True North Mullica Hill Campus — Attraction in Harrison Township

When the angel of the Lord appears to Moses at the Burning Bush, he commands: “Remove your shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”

Comedian Josh Berger, with his sharp eye, asked: Why mention “your feet”? Isn’t “remove your shoes” enough?

The answer requires both lomdus and dikduk.

Was the command a din in the shoes—a requirement to remove them because they are unfit for a holy place—and the bare feet only a byproduct?

Or was it a din in the feet—a requirement that they be uncovered in direct contact with holiness—and the removal of shoes only the means to achieve that?

From the wording of the verse— “Shal na’alecha me’al raglecha”**— it is clear that the essence of the commandment lies not in the shoes but in the bare feet. “Shal na’alecha” (remove your shoes) is only instrumental; the din is “me’al raglecha”—that your feet be free and present before God.

To understand the din of bare feet, dikduk—Hebrew grammar—offers further insight.

In many three-letter Hebrew roots ending with lamed, the lamed serves as an abbreviation for “lo”—no or not. This often hints to a quality of negation, an inner tension in the word.

Consider:

Ashel (shade) = Eish–lo → “fire-not,” protection from the sun.

Gamal (camel) = Gam–lo → “including-not,” it retains what it has, it does not share.

Amal (toil) = Am–lo → “not of a people,” labor in solitude and exile.

Zevel (trash) = Zahav–lo → “not gold,” the opposite of value.

Nofel (to fall) = Naf–lo → “cannot fly.”

Now consider the word regel—foot. Its hidden meaning: regah–lo — “not in the moment.”

The foot is the instrument of forward motion. Even when we rest, our feet twitch; they are always half-ready to move. When we are anxious, what happens? Our feet tap, shuffle, seek the next step. They are the first to betray our restlessness—the impulse not to be, but to go.

To be barefoot is to quiet that impulse. When we remove our shoes, we ease the regah–lo—the inability to dwell in the moment. We ground ourselves—literally—to the earth beneath us.

The word regah (moment) is related to regesh (emotion, empathy). They share the same root, but regesh ends with the letter Shin (ש)— the symbol of the Divine made human.

Regah is not fleeting. It is being fully in the moment— a stillness in which holiness can be perceived. Regesh is what arises from that stillness— the nexus where human feeling meets divine compassion.

Thus, the regah of Moses before the bush— his barefoot stillness before the fire that burned yet did not consume— foreshadows the regesh of the Cross: the moment when humanity beheld divine suffering and knew, as Moses knew before the bush, that though pierced, He was not destroyed.

The angel’s command can now be read anew: “Remove your shoes from your feet.” Cease your motion; quiet the regah–lo. Stand barefoot upon the ground of holiness— the earth that witnesses both fire and mercy.

For the holiness of God lives in the moment of stillness, and it endures in the empathy of those who grieve Him. The regah invites presence; the regesh reveals redemption. And in both, God abides— fire that burns, and yet is...

This “church” is a disgrace. My young adult child invited an unsaved friend to come to church today. Decided True North would be the place since there are a lot of young people there. My child has been praying for months for this friend to be willing to go to church and they finally said yes to going to church today (for the very first time in their entire life). And what happened? They were stopped in the parking lot and told “sorry, the church is at capacity” you can’t go in! Sounds like something you would hear at a concert hall, a celebrity meet and greet or a social club but no, this was a CHURCH. The church turned away 2 young adults - one of which took a lot of courage and convincing to show up at church today. True North Church, how do you know if the person you turned away from church will ever get the chance to hear the word of God again? How do you know if this was their one and only chance to make a decision for Christ? How do you know if they will ever get the courage again to say yes to attending a church service? You don’t! Any other church would have done everything to welcome them in the door, find seats, standing room, anything at all but would never turn someone away from attending church! The fact that this happened is disturbing and shows the priorities of your church are not what...

Had a wonderful time worshiping at True North - the worship was powerful and the Pastor and his wife each gave a personal testimony in response to a submitted question that was heart felt honest and moving - their honesty and forthrightness was powerful and God is truly at work in and through this couple building His church in South Jersey and possibly abroad in the near future. We live in a time where we need to see the church reaching and teaching the next generation- I pray they stay true to the Word and The Great Commission. Maybe God has raised them up for such a time as this! I would say to those reviews on money that it’s a shame they have to ask (giving should be a part of every Christian’s life as it always yields blessing both ways) but truly a building the size they need is essential to sustain this growing ministry and give some relief to a staff running 3 services and personnel needed to administrate the church. Staff need to be compensated and the Bible says the Workman is worthy of his wages 1 Timothy 5:18 - I’m sure once the building funds are secured the budget can shift towards outside missions - in the meantime the church building is the missions as many young people are coming back to church or maybe coming for...