Celebrating Scribal Accomplishment

Watch the entire video before reading.

CHANGING OUR VIEW OF CELEBRATION

In our culture, it is common for Christian authors to throw book parties or schedule marketing events around the conclusion of their projects regardless of denomination or non-denominational groups. In my life in the Lord, however, I have never had a book signing or scheduled a book event around anything I have completed.

This statement is not a judgment. It's just me saying that it never felt right to me. Ever. I simply embraced being different, and still support those around me who host them. I wrote my first book in 2002. So I have been standing on this premise for a long time.

It wasn't until I learned about the SIYUM DEDICATION in Jewish culture (2006) that I understood my apprehension to book signings. I learned that it wasn't the BOOK SIGNING itself that bothered me, but the commercialization of it and the extreme focus on self and the marketing focus.

My problem was simple: I was disturbed that the Lord and his message was not at the center of those events, people and their accomplishments were. I've attended only a handful of events since that time that walked heavy in the anointing. Most were parties focused on sales, achievement and boasting.

Follow me for a moment, and consider this perspective.

SIYUM DEDICATIONS and celebrations are events centered around the completion of Torah, a unit of Torah or the completion of Torah study from other Jewish books. The word SIYUM means completion or conclusion. It is equally associated with celebration. What's amazing about this celebratory ritual, however, is that it has taken place for 5,000 years and can be traced back to the time of Moses after the Law was first written.

As you've learned from your readings this week, the Laws of Safrut or Halakha express the sacred process for Torah completion. At the conclusion of that process celebrations are expected. These celebrations, however, are holy times - not parties common to our culture. It is a time of community worship, praise and joyous fellowship concerning "the gift of the Word" for the people. It a time of honoring and respecting God as one's sole focus and aim. They are literally THANKING GOD for giving them the WORD.

If a culture without an understanding of the risen Christ can capture this, how much more is presented to us today as sons who claim a prophetic nature?

SIYUM is a deeply spiritual experience.

Should we host SIYUM ceremonies? No. That's not the point of this post. We do not need another group of Christians duplicating another thing. What we need is a revelation of the heart concerning how to elevate Christ in the midst of what He has selflessly placed INSIDE US -- His Word. We are HIS living scrolls and releasing HIS prophetic voice from the tabernacle within us.

The PROPHETIC SCRIBE is being called to recognize the spiritual significance of the SIYUM celebration in this hour.

Upon the completion of our divine projects, there should always be a worship and gratefulness exuding from us where we recognize that CHRIST wrote on our hearts and then released vision from us. There should be a longing in which we see that IT IS NOT ABOUT US.... but about the presence of the Lord.

The beautiful part about this video, however, is not what we see them doing... but about seeing how they are experiencing this moment. Appearances are NOT what makes this lesson powerful... so don't miss it.

It is my prayer that the Lord moves our hearts to repentance as we consider the implications of being a "PROPHETIC" scribe. I pray that we come to see JUST HOW MUCH OF THE WORLD SYSTEM has impacted who we are and how we operate in our callings.

Your ASSIGNMENT is to discuss this topic inside the City of Letters. Specifically, consider WHY we may need to teach this history to prophetic scribes today.