Roots of Faith

I am extremely pleased to announce a new and very unique discussion list. This is yet another incredible tool provided to you by my friend Brian David Jones. He hosts my web site and has made possible the blog on my site to include the podcasts and most recently the ability to webcast our weekly Sabbath services live on the internet every Saturday morning.

Subscribers to this list will be able to interact with others in a healthy and yet forsaken art - the ancient art of Dialogue! Many religious institutions shy away from questions. Not so at Roots of Faith. I believe that most people have legitimate questions as well as an earnest desire to find real answers. I also believe that collectively we can learn if we enter into respectful dialogue with others.

Dialogue is something that took place in the formative years of Christianity in the synagogue every Sabbath, but rarely takes place within the walls of religious institutions today. See how it is used in the following passages for example. (Acts 17:2, 17; 18:4, 19; 19:8, 9; 20:7, 9; 24:5). In each of these passages we have forms of the Greek word dialogomai. The word is defined as:

1. of a reasoned discussion - discuss, discourse with, conduct a discussion 2. of disputation - contend, argue, dispute 3. of speaking with someone in order to convince, address, speak, reason with.

I want people to carefully and respectfully consider the ideas of others. Trying to understand where a person is coming from without being judgmental is very hard for most of us. Often we attempt to force ideas, coerce and persuade others rather than provide an open forum to express differing views and to allow the expression of differing views in order to gain mutual learning by effective communications.

I see this list as an excellent opportunity to exchange ideas and so I encourage you to consider joining this list. If however you are one that already has all the answers, or has an agenda to convert everyone to a particular point of view, or are seeking to condemn or otherwise ridicule anyone for not defining things according to your pre-determined view (s), then this list is not for you.

I recognize through personal experience that it is very difficult to have civil conversations about differing Biblical beliefs. The scars of ghostly inquisitions from the past and the present fear of being labeled a heretic often drive people to search for truth in solitude.

I personally believe that the faith of many has been stunted by not providing people with a forum to ask questions. Great spiritual enlightenment is always birthed by an irresistible desire to search for truth and the boldness to sell all for that elusive pearl of great price. Many have lost family and friends - and in some cases their life as a result of seeking after truth and discovering that they had been lied to. The prophet Jeremiah speaks about a time when Gentiles will go unto God from the ends of earth, lamenting that their fathers have inherited lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit (Jeremiah 16:19).

May we all be like those Bereans of old, declared to be more noble than the Thessalonians because they did two things: (1) received the word with all readiness of mind and (2) they searched the Scriptures daily to see if those things were true. (Acts 17:11)

I am reminded of a wonderful saying found in the Sayings of the Fathers (Mishna Avoth 2:6) that says, “The timid student does not learn and the stern teacher does not educate.”

I really believe this to be true. I, like all of you have some firmly held convictions. Many of us have MANY such convictions. I for one am learning to listen and learn from those who have a differing opinion than I. Some of the most valuable learning for me has been gained from actively listening to a view with which I had not been familiar, but that was presented with evidence and tact.

So if you have honest questions about faith related issues and are open to consider the views of others, to constructively and respectfully challenge long established doctrines and dogmas, all the while allowing yourself to be vulnerable and teachable then this list is probably for you. I have to believe that most people try to act with integrity based upon what they see and know at any given time.

I want to encourage open advocacy and authentic inquiry on this list. In order for this to work, and for you to remain on this list you must understand and utilize both.

Open advocacy can be defined as “stating a position that permits others to state a different position.” Examples of using open advocacy include prefacing a statement in one of the following ways:

This is the way I see it…
This is what I think (or believe) and why…
I suggest…
Let’s try….
Have you considered this in your current understanding?
I have always understood that to mean this…..
From what I have studied, this was understood in this way by the ancients….

Examples of what open advocacy is NOT are as follows:

This is how it is……
You have to believe this……
It’s obvious…..
There’s no way…..

Open advocacy must be balanced by authentic inquiry. This can be defined as “asking questions to gain a better understanding or to deepen understanding.” Examples include language such as:

What do you see?
Why do we believe this?
What is the basis for this doctrine?
How do you understand this passage?
Help me understand why you believe that…
What leads you to that conclusion?
Could you give me an example or perhaps say more?
What do you mean when you say…….?
What might we be missing when we look at things in this way?

So you see, this method of dialogue could be very instructive. I am of the opinion that we must look to the book to find the answers to our questions. The Second Temple period gave us a rich body of learning that includes;

The Hebrew Bible - the Bible that Jesus and his earliest followers used (now called the Old Testament),

The New Testament or Christian Scriptures, which tell us much about the way that various people and groups interpreted their Bible (the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament)

Other Ancient religious texts (gnostic gospels, Apocrypha, Pseudopigrapha, etc)

We also have some incredible learning in Jewish literature (Talmud, Mishna, etc),

Not to mention the corpus of texts known to the modern world as the Dead Sea Scrolls.

There is much to be gleaned from a fresh analysis of our questions from any and all of these sources.

So, in closing I would encourage you to consider joining this new and exciting list. While I will be a member of this list, I want this to be a dialogue in its truest sense. This is not about finding out what Ross believes on this or that topic. I will be participating to learn from you as much as I intend to share any knowledge that I may possess on a given subject. I want to invite Biblical scholars, Jewish rabbis, Fundamentalist Christians, Jews, etc. Each of us has a valuable contribution to our collective understanding if we can present and be allowed to present these views in accordance with what I have outlined above.

Our modern way of thinking has conditioned us to think that learning is only gained through answers to our questions. The ancient rabbis, and this includes Jesus, often taught people through asking more questions when faced with a question. Quite often this form of teaching leads the student to “answers” on their own that they would not have considered if a formulated “answer” had been given.

Are you ready to learn? If you wish to participate in this list, you must sign up on my web site. I will not sign anyone up for the list. You must click on the link at the bottom of this article and fill out the form. It is very simple, but please feel free to write me if you have difficulty and I will help you.

A Sabbath to Remember

The Key word that connects the Torah portion to the Prophet reading this week according to the ancient reading cycle is the word “remember”.
In preparing for the class this coming Sabbath I have come across some interesting points from an ancient sermon delivered on an occassion of this very Torah portion.  I will share these points this week.
We will also consider;

• What it is that God will remember
• What He chooses NOT to remember
• Who the Bible declares that God remembered
• What WE are told to remember
• What it is that we are NOT to remember
• What it is that “all the ends of the earth are to remember” - and what they will do as a result of this remembrance
• The two Psalms that are written for the stated purpose “to cause to remember”

The Bible commands that fringes are to be worn on the four corners of our garments so that we may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them (Numbers 15:37-41 and Deuteronomy 22:12). Jesus wore these (Matthew 9:20).  What sign became a reminder to God and what does this have to do with the section of the Torah that we are now in?
There is a very interesting phrase found only two times in the entire Hebrew Bible and hinted at once in the teaching of Jesus associated with remembering.  What is that phrase and what can we learn from it?

A Riddle

Who am I?
I am one of five remembered of God
In one text that mentions me you will read of God’s firstborn Son
I am named in that text
I wept
Who am I?

(Email your answer to me at RNDAVAR@aol.com) The first one to solve the riddle is the winner of a copy of our CD - Hac! V’Shema. I will announce the winner this Sabbath live on the web!

And finally I will introduce what I have called the Bible’s Hidden Prayer Book based upon the Ancient reading for this Sabbath from the Prophet Habakkuk.

Don’t FORGET to join us for the Shabbat Morning Alive Service - LIVE on the web - every Saturday morning at 10:30 AM Central time.  Go to my Audio Torah Page (http://rootsoffaith.org/Audio_Torah.htm) and click on the link to listen.

Shalom to you and yours, Ross

 

 A Sabbath to Remember [123:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

 

 A Sabbath to Remember - Dialog [75:44m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download