AOHE

Steve Cohen's Blog

Jewish Identity

A series of four muticolored hands surrounding a start of David.A multicolored menorah.

Frequently, as I have had the opportunity to minister in various congregations, I have asked people, ‘What do you think it means to be Jewish?’ People tell me that being Jewish is being part of the chosen people. Or that it is a person who has the Jewish religion. Or that it is a person who does not believe in Jesus...

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Understanding Key Jewish Beliefs

A multicolored menorah.

It is important to understand the foundation of what Jewish people believe today. There is no single answer. The term dogma, which is much better applied to Christianity, has little place within Judaism. In Judaism, the need for a profession of belief did not arise, and rabbis saw no necessity for drawing up concise formulas stressing Jewish beliefs and faith...

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Mishpochah

Outline of a house surrounding a heart within it, representing the phrase "home is where the heart is".

'Tis the season to think of family; immediate, close in, not-so-close in, added in by marriage or adoption, and those considered part of the family even without kin relationships. These folks are Mishpochah – Yiddish for family...

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Investing in Three

Venn diagram of 3 overlapping circles.

When Yeshua walked this earth, he had an incredible impact on thousands of people. Ultimately, he chose twelve in be part of his core group, and from those twelve, he invested most in three, Peter, James and John. These three were brought close into Christ’s inner circle, so that following His ascension, they were the emerging leaders of the nascent church.

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Plus One

Since the 1970s, a custom has arisen in extending invitations to gatherings allowing the invitee to include a Plus One -- defined as a person who accompanies an invited guest to an event or gathering. Today if you receive a request to RSVP for an event, you will likely be given the opportunity to bring a Plus One.

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Silent Night Revisited

Christmas ornament of three rise men riding camels across the desert to visit Bethlehem.

On Friday, December 9th, Nancy and I attended a wonderful cantata for congregation and choir call Carols by Heather Sorenson at our church, Zion Lutheran in Walburg, Texas. (This is available on their site for your viewing, too!) The congregation was an integral component of the music by singing along...

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MBWA Examples

Outline of man walking forward.

One of our volunteers, Ken Ebright, in St. Louis has kept up his personal ministry by wandering around ever since we left St. Louis in 2015 to move to Texas. The following are a few of his many reports of what has been happening. Your prayers for Ken would be much appreciated, and If you want to send him a note of encouragement he can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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