FEAST OF TABERNACLES - 2008

Submitted by: Pastor Jake C. Meyer

   This morning I am in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, awaiting my delivery just down the street from Citizen Bank Park, home of the world champion Philadelphia Phillies. In a few short hours this area will be cordoned off and teeming with masses of humanity as the World Series celebration will be in full swing.

   How does such an introduction relate to a report on the recently completed Feast of Tabernacles observance hosted here in the Eastern United States? It relates on several fronts. Just as with the Philadelphia ball club this year, I am amazed at the cohesion and unity displayed by those involved in the preparation and hosting of this event. The Frystown Assembly rose to the task, exhibiting the influence of the Holy Spirit upon the fulfillment of their duties.

   The Frystown Assembly generally goes to Rocheport, Missouri, for the Feast of Tabernacles, and they graciously gave us leave to host this Feast on behalf of the unserved Body of the Messiah here in the East. While we missed the brethren gathered in Missouri, we were with them in Spirit. One consideration for our hosting the Feast in the future is the clear understanding that over 100 of those who came would not have had a Feast observance to attend. We were repeatedly inundated with requests to please consider making this a permanent event. There were also many people before the Feast who said they would have made plans if there had been more notice.

   The Feast of Tabernacles, held at Camp Shand in Cornwall, Pennsylvania, from October 15-21, 2008, was attended by more than 150 Truth seekers (the final tally was 155), primarily from the East Coast. Twelve states were represented in the gathering, and the unity and cooperation of the brethren was wonderful to witness. The camp management mentioned to me that several times they just sat in the office and observed what they characterized as the “peaceful interaction” of the attendees. After the first few days of the Feast, the management all but turned the grounds over to us. 

   Hosting a Feast is no small feat, and our task was complicated on several fronts. Due to the short preparation period and our decision to provide all meals during the observance, we were under a lot of pressure to pull this off.  However, as one brother observed, the brethren at Frystown seem to thrive under pressure.

   By splitting the cooking staff into teams, and utilizing volunteers in areas of personal expertise, the Feast was hard work, but ran smoothly. Brethren and sisters who came also pitched in and volunteered, shouldering much of the work. It truly is a blessing to witness a spirit of cooperation and unity when manifested in a group this size.

   Our observance began on the evening of October 14 with a service held in the beautifully decorated tabernacle. All were warmly welcomed, and there was a sense of anticipation for the days to come. The following day we began to experience some of the focus and direction this Feast would take. We live in interesting times, and some of the circumstances relative to Yahweh’s preparing a people for the future were discussed during the message. We, as a people are called and prepared by Yahweh, are an important part of that preparation dealing with our duty to influence for good those around us with the message of salvation.

   On Thursday we took a trip to Cornwall Furnace, the oldest complete existing iron furnace in the United States, with most of its machinery and equipment intact. What an educational experience! It is amazing to see the ingenuity of men and how obstacles were overcome to achieve their desired purpose. Cornwall iron mines were the largest functioning iron reserve east of the Great Lakes until it was closed down by Bethlehem Steel in 1973. The former mine is now flooded and is a reservoir 400 foot deep next to the town. During the course of our tour, we got into a discussion with our guide as to what we were doing for the week. We found out that although she is now a Christian, her family heritage was that of East European Jew. She made the observation that Christians would be much better off today if they would remember and observe Yahweh’s Feast Days, helping them understand their Savior’s purpose and mission much better. What a wonderful confirmation of Yahweh’s ordained Feasts!

   From there, the Feast became a continuum of Bible Studies, Services, and fellowship. The high point of the Feast came over the weekend, when we witnessed the immersion of five precious souls into Yahshua’s Body. The sincerity and dedication of those participating reminded us all of our own commitment to Yahweh through this precious covenant agreement. Pray with us that these new brethren will remain steadfast and grow in grace and the knowledge of Him.

   All too soon it was time to conclude our brief time together and make preparations to return back to our everyday lives.  However, the lessons we carry from this Feast are ones which will be long-lasting. Several mentioned to me how their teenage children weren’t especially thrilled to be leaving their homes and friends to be camping out for a week with people they didn’t know, but experienced a complete turnaround in attitude several days into the Feast. Some of them actually became some of the most helpful and positive influences on others of their peer group! There is no end to Yahshua’s transforming power in our lives, and to witness it repeatedly as we did at the Feast of Tabernacles builds our Faith in the rightness of Yahweh’s paths.

   A special thanks to all who helped make this the Feast it was in Pennsylvania. We are looking forward to hosting next year’s Feast for the brethren again, and are looking forward to an even larger group of believers to be in attendance. One parting observation: I witnessed a cohesion and unity developing among the brethren as the Feast progressed, and this growth in spiritual maturity is something I hope to see strengthen throughout the course of this coming year. Wherever you may go for the Feast of Tabernacles, know that the brethren who gathered at Camp Shand are one with you in Spirit!

Click here to view more pictures and perhaps listen to some of the services.

HalleluYAH!