Rosh Hashanah

After several weeks of study and reading, we celebrated Rosh Hashanah starting last night at sundown. We gathered together to celebrate the Feast of Trumpets, to appreciate that part of our spiritual heritage, and to look forward to what it could mean for us in the future.

Rosh Hashanah is the spiritual new year on the Jewish calendar and begins 10 days of repentance and reflection before Yom Kippur, the day of Atonement. Many spend this time righting wrongs with others and repenting so that God will right their name in the Book of Life. A popular greeting is
L'Shanah Tovah Tikatevu
Literal Hebrew to English Translation: May you be inscribed (in the Book of Life) for a good year.

We had many of the traditional Rosh Hashanah foods like apples and honey, and round challah bread to represent a sweet new year. (Brad made it, I burned it ;)). We had spinach in hopes for a good crop this year (perfect since we started a garden!) and rice to show abundance. We even had kosher wine and blessed everything from the candles down to the apples just like at a traditional Rosh Hashanah feast.

We listened to the shofar (ram's horn "trumpet") sound to call our attention to the beginning of the high holy days, and reflected on verses about Jesus' return at the sound of a trumpet (a shofar?).

Today we went to the park for the Tashlich, or casting off. We pulled out our pockets, and threw our sins (bread crumbs) into the depths (of the pond...and eaten by ducks). We read Micah 7:18-19: "Who is like You, God, who removes iniquity and overlooks transgression of the remainder of His inheritance. He does not remain angry forever because He desires kindness. He will return and He will be merciful to us, and He will conquer our iniquities, and He will cast off our sins into the depths of the seas."

All in all, I think it was a great first Rosh Hashanah. I think there is a lot to learn about the character of God and how He interacts with His people by studying and participating in the feasts of the Old Testament. We can celebrate with even more joy because Jesus fulfilled so many aspects of these feasts! We can prepare ourselves for the Day of Atonement knowing that our sins have already been covered and we don't have to wait to see if our names have been inscribed in the Book of Life!

I'm looking forward to the next 10 days of reflection, and for Yom Kippur, a day of atoning..then Sukkot, the feast of tabernacles. So many ways to celebrate!

Here are some of the books I have been reading that have really piqued my interest in the Feasts.

Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner
Feast: Finding your place at the table of tradition by Derek Leman
Celebrating Jesus in the Biblical Feasts: Discovering Their Significance to You as a Christian by Richard Booker