December 1, 2023 | Tim Fellows
Collectively Narrative
As 2023 attracts to a detailed and the New 12 months nearly upon us, I replicate on the previous 12 months and concentrate on sure highlights that can stay with me for a few years.
One in all these, for an entire number of causes, is undoubtedly the Collectively 23 Pageant at Himley on July 8.
On the subject of the festivals we’ve got accomplished to this point on this decade of 2020-30 – a interval that has particular prophetic significance for me – there are two reoccurring questions from the broad physique of the Black Nation church I’m typically requested. The primary: ‘Why would you go to all that hassle and spend a lot cash on at some point, only a one-off occasion?’ And, secondly: ‘What’s the primary purpose for doing a competition anyway, what’s the purpose?’
Let me take couple of minutes to attempt to reply. You’ll be happy to know that I’m going to attempt to reply each questions in a single go, as in making an attempt to answer the latter, my hope is that the reply to the previous will turn into evident too.
Let me take you again to the Nineties once I was doing the youth-work at The Church @ Junction 10 in Walsall. Should you had been to ask most of the younger individuals from again then for a couple of of the reminiscences they will recall, I feel that one of many responses can be studying about The Feasts of Jehovah!
We tried to be cool and we positively combined it up, actually, however we actually did do a couple of in-depth Bible research on Friday nights too, and people who managed to remain awake for many of them would hopefully nonetheless be capable of checklist off the seven feasts.
I doubt, nonetheless, that many would recount the order, or the Jewish phrases for every.
So, I hear you ask, what are the feasts all about, and what has that bought to do with the Collectively 23 Pageant?
Properly, feasts and festivals are one and the identical. Each by some means encapsulate God’s coronary heart for His individuals to recollect, to look again, and to be corporately recognized with Him as their God as soon as extra.
Utilizing Love Black Nation-speak, a competition was subsequently a really important approach to collect, to rejoice and to think about.
The feasts/festivals of Jehovah got to His chosen individuals to allow them to ‘really feel a part of Him’. For need of a greater expression, to be recognized with Jehovah, and to know that they belonged to a household, a neighborhood, a nation . . . a nation outlined in the end in and by Him. This helped them to beat the spirit of independence which may so typically exist deep within us all, inside our particular person communities and even nations.
Some would argue that that this sense of determine is what saved and preserved the Jewish nation after they had been for therefore lengthy exiled from their homeland.
And so we are able to see that the festivals by some means imbibed into the Jewish/Hebrew individuals a powerful and distinct identification that might set them aside, strengthen their company resolve and supply a framework and a rhythm for a person and a neighborhood to be supernaturally knit TOGETHER, to turn into ONE.
Every time a competition happened, every particular person, their complete neighborhood and nation had been as soon as once more invited in to re-imagine their very own historical past so as to re-connect with their shared future, God Himself; Our Father. Our God, not mine!
The final of the festivals, or, the top purpose of the Feasts is ‘Tabernacles’, or Jehovah Shammah ( The Lord is there), the Creator and created simply hanging out collectively.
How fantastic it will be if this was mentioned of our church buildings and the Black Nation followers of Jesus throughout, and even on the finish of this decade.
Does any of this language sound acquainted?
Collectively 23 happened this 12 months to assist us to collect, rejoice and picture. It was placed on to offer our God the chance to do what solely He can when it comes to constructing His Church, utilizing the language of 1 Corinthians 12, He arranges the elements, combines the members and distributes the items.
He speaks and we reply. In Leviticus 23, He informed His individuals to return collectively in what He referred to as a ‘sacred meeting’, and mentioned that it will assist the subsequent era bear in mind what He had beforehand accomplished: A collectively gathering, set aside by Him and His directive.
So we gathered people from throughout many church buildings, charities, organisations and companies (households and clans) and from throughout the 4 boroughs and surrounding areas (tribes) as we are going to once more, and once more. In doing so, we hoped that the bigger gathering can be some form of impressed visible message to our younger individuals.
We had been in a position to rejoice our range and variations, our personal distinctive tales from so many differing backgrounds and denominations, and we had been hopefully impressed to think about what God may presumably do with our TOGETHERNESS as we head deeper into this ‘decade for mission’ as I consider God referred to as it. Perhaps a ‘kairos second’, for such a time as this.
Thus, we glance to a future recognized extra by what He can do with the Oneness He’s constructing in His Physique than what we may ever obtain in or by our particular person selves.
Our dream is that by means of all of this, God will discover His approach to instil His Kingdom identification into each people and into the One company Physique He’s searching for to disclose Himself by means of to the area round us.
One factor that I feel is in some ways hidden within the narrative behind the feasts is the will of God to simply BE along with his individuals, identical to He did with Adan & Eve within the backyard. The Hebrew phrase used for ‘feast/competition ’is MOAD (MO-ed) which suggests “appointed time”, the plural being MOADIM (MO-eh-deem).
Leviticus 23 opens with the phrases, “These are MY feasts”, or these are my appointed occasions. These are my dates, in different phrases. I do recall telling our group again in 2020 that I felt like God needed to have a date with His Bride!
That will sound disrespectful to some I’m positive, however on the finish of the day, the Gospel is a love story, and the King of Romance can certainly be allowed to precise His need to BE with His Individuals, His Physique, His Bride, simply as He did with Israel by means of the Pageant of Tabernacles?
To be trustworthy, I feel it’s a lovely approach to describe why we do the competition and the thought that we need to collect you all collectively once more to current you earlier than The Lord as His Bride provides me goosebumps nonetheless. I find it irresistible!
I additionally bear in mind telling those that we would have liked to roll out an enormous purple carpet as The Bridegroom needed to return to Himley Park to satisfy with His Spouse-to-be, and we must always spare no expense.
Once more, I’m positive there can be individuals who suppose we must always not lay our a fortune on such frivolities, however I’m inspired by Jesus’ response to those that rebuked the girl who washed His toes along with her hair, utilizing extraordinarily costly oils that would have been ‘significantly better spent’ in some peoples’ eyes. I ought to word, we’re grateful for this provide of ‘fragrance’ given by our accomplice church buildings, beneficiant people and the help of organisations keen to satisfy the Black Nation Church. The festivals had been financially price impartial and profited not solely as a improbable purple carpet for the Lord however profited connections for creatives, charities, church buildings and households that can pay dividends for years to return.
If I had extra time and area right here, I’d love to jot down in regards to the ‘decade for mission’, how He’s on the lookout for new automobiles (or donkeys) to disclose Himself by means of, and why He has such an enormous coronary heart to achieve a brand new era largely untouched by the Church. Extra on that in 2024, perhaps.
Lastly, I’d additionally like to unfold extra in regards to the Festivals of Jehovah, however I’ve been requested to maintain this to a restrict. [A limit you’ve exceeded Tim! – from the Email Editor] so perhaps take a look on The Guide of Google and seek for your self (and the hyperlink beneath is one such place I discovered very useful as a refresher).
https://www.jewishvoice.org/learn/article/9-questions-and-answers-about-biblical-feasts
So, as 2023 attracts to a detailed, on behalf of the assorted groups that make up the Love Black Nation Collective Workforce, might I want you all a wonderful Christmas and an exquisite New 12 months!
