Cry of the Shofar, A Cry to Heaven

I love hearing this sound!   It is the sound of the Shofar on a Jerusalem street filmed as we were walking from the market.  
   
             
Maybe it's because I have come to understand it represents one crying out to Heaven to be able to come back into their presence; one who is deeply longing to return, to come home to a place of safety and comfort?  Maybe it's because I have come to personally relate to it and I feel that sound within me, crying out to Heaven, deeply longing to return?

According to the Jewish history, this time of year is holy.  It resembles a time of new beginnings and a time when Adam recognized he was "lost" and turned towards the Garden of Eden, calling out to our Father in Heaven filled with remorse, with a desire to return home.   Each year this special sound can be heard, representing all faithful Israelite's calling back to that Garden of Heaven's presence.  


This can be summed up in a simple parable from Rabbi Israel Baai Shem Tov:
A King had an only son, the apple of his eye. The King wanted his son to master different fields of knowledge and to experience various cultures, so he sent him to a far-off country, supplied with a generous quantity of silver and gold. Far away from home, the son squandered all the money until he was left completely destitute. In his distress he resolved to return to his father's house and after much difficulty, he managed to arrive at the gate of the courtyard to his father's palace.
In the passage of time, he had actually forgotten the language of his native country, and he was unable to identify himself to the guards. In utter despair he began to cry out in a loud voice, and the King, who recognized the voice of his son, went out to him and brought him into the house, kissing him and hugging him.
The meaning of the parable: The King is G-d. The prince is the Jewish people, who are called "Children of G-d" (Deuteronomy 14:1). The King sends a soul down to this world in order to fulfill the Torah and mitzvot. However, the soul becomes very distant and forgets everything to which it was accustomed to above, and in the long exile it forgets even its own "language." So it utters a simple cry to its Father in Heaven. This is the blowing of the shofar, a cry from deep within, expressing regret for the past and determination for the future. This cry elicits G-d’s mercies, and He demonstrates His abiding affection for His child and forgives him.
This parable illustrates beautifully a Pilgrim wandering in a strange land becoming accustomed to the language and forgetting the King's language to pass the gate.  I can't help but relate it to my life and all of God's children.  Could we be that Prince or Princess?  Could we have possibly forgotten the language of the King?

 This I do know, the moment we feel this cry swelling within our breasts, we turn and do cry out to Heaven.  The King of Heaven and His Angels hear that sincere desire and His eldest son, our Savior Jesus Christ, walks out to embrace us and carry us back.  His atoning power envelopes us, free's us, enable's us, protects us.  And do you know what?  

 His merciful arm is outstretched still.    

Great Resources to read more:

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Tabernacle of Moses Discovery Guide ~ A Perfect Resource for Celebrating!

Have you ever attended a harvest-themed gathering where families bring pies from their own garden surplus?  It kind of sounds like a scene from Little House where they bake all day, then travel through the big woods to visit family and play with cousins.  Or, those olden days in America where families gather for a barn raising and some singing and dancing in the evening. 

Usually each fall, our Celebration committee creates family gatherings similar to these, but within our modern context and story; celebrating our Pilgrim's Course story of similar struggle with day to day living within our efforts of returning home.

This year, we are offering a special resource for your family in honor of a special time in the Original calendar.   Monday, September 9th is actually the New Year and the Hebrew people have kept this Original calendar since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.  These next two days marks the end of the year 5,778.  September 10th will then be the year 5,779 - Five thousand seven hundred eighty years since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden.  

It's interesting huh?  

It's not common we hear of the dates being tracked since that time, but the Jews have been keeping their instructions to keep the records.

This time of year is holy to the Jews and those who honor our Original beginnings.  It actually resembles a time of new beginnings; a time that is known among the Jewish culture, where Adam recognized he was "lost" and turned towards the Garden of Eden, calling out to our Father in Heaven filled with remorse, with a desire to return home.   A tradition ensued at some point, according to the Jews, where each year they gather all their unrepentant sins, burdens, mistakes and call out to G-d to release them in efforts to return back.  This showed their re-commitment to renew, to transform and to begin again to be God's people.   
To read more about the cry of the shofar and the Head (beginning) of the Year, see here.
Read a very interesting article about what happened in 1827 in America on the Feast of Trumpets date. 
Now in our Christian worldview, we know our Creator and Redeemer came to free us and was that gate keeper for Adam and Eve and all their posterity; us.   Even though he came in the meridian of time, Adam was taught to look forward and participate in certain rites which would help them remember and believe in His coming.   And we know, each weekly Sabbath is a symbolic time for us to return back towards our Father through the power of the atonement; to recognize, release and renew along with our families.

Nevertheless, this time of year is significant because I believe it holds certain seasonal or energetic turnings.  For example, my life seems to be Divinely in-tune with these turnings.  
Each July I begin re-evaluating my schedule and life and spend the next few months organizing or ordering, in some way, to begin a new pattern in Sept/October.  I began noticing this pattern some years ago.  It was just happening to me without thinking about it, like it was my second nature.  I believe it was my inner light communicating truth to me actually.  Maybe it is a pattern you have noticed?  If not, try observing it for yourself.
Since this time of year is not only significant to me, but to our Original family of old, I feel the need to share about the importance of our gathering in Celebration of G-d and all His Creation.    Although that should be done daily, weekly and on a personal scale, this year, we are sharing a free resource to be used within our homes.  

 Come join my family and I as we gather around our table and search to learn more about G-d's Tabernacle of Moses through Tracie Hyde's Tabernacle of Moses Discovery Guide!

As more families participate in this kind of "turning back" to our Original Judeo-Christian heritage, we will come to understand the significance of the Israelite's efforts to perform exact obedience through building this Tabernacle.  We have the opportunity today to engage in this study and in doing so, assist in the awakening of the family and people of Israel.  (Romans 11)



Many thanks to Messages of Christ for creating this video!

We have this pdf for you - Tabernacle of Moses Discovery Guide by Tracie Hyde - on this link (scroll down to middle of the page).  Gathering around the table to study words is a great way to gather and celebrate the New Year! 

 Join us!

~ Katie 

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