It was true for the ancients. Jahweh required faithfulness amid even the greatest temptations and pressures of life. Every Jewish male must attend the three great feasts in Jerusalem: Passover and Shavuot in the spring, and Sukkot in the fall. Sukkot was the most joyous of all the sacred days. The only feast at which Jahweh had commanded his people to rejoice before him.
In the book, “The Echoes of His presence, Stories of the Messiah From the People of His Day”, Ray Vander Laan recounts the story of Asher, a young man who had recently left home to seek his fortune, and his journey to Jerusalem for the feast of the Sukkot. He had not seen his family for several months and met them at a friends house at which they were staying. Asher relates his understanding of Jewish Law and tradition throughout his journey and contemplates, with you, over the reasons traditions have become so important to his people. He relishes in the story-telling and news of family missteps and adventures while they were apart. You begin to understand that this is real family time, not just for him and his kin, but for the family of like believers who have devoted themselves to the mission God has given them.
The feast lasted for seven days filling the streets with singing and laughter. As the week passed the celebration became increasingly intense. By the 7th day the people would pack the temple filling it with shouts of praise that could be heard throughout the city and across the surrounding countryside. The sacrifices would be made and offerings of water and wine. Thousand would sing and praise God as they waived their ceremonial palm branches to honor the Lord who had blessed them and loved them.
Imagine…..
Forward now more than 2000 years. And imagine. It is spring. Every 2 years the faithful journey to their “Jerusalem” a town in western Missouri for a gathering …a feast of sorts…renewing old friendships, making new ones caring for the needs of each and always, always honoring the God that brought them there. Here too, the weeks activities rise climatically to near fever pitch as they pray and praise and worship together. They make recommendations and receive direction as to how they are to fulfill their call to win souls for God and to bring peace and reconciliation to Gods people. It is an exciting time for them and that excitement washes upon each who come in contact with them.
I have some friends who, unwittingly, shared with me their experience at General Conference for the Community of Christ Church in Independence Mo. this past march and April. I have never met them in person but they have been kind enough to allow me to share with them in their “Cybercongregation” and in so doing, have passed on the excitement they experienced at their “Shukkot”. These are wonderful people who are generally concerned about each other and about the world around them. They want to please God not only as a child wants to please a father, but as a slave, once freed would honor his rescuer, as the created should honor their creator.
The conference is over now and much of the excitement is died down. But I can sense it…can’t you? There is an eternal flame that, now recharged , lights the path of these, his people, his children, his sons and daughters and they are committed. God has lovingly revealed to them his desires and they are responding to his call. They are in the world but are lead by a spirit not of the world, by a God who created the world, and by a Savior who gave his all, his full measure, for the world.
Something tells me the world will be a better place.
These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.
In the book, “The Echoes of His presence, Stories of the Messiah From the People of His Day”, Ray Vander Laan recounts the story of Asher, a young man who had recently left home to seek his fortune, and his journey to Jerusalem for the feast of the Sukkot. He had not seen his family for several months and met them at a friends house at which they were staying. Asher relates his understanding of Jewish Law and tradition throughout his journey and contemplates, with you, over the reasons traditions have become so important to his people. He relishes in the story-telling and news of family missteps and adventures while they were apart. You begin to understand that this is real family time, not just for him and his kin, but for the family of like believers who have devoted themselves to the mission God has given them.
The feast lasted for seven days filling the streets with singing and laughter. As the week passed the celebration became increasingly intense. By the 7th day the people would pack the temple filling it with shouts of praise that could be heard throughout the city and across the surrounding countryside. The sacrifices would be made and offerings of water and wine. Thousand would sing and praise God as they waived their ceremonial palm branches to honor the Lord who had blessed them and loved them.
Imagine…..
Forward now more than 2000 years. And imagine. It is spring. Every 2 years the faithful journey to their “Jerusalem” a town in western Missouri for a gathering …a feast of sorts…renewing old friendships, making new ones caring for the needs of each and always, always honoring the God that brought them there. Here too, the weeks activities rise climatically to near fever pitch as they pray and praise and worship together. They make recommendations and receive direction as to how they are to fulfill their call to win souls for God and to bring peace and reconciliation to Gods people. It is an exciting time for them and that excitement washes upon each who come in contact with them.
I have some friends who, unwittingly, shared with me their experience at General Conference for the Community of Christ Church in Independence Mo. this past march and April. I have never met them in person but they have been kind enough to allow me to share with them in their “Cybercongregation” and in so doing, have passed on the excitement they experienced at their “Shukkot”. These are wonderful people who are generally concerned about each other and about the world around them. They want to please God not only as a child wants to please a father, but as a slave, once freed would honor his rescuer, as the created should honor their creator.
The conference is over now and much of the excitement is died down. But I can sense it…can’t you? There is an eternal flame that, now recharged , lights the path of these, his people, his children, his sons and daughters and they are committed. God has lovingly revealed to them his desires and they are responding to his call. They are in the world but are lead by a spirit not of the world, by a God who created the world, and by a Savior who gave his all, his full measure, for the world.
Something tells me the world will be a better place.
These are, after all, the musings of a mind that wanders.
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