Sunday, 23 September 2018

Simcha

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Bimcha

Often used as a first name for a girl, this Hebrew word means gladness or joy. But it has a much wider meaning as well in terms of rejoicing, jubilation and is used colloquially for almost any occasion when Jewish people get together and rejoice. You'll hear people talking about making a simcha for a wedding, a b'rit, a bar or bat mitzvah, just about any excuse will do!

How should we rejoice as G-d's people? We rejoice in Yeshua, what He has done for us, who He is and our new-found relationship or revitalised relationship with G-d. We rejoice in G-d's goodness, His love and provision for us, His care over us. But even all those things don't quite add up to the sheer exhilaration of coming together for a simcha, almost without excuse, just because G-d is.

Now we're starting to get somewhere. Sukkot conference will be a time of rejoicing just because G-d is; there will be all the traditional components: extravagant worship, singing, dancing, prayer and praise at the tops of our voices and in the Spirit! But more, it wil simply be G-d's people rejoicing before Him.

This Sukkot - have a blast, have a simcha!