Yom Teruah - reflection time at the barn led by Karen

The appointed seasons in Leviticus 2:2 are about proclaiming, summoning, and inviting—especially on this day, Yom Teruah. God calls us, but we also extend the invitation. In doing so, we invite each other as well.

In Leviticus 23:23, on the first day of the seventh month, we experience a purposeful pause—a day set apart for the memorial of the blast, a remembrance of the teruah. But how do we remember teruah?

When it comes to remembrance, we reflect on the things God has called us to remember—from creation to Shabbat, the release from Egypt, and His promise to blot out the memory of Amalek. One scripture that spoke deeply to Karen was Exodus 20:24. Here, God commands the creation of an altar of earth, a place to sacrifice, and promises, "In every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you."

This is a season where we are called to remember His name. God promises to be in our midst and to bless us. But what does it mean for God to cause us to remember His name?

A name represents character—the fullness of who He is. Remembering God's name is about recalling His complete identity in the midst of whatever is happening around us. It’s a supernatural remembering, brought forth by the Spirit. As Scripture says, the Spirit will remind us; it's not about our effort but God causing us to remember.

Everything we've experienced is stored in our minds, even if it's not always accessible. At times, God speaks to us in the depths of our lives, and in those moments, our entire being remembers—mind and body. It’s about remembering "Ha Makom"—the place where God’s presence manifests, leading us to a life-changing encounter. In every place where He causes His name to be remembered, it’s as though those moments are stamped into our memories. He calls us to remember them afresh and to proclaim them, inviting something new.

Today is an opportunity to reconnect with those past moments of divine encounter—where God moved in our lives. When God remembers, He acts. Like with Sarah, when God remembered her, the promised child was given. When God remembered Israel in Egypt, He moved to fulfill His promise.

Yom Teruah is a Shabbat, a moment of stopping in order to begin something holy. This pause is powerful—it’s a moment where God causes us to remember Him and all He has done in our lives. It opens a door, allowing us to connect the present moment with the memories He is stirring in us. It’s a bridge between past encounters and present realities, filling us with the fullness of His character and empowering us to move forward.

So, what about teruah?

Throughout scripture, teruah is associated with alarms, signals of movement, and battle. In Numbers 10, teruah signals the breaking of camp and the beginning of a new journey. It's also used in battle, as a cry to God for deliverance from enemies. At Jericho, Joshua 6, the shout of teruah brings down the walls, leading to face-to-face combat. Jericho represents the first battle in the land, and teruah there is connected to jubilee—a significant moment tied back to the sound at Sinai.

What does it mean to be silent in preparation for teruah? Perhaps it’s about setting aside our own ideas and letting God's instructions lead us. At Jericho, the Israelites were silent for six days, waiting for the seventh day when the shout would come. This silence may have been an act of worship, a powerful energy building up as they waited. Rahab had already revealed the terror of Jericho's people. The silence created anticipation, a sense of something beyond their understanding.

Silence can be a form of worship. In Numbers 10, there’s another mention of blowing trumpets during feasts, times of worship. Yom Teruah is a day when walls can fall, ushering us into the land where we can worship God freely, as He desires. It’s a time when community is at its fullest, sharing in peace offerings with one another under God’s guidance.

Karen also reflected on God placing us in the cleft of His rock, as in Exodus 33, where His hand covers us, His name is proclaimed, and His glory is revealed. The word for “cover” is related to sukkot, meaning to weave together. God weaves His presence over us as He crosses by, proclaiming His name. This season is about God crossing over His people as a whole.

When Joshua led the people across the Jordan, stones were placed in the river as a sign that the land’s ownership had been transferred. Even the land experienced a crossing over.

Now, if we are in the promised land, living as God intends, we can ask Him to heal our land—and He will.