Hi everyone,

Last week, the Fall Feasts began wonderfully well. With the Feast of Trumpets, we moved into God’s Fall Holy Day season and the exciting meaning each day holds. This Sabbath, we will meet in our two local congregations before coming together again for combined services on the Day of Atonement on Monday. (Our fast begins Sunday at sunset.) While few in the world observe this upcoming Holy Day, God highlights Atonement and underscores its importance several times in Scripture. Note these passages:

• Leviticus 23:26–27: “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’”
• Leviticus 16:29–31: “This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, whether a native of your own country or a stranger who dwells among you. For on that day the priest shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you, that you may be clean from all your sins before the Lord. It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls. It is a statute forever.”
• Acts 27:9: “Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them.”
• Hebrews 6:19–20: “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
• Revelation 20:1–3: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.”

Taken together, these passages help us understand Atonement's meaning. Through fasting, we humble ourselves before God; through Jesus Christ, our High Priest, we can be reconciled to Him; and through the future removal of Satan, humanity will finally be free from his deception. Ultimately, the Feast of Atonement looks forward to a remarkable time when humanity can truly become “at one” with God.

As we look forward to tomorrow’s weekly Sabbath and the High Day on Monday, here are this week’s announcements.

1. Sabbath of 9/19. We will meet in our two local congregations for services on the Sabbath of 9/19. The Buford congregation will meet at the Holiday Inn Express in Bethlehem at 10:30 AM. In the afternoon, the Atlanta congregation will meet at Unity Atlanta at 2:30 PM.

2. Day of Atonement on 9/21. For the Day of Atonement, our congregations will combine at Unity Atlanta. Services will begin at 2:30 PM.

As an offering will be collected during the service (Deuteronomy 16:16), please use the indexed offering envelopes sent to you by Home Office.

3. Feeling Ill This Week? Connect to Our Service via the Atlanta Webcast. If you are sick this week, please plan to watch the Atlanta webcast online. To view the service, enter the password treeoflife (with no spaces) in the channel password box. The webcast is available through the UCG Atlanta congregation webpage.

4. Sabbath School & Teen Bible Study Kickoff: 9/19. We will kick off the 2026–2027 Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study academic year on 9/19. Our coordinators this year are Sarah Aust and Philip Aust, with assistance from Brandon Graby. Questions regarding this year’s classes? Feel free to ask one of our coordinators.

5. Young Men’s Christian Club: 9/19. The next Young Men’s Christian Club is scheduled for September 19. It will begin 20 minutes after services in the Chapel. Questions regarding the club may be directed to Brian Scott.

6. Excused Absence Form for the Feast Days. If you need an Excused Absence Form for the Fall Holy Days, please contact one of our elders: Mr. Jerold Aust, Mr. Charlie Graby, Dr. Steve Holladay, or me. We are happy to provide you with this form.

7. Please Do Not Use Unity Atlanta’s Offering Envelopes. We’ve been asked by Unity Atlanta not to use their offering envelopes as scratch paper or to remove their pens from the Sanctuary. It’s a small gesture, but one that reflects the respect God expects from His people (Genesis 2:15; Matthew 25:14–30).

8. Summary of Events

Tues. @ 7 PM — UCG Atlanta Bible Study — see Atlanta congregation calendar
9/19 — Sabbath School and Teen Bible Study begin
9/21 — Day of Atonement
9/26 — Feast of Tabernacles begins at various Feast sites
10/3 — Eighth Day kept at various Feast sites
10/17 — Blessing of Little Children
12/22–27 — Winter Family Weekend in Hamilton, Ohio
12/28 — UYC Winter Camp: Apply Now!

As I close, I have some exciting news to share about Rachel Arner. I am very happy to announce that Rachel and Clay Bradley (from Phoenix, Arizona) became engaged last weekend! Clay has accepted a job in Utah, and the couple will be moving there shortly after the Feast of Tabernacles. While Rachel expects to return briefly to finish out her work responsibilities later in October, she will soon be making Utah her new home.

While we will certainly miss having Rachel with us regularly, we are excited for her and Clay as they begin this new chapter in their lives. Please join me in congratulating them on their engagement and wishing them all the best with their upcoming move!

With that, have a peaceful start to God’s Sabbath. See you soon.

Happy Sabbath,

Philip Aust
United Church of God, Pastor
Atlanta & Buford, Georgia

Memory Verse

Ezekiel 28:16–19: “By the abundance of your trading You became filled with violence within, And you sinned; Therefore I cast you as a profane thing Out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, From the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, That they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries By the multitude of your iniquities, By the iniquity of your trading; Therefore I brought fire from your midst; It devoured you, And I turned you to ashes upon the earth In the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror. And shall be no more forever.” (The Fall of Lucifer)