This week, we feature a blog by Joseph Miterko, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and member of the Ruach Israel community. It was a joy to have Joe on the worship team this year – he brought a lot of passion and enthusiasm to the group. Read about how Joe’s understanding of the Christian community was impacted by participating on the UB worship team!
For me, summer always tends to be a whirlwind, with so much going on! My summer thusfar has included conferences, work training, travel, assisting with three summer camps, and more. I am also active in my congregation Ruach Israel, a Messianic Jewish congregation in Needham, through leading worship and giving sermons regularly. Despite all this activity, I have such a sense of excitement about how God is working and I don’t have any burnout (except for an occasional sunburn ☺) – God is good in so many ways!
One of the events that I was so blessed to be a part of was the UniteBoston Worship Night in the Boston Common. Our team was comprised of different ethnicities and nationalities from churches across Boston. I discovered how the Spirit can flow through a group of amazing musicians that are willing to work together as a team, and the Spirit did indeed!
The night before the Worship Evening, our rehearsal was held at the Berklee College of Music. As a Berklee alum, I thought to myself, “This is so cool. Who knew that I would be coming back here four years after I graduate? Not only that, but I’m back here to make music for advancing God’s Kingdom on Earth.” It felt like a great homecoming. Our music director, Tom Baskett, was a joy to work with. I genuinely enjoyed creating a fragrant aroma to the Lord with a team comprised of different musical and ethnic backgrounds. Featured were a Nondenominational Christian rapper, a Catholic singer/songwriter, a Protestant drummer, and more. We played a variety of songs, from classics such as “Come Thou Fount” to modern “Reckless Love” and everything in between, including some original compositions. A highlight was singing “Who You Say I Am” in several languages…just wow! And we even got to sing a song that is popular in the Messianic Jewish world- Psalm 133 “Hinei Ma Tov” by Joshua Aaron, which means “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity.” (Psalm 133:1)
As a Messianic Jewish follower of Jesus, I appreciated this opportunity to practice Kingdom ideologies on Earth. The Kingdom of Heaven will be made up of people from every tribe and nation, Jew and Gentile, so why can’t we start applying these principles right here, right now? Every person from every nation of the world is precious in God’s sight, and God called the Jewish people as a sign of His promises, not as a superior nationality.
It felt like as we were worshipping, God’s Hand was conducting the whole evening. I love that on a Thursday night, as people are getting ready to depart for college, making last minute vacations, and soaking in these last summer moments, God brought a committed group of musicians to praise Him, to celebrate being known by Him, and to make Him known. It wasn’t just the band either….there was a team doing outreach and evangelism surrounding the concert. They had an amazing and essential role, to say the least! From the organizers to the volunteers, everyone poured their hearts out, seeking to witness to a united Kingdom of God.
One of the greatest lessons that I learned in the worship night is that everyone matters and is so precious in God’s sight. On our own, we are limited in what we can do. But when many people come together to back one message, one hope, and one mission, this makes a strong impact. It reminds me of Ephesians 4:4-6: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” May these seeds planted towards unity grow into something beautiful! Special thanks to Kelly Fassett, Chloe Gaydos, Tom Baskett, and many more for turning a vision into a reality.
What a joy to hear what God is doing in Boston and how He is uniting Jewish and Gentile believers in worship! Thanks Joe!
God bless you all for your energizing witness to God’s love for all!
I can’t wait to be in Jerusalem with my Mom in a few weeks!! The Jewish people are not “ a sign” of Gods promises…. Jesus Himself is the fulfillment of Gods promises! Jesus Christ New Covenant blood offered in heavens holy place is the fulfillment of Gods promises! All Gods promises are yes and amen in Christ. The new covenant in His blood fulfilled the promise of the gospel preached to Abraham “ father of many nations.” The new covenant blood of Jesus already fulfilled the promise to David “ you shall never lack a man to sit on the throne.” As well as the promise to Moses and the priesthood for “ a perpetual priesthood.” Jesus New Covenant blood completely fulfilled the old covenant. Praise God for Jesus new covenant blood offered in heaven for our eternal redemption!!! Jesus new covenant blood fulfilled the one new man! The spirit of prophecy is the testimony of Jesus not ethnic national Israel! Bless you.