Blowing of the shofars

Shimshon Chaddock, Pastor of Katikati Christian Centre Rob Holding and Trevor Harvey

On Sunday morning, shofars will be blown from over 100 locations across New Zealand, as the start of a wave of blessing around the world towards Israel. Katikati residents Trevor Harvey, Rob Holding and Shimshon Chaddock will join others in blowing their shofars from Lindemann Lookout.

Last year about 30 joined their gathering, and this year they are expecting more.

'It's a coordinated event up and down the country,” says Rob, who is the pastor of Katikati Christian Centre. 'Showing support for the nation of Israel.”

Trevor brought his ram's horn back from a trip to Israel, after visiting the Sea of Galilee and Bethlehem.

'My grandfather was born in Russia,” says Shimshon, who moved to NZ with his family in 2009. 'He escaped from the Czars who were killing Jews, to the USA, and later moved to Israel.”

Israel's Independence Day is May 14, commemorating becoming a nation 70 years ago in 1948, but April 29 was chosen as the day to release a blessing of love and unity from around the world.

'We are called to love all people,” says Nations Bless Israel NZ national coordinator Jane Troughton. 'Blessing Israel does not mean we do not want to see blessing, wholeness and God's best purpose for all others too. We're responding to the call in Genesis 12:1 'I will bless those who bless you.” There's something that happens as we bless others.

'We recognize that Christians haven't always blessed the people of Israel, and that there have been injustices that the Jewish people have suffered. This is part of a journey of reconciliation and looking for the wellbeing of others.

'The release of blessing will start in NZ and move from nation to nation, from the ends of the earth to Israel.”

Gatherings on Sunday evening will also be held at 7pm at St Andrews Presbyterian in Te Puke, and Bethlehem College Performing Arts Centre, linking in to the live stream of the NZ National Gathering in Auckland.

More information about the event and locations can be found on the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/NZBlessIsrael or website http://nationsblessisrael.website

You may also like....