903-474-3267
806 Rains CR 3330
Emory, TX 75440
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Torah Study: 7 PM Fridays
(house next to main bldg)
Sabbath Meeting:
10:30 AM Saturdays (main bldg)
Oneg Potluck following the
Sabbath meeting (fellowship bldg)
What To Expect
Here's a summary. For more information, please see Oneg (Our Weekly Potluck), Regular Order of Meeting, and Helpful Details.
When you visit us, you'll find a group of regular folk in ordinary modest clothing, many who will smile at you and some who will shake your hand and ask your name. You can sit anywhere, but it never hurts to ask if you're concerned about taking somebody's regular chair. *smile*
We have a typical routine, but it's subject to welcome "interruptions" prompted by the Holy Spirit. After the meeting, there's the eating! *smile*
We want you to feel welcome, to feel loved. We're hoping to meet you someday--here or in glory!
Oneg (Our Weekly Potluck)
After every Shabbat morning service, we enjoy a full meal together as Messiah's family right next door in the fellowship building. Oneg (pronounced owe-neg) is a Hebrew word meaning "delight" or "delicacy" and often denotes a fellowship meal, a love feast. Ours is a potluck. Don't worry if you didn't bring anything. We have plenty, and we want to share our food and time with you. If you do want to bring something, please be sure to read about Meat under the heading, Helpful Details.
Regular Order of Meeting
- Shofar Blast - if someone is available to sound it
- Scripture - a passage read from the pulpit
- Praise - typically contemporary music (See Praise & Worship under Helpful Details.)
- Prayer - voicing prayer requests, followed by brief time for private prayers to be lifted up as a group
- Special Music - invitation to those who have a song to share
- Main Message - by the pastor or someone he has asked to speak
- Benediction - prayer and/or song
We encourage you to stay and eat with us! Please see Oneg (Our Weekly Potluck) and Helpful Details: Meat for information.
Iron Sharpens Iron
a message by John Robinson
Helpful Details
Topics are in alphabetical order: Children, Dress Code, Expressing Praise & Worship, Freedom of Speech, Meat, Parking, Tithes & Offerings.
Children
We love children. Many of our families have adopted children. We have a place where you can take your baby or toddler for nursing or quieting without being left out of things. Often, we have a place for your small child to enjoy appropriate activities with other children. We welcome you to keep your children seated quietly with you. We're accustomed to the small noises little ones sometimes make.
Dress Code
We want you to feel at ease among us, not embarrassed. Please don't let clothing be an excuse for staying away from Yah's house. We usually wear comfortable clothes and shoes that one might wear to work in an office or out to eat in a nice East Texas restaurant.
With that in mind, we do have some preferences. Modesty is our dress code. By this, we mean that we prefer men and women show no skin below the clavicle (breastbone) and on or above the knee and wear no sleeveless tops, no drooping pants, and no tight clothing that outlines the body. Most of our women wear dresses/skirts to our meetings, but some may wear loose-fitting pants with a long (thigh-length) blouse. If a woman or girl wears jeans or leggings, we appreciate her wearing a long blouse or short dress with them. Some of our women wear head coverings; some do not. Some of us wear tzitzit and some do not. Generally, we don't wear tallits or kippas, but you can do so; some of us do occasionally.
Thank you for being considerate.
We don't want to embarrass anyone, but out of concern for our children, these situations must be addressed: no shirt; skin revealed above mid-thigh or below point where cleavage begins; and (visible) obscene, blasphemous, or hate-filled tattoos or clothing. If these are an issue for you, please call us. We want to help you and to be able to welcome you.
Expressing Praise & Worship
Standing, kneeling, prostrating oneself, raising hands, Hebraic and spontaneous dancing, singing, shouting, clapping, instruments--we embrace all options for Biblical praise and worship.
Freedom of Speech
Men and women may speak, if prompted by the Holy Spirit, after being acknowledged by the pastor or other person directing the order of service. Once recognized, a person can share a very brief message, a short testimony, a praise report, a succinct and salient comment, or ask an appropriate question. People who need special prayer for healing or deliverance can request this during prayer time or any time, if urgent. Responses to such requests are taken seriously; they are not a performance. Public utterances are in English unless there is an interpreter present. While many of us pray in other tongues and may speak in this manner on behalf of someone seeking healing or deliverance, we do so quietly in obedience to Scriptures that require an interpretation of other tongues when spoken publicly. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, 14:1-5, 13, 19
Meat
We eat animal products so long as they are not bloody and comply with the list of Biblically clean meats (Leviticus 11). This means we do not eat any pig products, catfish, shellfish or most other seafood, or carrion birds. Specifically, we eat only animals with divided hooves that also chew the cud or water creatures having both fins and scales. Many of us also try to eat as healthy as possible. We have no problem with meals or dishes that include both meat and dairy unless a goat kid has been boiled in its mother's milk (Ex 23:19, 34:26, DT 14:21).
Parking
You can park along the walkway to the left of the building or in the grass, facing the building on the right. You can drive under the portico to drop off someone, but please watch for children playing and people going in/out the door.
Tithes & Offerings
We don't ask for an offering or pass a collection plate. Instead, we have a tzedakah box just inside the sanctuary, entering through the left door. The Hebrew word "tzedakah" (tseh-DAH-kah) means righteousness, which includes giving charitably and in support of Yah's work. If you want to give, you can put cash or check in one of the envelopes provided or drop your gift in the box anonymously. Online giving can be done via PayPal. If you are not already part of Messiah's family, we encourage you to first receive Yah's love offering: Messiah, who died for you.