all who mourn 3to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of Adonai, that He may be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:1-3, TLV)

We definitely have a tendency to put the messy-antics in Messianics. But don’t let that deter you from getting connected and being part of a fellowship community with the Body. Don’t give up on God, and don’t give up on His people.

Shalom to you and yours.

To reach, feel free to email us at info@kehillatyeshua.org.