Typical Shabbat Service Order
Blowing the SHOFAR
The Olive Branch Messianic services begin at 12PM. Most like to arrive a little early for fellowship beforehand. At 12pm the elder or a teacher will blow the shofar (a rams horn trumpet) to call the assembly to order. At this time we all take our seats to begin the service.
The shofar was used as a signal to call the people to assembly or to communicate instructions during war battles. We are told in Ephesians 6 that we should always be ready for war putting on the whole armor of God so we can put up a good fight against the enemy. Our services are spiritual training to give a solid defense of the faith. As believers in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) we are instructed in the great commission to go make disciples of the nations.
The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.
Ezekiel 33:1-9 ESV
Announcements and Worship Music
The Olive Branch Messianic Congregation begins each service by addressing the congregation with news or concerns and then plays a few songs of praise and worship.
A Psalm for giving thanks. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100:1-5 ESV
liturgy
Liturgy is agreed upon corporate prayers. At the Olive Branch Messianic Congregation, we use a Messianic Siddur (prayer book) written by Jeremiah Greenburg. We regularly sing the Shema, the Amidah, and other traditional prayers in the Hebrew language and then recite the prayer in English.
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Acts 2:41-42 ESV
call to the Nations
As part of our service, we read a short section from Isaiah 43 as a prayer and call to those who will hear the voice of God to come worship with us. We will blow the shofar in the cardinal direction in the order listed then in unison excitedly proclaim, “COME!” trusting that the Most High will bring those called by His name.
Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Do not withhold; bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Bring out the people who are blind, yet have eyes, who are deaf, yet have ears! All the nations gather together, and the peoples assemble. Who among them can declare this, and show us the former things? Let them bring their witnesses to prove them right, and let them hear and say, It is true. “You are my witnesses,” declares the LORD, “and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.
Isaiah 43:5-11 ESV
Torah Procession
The Torah procession is a time where a person is chosen to carry the Torah Scroll (Word of God), usually a person who has a birthday that week. We choose an appropriate worship song and march around the room following the lifted Torah Scroll. This symbolizes our dedication to following the Word of God and letting His Word guide our paths continually. Yeshua (Jesus) is the living Word of God and it is his example we follow.
[Nun] Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I have sworn an oath and confirmed it, to keep your righteous rules. I am severely afflicted; give me life, O LORD, according to your word! Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O LORD, and teach me your rules. I hold my life in my hand continually, but I do not forget your law. The wicked have laid a snare for me, but I do not stray from your precepts. Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. I incline my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.
Psalm 119:105-112 ESV
Scripture Reading
The services at the Olive Branch Messianic Congregation follow the Parasha (Torah portions) which breaks the whole of the Torah into 54 sections to be read throughout the year. Each Sabbath we will read and study from the Torah (the first 5 books), the Haftorah (the prophets), the Psalms, and the B’rit HaDasha (New Covenant).
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.
Acts 17:10-12 ESV
Prayer Cards
At every seat cards to request prayer will be available to complete. If you have a particular issue you would like prayer for, fill the card out and the Olive Branch leadership will pray for you. The cards are gathered by the children and brought to the teacher to be announced.
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.
James 5:13-20 ESV
BLESS THE CHILDREN
The children come forward, gathering the prayer request cards as they walk to the front. They stand together under the tallit for blessing. The tallit is a prayer shawl which has tzitzit on each of it’s four corners. The tzitzit are fringes with a single blue thread woven along several other threads. The tzitzit are supposed to be a reminder for us to continuously walk in righteousness obeying our Heavenly Father, the same as Yeshua (Jesus) did. The tallit represents the protective covering of the Most High God.
Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:6 ESV
TORAH TEACHING
The Torah teaching will usually cover a portion of the weekly parasha. Occasionally the teacher may chose to focus on the Haftarah, Psalm, or Brit Hadasha (New Testament) portion also. Our teachings can be very expository or more topical and apologetic in nature.
The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.
Psalm 119:160 ESV
Torah TEACHING Discussion
You are encouraged to ask questions! At the end of the teaching we have a brief time to discuss what was taught. This is the time to get questions answered or to find clarity. We are instructed by the scriptures to test the spirits and test all things holding on to that which is good! We are instructed by our master Yeshua (Jesus) to make disciples, that means engagement, that means training, that means being a mentor to others in The Way.
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 ESV
AARONIC BENEDICTION
At the closing of the Olive Branch services the elder or a teacher will bless the assembly by reciting the Aaronic benediction found in Numbers 6.
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
Numbers 6:22-27 ESV
Kiddush & Sabbath Song
Before Oneg, we will have a small piece of bread and a small cup of grape juice or wine. This is not the catholic sacrament “communion”, this is “breaking bread” with our brothers in the faith and blessing and thanking our Father for provision. The blessing we recite for the wine is called the HaGafen and for the bread is called HaMotzi. After the blessing together we sing the sabbath song from Fiddler on the Roof.
And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Acts 2:42-47 ESV
ONEG
Oneg is Hebrew for “Joy” and is an informal gathering to express outwardly the happiness inherent in the Sabbath day, all in keeping with the biblical instruction, “and call the Sabbath a delight” (Isaiah 58:13). We each contribute a dish to have a wonderful sabbath meal together.
that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
1 John 1:3-4 ESV
Song of thanksgiving
After Oneg we sing two songs, the song of ascent and the song of thanksgiving (Birkat HaMazon)
So you shall keep the commandments of the LORD your God by walking in his ways and by fearing him. For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing out in the valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you.
Deuteronomy 8:6-10 ESV
Shabbat Service Times:
Saturdays at 12PM
385 Hazel Patch Rd
East Burnstadt, KY 40729