Togetherness

“Why can’t we all just get along?” Back in 1992 Rodney King asked a question similar to this in an effort to calm the Los Angeles riots as a result of his own violent arrest by the police. As we have seen time and again because of sin, the thin veneer of civilization of our own modern American society can come quickly undone, resulting in violence and instability.

I recently read a book by Sebastian Junger called “Tribe” in which he described, through the illustration of societal breakdown due to war, the value of real community. Junger proposes that community, in its most basic sense, is simply genuine sharing and caring for others, especially in times of stress. He uses as an example the communal meal, food provided by all whether large or small, elaborate or simple, demonstrating both the human desire to care for others as well as the desire to be cared for.

We see this idea of community taught throughout Scripture, but it is clearly demonstrated among the new Yeshua followers in the book of Acts. 

Day by day they continued with one mind, spending time at the Temple and breaking bread from house to house. They were sharing meals with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. (Acts 2:46-47 TLV)

May we demonstrate today their deep commitment to community ourselves, whether in prosperity or peril!

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

True Passion!

Superbowl Sunday is almost upon us!! For many it’s more about the commercials than the game. Yet there will be many passionate to see anyone win but the Patriots this year. Passion is an interesting concept. I say concept because I think too many people do not know exactly what passion really is. They express enthusiasm, stating their love for pizza or brats, or as we see with the Superbowl, their allegiance to their favorite sports team. But is this real passion? Of course there are the romantic notions of love expressed, but is much of this real passion?

The English word for passion comes from the Latin word patere, which means to suffer. The Hebrew word for passion is נָ֫פֶשׁ (nephesh) which has to do with our very being, our souls. Thus passion is more than mere enthusiasm; it’s something much deeper.

True passion demands intense emotional and personal suffering

in regards to something

longed for!

I think of Rav Shaul, (the Apostle Paul), and his statement “…my sorrow is great and the anguish in my heart unending. For I would pray that I myself were cursed, banished from Messiah for the sake of my people… who are Israelites.” (Romans 9:2-4 TLV)

That’s true passion! That’s my passion! This is what drives me to get up early and work late. I want to see my Jewish people come to know who Messiah Yeshua really is!

What are you passionate about?

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Daring to Dream

I was speaking with a young man in my office recently about the uncertainties many young people in their 20’s feel about life. He stated that they feel frustrated about their opportunities to succeed in life compared to previous generations; they feel locked out of the American Dream.

It is true that we face serious issues as a nation, and it makes sense for young adults to feel some anxiety. In just a few weeks we will swear in a President unlike any other before him. How will he do? We do not know, and we won’t really find out for a while. This reminds me of the uncertainty the Israelites must have faced as they prepared to go into Canaan. They had experienced a change of leadership from Moses to Joshua and they also had to conquer a land that they had never seen. They faced nothing but uncertainty … except for the fact that God had given them a certain dream (a vision) to believe in, the dream that He had a Land he wanted them to have.

God gives dreams (visions) to his people to allow them to experience

His power and provision,

and to move forward His Kingdom!

Here are some things that I have learned in my ministry about dreams from God that I believe are important to consider:

·    Every dream from God is motivated by a holy discontent with the status quo.

·    Dreams from God demand courage to act in spite of fears, and are driven by deep personal conviction & sacrifice.

·    Spend time with others who dream big because of their belief in a big God.

·    People who dream big for God never stop dreaming.

What exciting opportunities has God dreamed up for you to accomplish for Him?

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Living as Lights

I confess! I love Holiday lights. The sparkles, the flashing … all works to elevate my spirit in the midst of December’s dark skies and cold weather. Recently in my conversation with a non-Messianic Jewish friend we were discussing the lack of Chanukah lights in comparison to Christmas lights. I reminded him that this is simply because in Jewish tradition Chanukah was never a big public event until Jewish tradition bumped into American marketing.

Light is an important symbol in the Scriptures. It most often has the spiritual meaning of G-d’s illumination: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 TLV). Many times the word is used specifically by G-d to challenge His people to live as His illumination in the world. When G-d called Israel, He called them to be His light to the Nations: “I, Adonai, called you in righteousness, I will take hold of your hand, I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people, as a light for the nations.” (Isaiah 42:6 TLV). Messiah Yeshua, when speaking to his talmidim in Matthew 5:14, also made this point, calling them to be the light of the world! He then added: “In the same way, let your light shine before men so they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matt 5:16 TLV). 

G-d is always looking for people to shine His truth into His world!

What an awesome responsibility and privilege it is for us to live as lights for the Light of the World: Messiah Yeshua! Give thought this month to what this truly means and how you can be someone who lights up a room, spiritually speaking!

Chappy Chanukah & Merry Messiahmas!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Leadership Today

It’s about time. In just a few days our American election will finally come to an end. The rhetoric and vitriol will stop, and the leaders of our country will get back to doing the work of leading, or so we hope.

Leadership is a much discussed topic. There is a massive “Leadership Training” industry today with books to read, videos to watch and conferences to attend. Yet why does it seem to me that we have such a lack of leadership?  Is it possible that today we have forgotten what it means to follow? In the last few years articles have been appearing talking about the importance of “Followership”.

Followership is the capacity of an individual to actively follow a leader.

Veterans Day is November 11. My father is a Korean War veteran and my younger brother served with the Marines in the First Gulf War. Military service, and the expected discipline of following orders, was something that I grew up with and have learned to value. Before 1973 the military draft required a large percent of American men to learn what it meant to follow orders. Today less than 0.5% of the American population serves. I wonder if this could be a reason for our leadership problems. It’s also possible that our focus on “self” as a nation is eroding our ability to both lead and follow, actions that demand selflessness and self-sacrifice along with personal humility.

It was our Messiah Yeshua who said “If anyone wants to follow after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and keep following Me.” Regardless of who wins the election, we can expect continued leadership problems for our nation. Let it not be the same for us as Yeshua followers – let us deny our “self”, and practice humble followership of our perfect Leader Messiah Yeshua!

Forward for Messiah!

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director

Happy 5777!

At sundown on October 2nd we began the Jewish New Year of 5777. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the birthdate of the World’s creation, yet today some followers of the G-d of Israel and Messiah Yeshua seem confused about G-d’s role in creation.

In ancient Jewish thought, the first century Jewish philosopher Philo argued for the intentional and direct creation of the universe, in opposition to the Aristotelian view of the eternality of matter. He also argued based on Proverbs that in his creating G-d used an agent called the Logos, which is interesting as we consider the teaching of Paul in the New Testament regarding Messiah Yeshua’s role in creation as well, though Paul argues that the Messiah is not just an agent of G-d but G-d himself. Traditional Jewish belief teaches that the earth is about 6,000 years old, calculated by the genealogies found within the Torah, and Maimonides taught that if there seemed to be inconsistencies between science and Scripture, than we need to study both more. As a person of faith, I maintain a firm belief in a very big G-d. I do not understand or comprehend all of the details of how G-d has created or ordered his world, but I accept as fact that the Scripture teach that G-d is the initiator, creator and sustainer of all that exists, which must limit my personal speculation, and therefore requires me to accept the limits of what I can thoroughly know for sure through science.

I am not ignorant about the discoveries of science, but I have to put the teachings of the Scriptures first. In Adam all die, but in Messiah all become alive. Hard to do if Adam never actually lived! Messiah Yeshua said, “When the Son of Man returns will he find faith on the earth?” It seems not too much.

Forward for Messiah!

Rabbi Kirk Gliebe

Coalescence: The Result of Trust Building!

In March I was honored to be a part of a small group leadership gathering in Dallas. As a member of the Steering Committee for the gathering I was asked to facilitate a discussion regarding ways of building and growing trust among ourselves as ministry workers from different organizations. One word that popped into my mind relevant to trust building was coalescence.  Coalescence can most easily be illustrated, if you think scientifically, as “the process by which two or more droplets, bubbles or particles merge during contact to form a single daughter droplet, bubble or particle.” For my simple mind, coalescence is most easily defined as the process by which two separate entities grow closer together until they ultimately become one.

I find this to be particularly interesting in my capacity both as the Rabbi of Devar Emet Messianic Synagogue and as the current President of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations. Developing trust between individuals within religious organizations is critical to ministry effectiveness. But trust grows slowly, demanding accountability, transparency and clarity of understanding between people, and yet is easily lost. Without these three values held closely, honestly and passionately among an entity’s constituents, “togetherness” can never be more than a superficial reality for any organization. Without these values an entity will inevitably and easily suffer division and chaos, and ultimately dissolution.

Patrick Lencioni in his book The Advantage speaks of four disciplines required for a healthy organization:

1)      Building Cohesive Leadership Teams

2)      Creating Clarity in Purpose and Policy

3)      Over-Communicating that Clarity

4)      Reinforcing that Clarity

Demanding real accountability, transparency and clarity from each member of a team, organization or communal entity is critical if the organization is to be healthy and to function in the way it’s supposed to. If these three values are not being carefully adhered to, trust will be diminished and ultimately lost, regardless of whether that entity is your local congregation or an international association like the UMJC.

Our faith in Messiah Yeshua demands that we live lives before one another of accountability, transparency and clarity. I agree it’s not easy, but Messiah Yeshua never promised us more than an execution stake in this world, so learning to build genuine trust with one another seems a small price to pay to living as effective members of the Messianic Kingdom.

Forward for Messiah,

Kirk Gliebe

Rabbi & Director