Holy Convocation Services
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“These are the appointed times of HaShem,
holy convocations which you shall proclaim
at the times appointed for them.”
– Leviticus 23:4
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Pesach ~ April
19-26, 2008
Seders: Saturday, April 19, 2008
Time: Sundown
Location: Homes across Metro Denver
Service Day 1: Sunday, April 20, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: The Harvest
Service Day 7 : Saturday, April
26, 2008
Time: 1:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Location: The Harvest
Pesach (or Passover) is a great time of remembrance for God’s people, as
it commemorates the Jewish Exodus from Egypt thousands of years ago and our own
exodus from the “Egypt of sin and shame” through Yeshua’s atoning
sacrifice. These two themes, Yeshua’s sacrifice and the Exodus, are
central to how we celebrate Pesach here at the Harvest. We recall Paul’s
words that everyone who sins is a slave to sin (John 8:34); so the retelling
of the Passover story every year reminds us what an astounding price was paid
for our own rescue from slavery to the bondage of sin. Yeshua is the Pesach
Lamb. The focus of Pesach is not the resurrection of Yeshua but His death,
as He has commanded us to partake of matzo and wine during the Passover Seder
in remembrance of Him. Pesach also begins the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
which lasts for seven days. During this time, everyone in the community
is encouraged to rid their houses of anything containing yeast or leaven. This
ceremonial cleansing reminds us that we need to cleanse our hearts of leaven,
which is symbolically referred to in the Bible as sin. Only unleavened
bread (matzo) may be eaten during these seven days. As a community, we
celebrate Pesach in homes by sharing a Passover Seder together. It is a
time of fellowship and getting to know one another in a more intimate way as
we each can recall our own personal walk with Yeshua.
Shavuot ~ June 8-9,
2008
Service: Monday, June 9, 2008
Time: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Location: The Harvest
Shavuot (or the Feast of Weeks) is celebrated in commemoration of the
giving of the Torah and the giving of the Holy Spirit after Yeshua’s
ascension into Heaven. It is also known as Pentecost. It is celebrated
during a period of 50 days (7 weeks) during which the Israelites in Moses’ day
were making their way from the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai, where they were
to be given the Torah. This time period also marks the time of the early
apostles and believers sitting together in an upper room, fellowshipping
and sharing as they waited for the Comforter, Whom Yeshua had promised
before He left. During the 50 day count down, the wheat harvest in Israel
is ripening, and by the end of this period it is fully ripe and ready
to be brought into the temple as a first fruits offering. For this reason,
we count the omer. Each day, a head of wheat is taken from a bundle and
blessings are said as we purify ourselves and eagerly wait for Shavuot.
The distance between the days of Pesach and Shavuot is no coincidence
as it outlines our beginning as believers with the acceptance of our
atonement and end with our being brought into a priestly calling by the
power of the Holy Spirit. What a time of preparation it is! In our community,
Shavuot is commemorated with an amazing time of worship, many songs centered
around the fire of God and the power of the Holy Spirit. Often, our worship
service will last late into the night with everyone sharing in the expectancy
and receiving from God a powerful touch.
Yom
Teruah ~ September 29-30, 2008
Service: Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Time: 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Location: E.B. Rains Park, Tumbleweed Pavilion
Yom Teruah (or the Day of the Awakening Blast) calls God’s people to repentance.
Other names for this day include Rosh Hashanah and the Feast of Trumpets. We
blow the shofars on this day which begins the Jewish New Year. More importantly,
it begins the Ten Days of Awe, during which we cleanse ourselves and repent of
sin in preparation for the most solemn day of the year – the Day of Atonement.
Making teshuvah (repenting, returning to God) is the central theme of this feast
day. Traditionally, the shofar blast was used to sound a warning, as of impending
danger or war. For us as believers, it is meant to call us to wake up and get
ourselves ready for the Day of Atonement. We are given ten days to search our
hearts and examine ourselves with thoroughness. While this feast day is more
solemn than some of the other feast days, it is with great joy that we remember
the mercy of Yeshua in giving us time to repent. He warns us with the shofar
blast that His judgment comes to those who have not repented; but to us who take
seriously His warning trumpet blast, there is grace upon grace as we make teshuvah.
If you join the Harvest during this feast day, you’ll hear the shofar being
blown almost continually through the entire service. Yeshua commanded us to blow
the shofar, and so we BLOW the SHOFAR! It’s hard not to be taken up into
the theme of this feast day as everyone, young and old alike, is encouraged to
bring their shofars and fulfill this mitzvoth.
Yom Kippur ~ October 8-9, 2008
Service: Thursday, October 9, 2008
Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: The Harvest
Yom Kippur (or the Day of Atonement) is the most solemn assembly of the year.
The Ten Days of Awe culminate in this feast day, which is actually a day of
fasting and prayer. The Day of Atonement for us as believers is not as solemn
as it is for those who have not received the sacrifice of the Lamb of God,
but it is still important for us to search our hearts and humbly beseech God’s
throne for forgiveness and mercy. We remember the price Yeshua paid for our
atonement and this day is about honoring Him by making teshuvah. We prepare
ourselves for the coming year by bringing to mind those areas that we need
to work on as we grow in Him. For Israel, this day meant a sincere cleansing
as they waited for the priest to take the blood of the sacrifice into the Holy
of Holies to make atonement. Would their sacrifice be accepted? Would God forgive?
The day is not only about personal repentance, but corporate repentance on
a national level. During this feast day we pray for Israel because she has
not yet accepted her Messiah Yeshua corporately. We look forward to the day
when “they will look on Him Whom they have pierced” and “all
Israel will be saved.” This prophetic passage speaks of the Day of Atonement
when at last the olive branch receives the Messiah. As a community, we honor
this day by fasting together from sundown on Erev Yom Kippur through sundown
on Yom Kippur when often we will break the fast together. Some fast from food
and water, but many fast only from food. We wear all white to commemorate being
been washed white as snow and have a long service of worship, reflection, and
prayer.
Sukkot ~ October 13-20, 2008
Service Day 1: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: The Harvest
The feast of Sukkot (or the Feast of Tabernacles) is one of the greatest times
of rejoicing all year long. The feast last for seven days, with the eighth
day being another holy convocation. Sukkot commemorates the wandering of the
children of Israel in the wilderness when God commanded them to live in booths.
God’s tabernacle was among them during their 40 year wanderings. Even
in their paying the consequences for disobedience, God did not abandon them
but lived in a tent right along with His children. God as a good and
loving Father is seen clearly in this feast day. Yeshua fulfilled this feast
day because He was born during the feast of Sukkot. In an act of utter humility,
He left heaven and became a man born of a woman. He took on the “tent” of
human flesh in order to ultimately redeem mankind. This is the essence of Sukkot,
God became man and dwelt among them. During this feast, we celebrate Him and
look forward to that time when we can live with Him forever. At the Harvest
we celebrate this feast day with great fervor. Everyone is encouraged to build
their own sukkah. It is a booth with three sides and a roof that is only covered
in vines and greenery. During the seven days of the festival, people are invited
into one another’s homes to celebrate, praise, fellowship, and dance.
Sitting in the sukkah and telling about the greatness of God is one of the
best times of the year. Many people even sleep in their sukkahs in recalling
the time when the Israelites lived in booths with no walls and no roofs. This
feast day will be fulfilled when Yeshua returns for His bride and we celebrate
with Him the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sh'mini Atzaret ~ October 20-21,
2008
Service Day 8: Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Time: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location: The Harvest
Shemini Atzaret (or the Eighth Day of Assembly) is the final day of Sukkot.
There are many purposes for this feast day. It is almost as if God wanted just
one more day fellowshipping with His children because He has enjoyed Himself
so much. Shemini Atzaret gets us ready for the final festival of the year,
Hanukkah (or the Festival of Lights). It is a time of thanksgiving and invokes
our anticipation of the Messianic Age, when we will not need to look forward
to being with Yeshua but will be living and reigning with Him in the New Jerusalem.
God invites us to stay behind for the purpose of enjoying some intimate time
alone with him. This day can also be viewed as a private time between God and
each one of us – a sort of spiritual honeymoon during which we celebrate
His love for us and our love for Him. God has chosen us and desires for us
to be intimate with Him. When the days of Sukkot are finished with all their
feasting and celebrating, we can take this eighth day to sit back and relax
in awe of our King. Our community celebrates this day with yet another holy
convocation. We praise God in music and dance.
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