What Is a Messianic Prayer Shawl?
Along with the Ark of the Covenant, the Yalmuka and the Torah scroll, the prayer shawl is a prominent and revered element of Judaic worship tradition. A particular Christian movement that emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Hebrew messianic prophecy appropriates this Judaic garment in its ritual practices. Members of this religious community generally are called Messianic Jews. According to the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America, Messianic Judaism is composed both of Jews and non-Jews.
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Description
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Generally speaking, a prayer shawl is a cape-like garment worn only by men, especially in conservative and orthodox Jewish worship. Christian organizations like The Hope of Israel Baptist Mission encourage Jewish converts to Christianity to retain this and other elements of Hebrew worship. One overt, sacramental use of the prayer shawl occurs when the Torah or the Scroll is carried up and down the synagogue aisles during worship. The men will approach the Torah and press the hem of their prayer shawls against it. In turn, they will kiss the portion of the garment that touched the Torah.
Proselytizing
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Christian groups who promote the messianic prayer shawl generally do so with the overt aim of converting Jews to Christianity. The Hope of Israel website states that its mission is "to win lost Jewish souls for Christ while never neglecting the opportunity to reach out to Gentiles."
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Christian Appropriation
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The affinity for messianic prayer shawls among some Christian groups has encouraged them to adopt other elements of Hebrew worship as well. Companies like ShofarsFromAfar.com sell a variety of products rooted in the Judaic culture such as anointing oils, jewelry and shofars (a musical instrument made from a ram's horn). Christians will sometimes add art and Bible passages derived from the New Testament to messianic prayer shawls.
Organizations
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The Messianic Jewish Alliance of America and Jews for Jesus are two of the most noted organizations that have adopted Hebrew worship elements like the prayer shawl. They even take a very activist approach to outreach among the population of the modern-day nation of Israel. Additionally, the MJAA supports political issues that favor the national interest of Israel in general.
Controversy
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Some Christian and Jewish religious communities take offense at the use of the prayer shawl and other elements of Jewish worship for the purpose of the conversion of Jews to Christianity. The website Religioustolerance.org details the nature of this particular Christian outreach and the issues that surround it. Churches that pursue such proselytizing efforts generally espouse strongly evangelical beliefs.
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