Personal from Ministerial and Member Services
"Where God has Placed His Name" and "Temporary Dwellings"
We understand that preparing to observe the Feast of Tabernacles in 2020 is unlike any prior year, no matter how many Feasts you have observed.
We have done our best to provide designated Festival sites where God has chosen to place His name this year. Of course, God allows many things to affect the decisions given to His servants to make regarding the observance of His Holy Days and where God is placing His name.
We have seen sites canceled and new sites spring up to take their place in order to adequately serve the needs of our brethren who desire to honor God on these days.
We believe these days are commanded for God's people. Please do your best to attend one of our designated Feast sites, if possible and prudent, for you and your family.
However, we do understand that everyone's circumstances are different in a variety of ways and we ought not judge anyone in their personal decisions in regard to how it is best for them to observe the Feast under the "present distress." These are decisions between the individual and God and we ought to believe that each person is doing their best to honor God and protect their health and their family members as they are being led to do so.
We might consider what the phrase means: "where God has placed His name." We should all understand that some people have not always been able to attend the Feast at a designated Feast site due to a variety of reasons, such as sickness, advanced age, finances, pregnancy, childbirth, very pressing family issues, etc.
In these cases, we have made Feast sermon recordings available to our members and they have observed the Feast as best they could by listening to these sermons, studying their Bibles, and meditating on the coming Kingdom of God and their role in preparing for and serving in the Kingdom. Our members made the best of a difficult situation and would have much preferred being able to join in the fellowship and observance of the Feast at a designated Feast site. Hopefully they were able to do so the following year.
We believe God was with them during the difficult times and their genuine observance was accepted by God. Their circumstances dictated where God "had placed His name" for them personally that given year.
God is always with His children through the power of His Holy Spirit dwelling within them. If circumstances sometimes dictate an extraordinary decision after prayer, meditation, and perhaps, fasting, always remember that God has promised to never leave or forsake us. He and His Son are with us in Spirit and God will place His name there with us, as long as we are truly striving to do our best to please Him.
Of course, we should always seek to be supportive of the decisions God has led His servants to make in sincere desire to best please God and to care for His people. Moreover, we should all strive to love our brethren and think well of them as they make decisions regarding this year's observance of the Feast of Tabernacles.
We greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation this year. We are all doing our best to do "everything decently and in order." If you haven't yet registered for the Feast, please go to feast.ucg.org and do so as quickly as it is feasible for you, as it will make our planning easier and more effective.
Some have wondered about the "temporary dwellings" aspect this year if they have decided to stay in their home area where there is a Feast site nearby.
It appears that will likely be the case for Barbara and me personally this year. A number of deaf brethren have now decided to attend the Feast in Cincinnati where we do have a designated Feast site. Since Barbara is an interpreter and she and I coordinate the deaf program, we will likely attend here. If so, we will stay in our home, which still seems very much like a "temporary dwelling" since we haven't been here long and aren't at all sure how long we will be living here!
Such decisions are personal ones that ought to be done in faith as we strive to keep God's laws in ways that we believe would be acceptable and pleasing to Him. Others ought not to set themselves up as judges to question sincere, faithful decisions. God is our ultimate Judge and we will answer to Him.
I listened to a fine message this week from Randy Schreiber entitled, "Will You Be 'Where God Places His Name?'" Randy goes into greater detail in his message. You may want to listen to this message if you have any questions regarding the meaning of the phrase, or are a bit uneasy about having to possibly stay at home for the first time ever during the Feast.
I also listened to another fine message this week by Doug Wendt titled, "Developing a Proper Perspective." Doug encourages all of us to have a godly perspective concerning all people, realizing that God desires that all people will eventually come to accept Him as God. How we treat people in the meantime is very important!
If you listen to a message that especially moves you, motivates you, or educates you, I would appreciate you emailing me the title at mark_welch@ucg.org.
Wishing you all a very inspiring and peaceful Sabbath!
