My First Visit to a Messianic Synagogue

Stepping Into the Unknown

We got ready and went to the synagogue. Some of the men wore kippot, also commonly called yarmulkes, and some of the women wore shawls or head coverings. These practices vary among Jewish and Messianic communities, but at the time, many of the sights and styles were unfamiliar to me.

I had actually visited this Messianic congregation years earlier. During that visit, I remembered hearing a reading from Maccabees and feeling unsettled because those books were not included in the Protestant Bible I knew.

I later learned that the question is more nuanced. First and Second Maccabees are not part of the Jewish biblical canon or most Protestant Bibles, but they preserve important Jewish history. They are also included as Scripture in Catholic and Orthodox Christian traditions. Understanding that helped me see why hearing from Maccabees in a synagogue setting was not as simple as I had first assumed.

This visit felt different. My husband and I believed God had led us there, so I tried to prepare my heart to remain open. Even when I did not understand everything, I chose to observe, listen, and learn.

The service began later than I expected and followed a rhythm different from the highly structured church services I knew. My first reaction was discomfort because I was accustomed to a particular kind of order. I reminded myself that unfamiliar did not mean wrong; it simply meant I had more to understand.

Seeing Familiar Scripture in an Unfamiliar Setting

The congregation read in Hebrew and then offered English translation. At one point, people covered their eyes while reciting the Shema, beginning with Deuteronomy 6:4 and its declaration that the Lord is one. I later learned that covering the eyes is a widespread Jewish custom intended to support concentration and reduce visual distraction during those words.

They also read from a large Torah scroll. The Torah contains the first five books of the Bible and holds a central place in Jewish worship and study.

When the scroll was lifted, I saw people raise a finger—many using the pinky—to point toward it. I had never seen that before. I later learned that this is a custom practiced in some communities during hagbah, the lifting of the Torah, while other communities express reverence differently.

As the Torah was carried through the congregation, some people reached toward its covering with a prayer book or the edge of a tallit and then kissed the object they had used. Customs vary, and the parchment itself is treated with special care. For those who participate, the gesture can express love and reverence for Torah and for what it represents.

Some of the men wore prayer shawls called tallitot, with knotted fringes called tzitzit. To be completely honest, it was a great deal to take in. I remember wondering, What did we get ourselves into? Everything felt unfamiliar.

Choosing Respectful Curiosity Over Quick Judgment

Deep in my heart, I believed this was where God had led us, and that conviction helped keep me grounded.

The visit stretched me emotionally and spiritually. I found myself asking why these expressions of worship felt so different from everything I had known. I also began recognizing how little I understood about Jewish tradition and about the Jewish historical context from which Christianity emerged.

Judaism is not merely a set of “roots” for another faith; it is a living faith and community with its own history, beliefs, and practices. At the same time, learning about that context opened new questions for me as a Christian and helped me read familiar Scriptures with greater awareness.

That visit marked a turning point—the beginning of letting go of control and allowing myself to learn before forming conclusions.

So I chose to take it all in: the questions, the curiosity, and the wonder. I did not want to rush to judge what I had only just encountered. I held the experience quietly and waited to see what God might unfold in my own journey.