Fellowship is an important part of life for any Believer, Messianic or not. When the LORD imparts on a Believer's heart to follow a Messianic lifestyle, it can cause the Believer to re-evaluate the place where he or she worships.

To one who attends a Gentile church, the views of the clergy towards the Feast of the LORD, and to Jewish roots in general, will become extremely important. If you are a Gentile Believer, odds have it that you are attending a church or some kind. Talk to your pastor and the elders to find out what their views are. You may be pleasantly surprised. Many churches recognize the Feasts in some way, and some even have a Passover Seder.

If you find them hostile to your views, it may be time to move on to a congregation that shares your viewpoint. This can be difficult, especially if you have attended a church for a long time and have many friends and church "family" there. Pray about it, and listen to what God is telling you. In some cases, if you are led to stay, you may be able to teach your Brothers and Sisters about Messianic ways. Don't be too forceful -- zealousness does not always beget wisdom. Let the Ruach Ha'Kodesh guide your words.

Many Jewish people who come to faith attend a traditional (by "traditional," I mean non-Messianic) synagogue. Being immediately open about your faith, especially if you start overtly witnessing to others, might cause anything from a stern lecture by your Rabbi, to being banned from the building. Of course, the necessity to pray goes without speaking. You might be led to keep your faith to yourself for a while; to reveal it slowly and tactfully. You don't want to call too much attention to yourself especially if you are young in the faith, because you might not be in the best position to debate about spiritual matters.

Should a Messianic Jewish Believer venture into a Gentile church? I don't recommend it and I don't discourage it. It is always interesting and a growing experience to see how other people worship, to argue on the side of intellectual curiosity. There are as many flavors of Gentile churches as there are Jewish synagogues, and it may take you a while to find one in which you feel comfortable, if at all. There is nothing wrong with lots of fellowship, and you can go to your synagogue on Saturday and a church on Sunday.

The spiritual meeting place in terms of fellowship for Jewish and Gentile Messianic Believers is a Messianic congregation. If there is one in your area, check it out. You don't necessarily have to give up going to church on Sunday, if you are Gentile (the principle of "the more fellowship the better" applies here as well). If you are Jewish and want to continue in your home synagogue, perhaps attend the Messianic congregation on alternate Saturdays, attend only the mid-week service (if the congregation has one), or attend a Bible study or small group offered by the congregation.

There are also home fellowships that often meet on a Shabbat evening, which would free up your Saturday to attend a Messianic Congregation or synagogue. Use discernment about home fellowships, as they are usually not affiliated with a congregation or Messianic governing organization -- find out how long the fellowship has been meeting, the backgrounds of the leaders, and the group's beliefs.

The bottom line is that as Believers, it is important that we are fed with spiritual food. Where we are getting it from is less important than it's nutritional quality.

Copyright 2002