The Feast of Tabernacles is just weeks away, and plans are nearing completion! God designed the Holy Days to be high-lights of the year, as we gather to learn eternal spiritual lessons and grow closer to each other as brethren. In this article, we’ll discuss why we prepare for the Feast and some of the specific guidelines that help us to truly enjoy—and bring joy to—this wonderful Festival.
The Feast of Tabernacles 2020 was no doubt a Feast to remember! While we anticipate that this year’s Feast will be just as memorable, we hope the memories in 2021 are more about inspiring sermons and meaningful fellowship than about COVID regulations! As of this writing, however, COVID restrictions vary widely from country to country around the world. While we hope and expect conditions will allow for fewer restrictions this year, we must be flexible, realizing that God admonishes us to protect those at risk.
As we prepare to worship God at His Feast this year, please note the following items we all need to remember as we plan. And please stay tuned to the weekly The World Ahead updates, as well as posts on the Festival website—FOT2021.LCG.org—and messages from your Festival Site Coordinator for the most up-to-date news about COVID restrictions and policies for your Feast site.
Focus of the Feast: Not Just a Vacation!
The focus of the Feast is on worshiping God and learning to “fear the Lord your God always” (Deuteronomy 14:23). In addition to that, we are at the Feast to grow together as a family. While we do enjoy physical blessings at the Feast, the main substance of the Feast of Tabernacles is not to be an extension of our consumer-driven society! We are to come out of the world. Accordingly, plan to spend the Feast getting to know brethren you don’t know. Work with others to serve other brethren. Share your blessings with others who have less than you have. Be careful not to fall into the trap of seeing the Feast as just a vacation.
COVID Guidelines: Government and Venue Regulations
At LCG Feast sites, we will follow national, state/provincial, local, and facility management guidelines regarding meeting size, social distancing, and other measures legally in place for the purpose of curtailing the spread of COVID-19 (Romans 13:1). Feast coordinators will ensure that such requirements are explained to all brethren and guests attending the Feast site, to better enable compliance.
COVID Guidelines: Illness at the Feast
Attendees at the Feast who develop a cold or come down with flu-like symptoms should not attend services or socialize with others while those symptoms persist. This follows the biblical principle of quarantine. They may wish to take COVID tests, but keep in mind that such tests may not detect the COVID virus for several days. If they test positive for COVID, all those living in close contact should follow the principle of quarantine as well, not attending services or socializing with others, because they have been exposed.
COVID Guidelines: High-Risk Individuals
If you are in a high-risk category for COVID-19, have someone in your household who is, or otherwise have health concerns regarding COVID-19—perhaps due to local conditions at the Feast site, for example—and are concerned about attending the Feast in person, we encourage you to evaluate your own situation carefully and prayerfully. We will make every effort to provide remote worship options—online streaming and/or phone hookup—as needed.
Tithe of the Second Tithe
The “tithe of the second tithe” is a custom that the Church has followed for decades. The general principle is that, in the command to keep a Festival tithe, there is a mention of “the Levite.” What this means is that we should contribute a small portion of our second tithe toward the physical arrangements necessary to set up the Feast. This contribution is used to pay for hall rentals and other expenses associated with the annual Festival observances, as well as to help brethren with limited funds attend the Feast of Tabernacles. If you haven’t yet sent your “tithe of the second tithe” to Headquarters, please do so. Your generosity is much appreciated.
Plan to Be at Opening Night
This year, the Opening Night service will be held on Monday evening, September 20. Brethren are encouraged to make every effort to arrive at their Feast site in plenty of time to attend this opening service at the beginning of the Holy Day that begins the Feast. As has been our custom for years, there will be a special DVD welcome message from Mr. Gerald E. Weston during this service. Be sure to check the Feast website or messages from your Feast Site Coordinator for the exact time of the Opening Night service at your site.
As You Travel, Beware of Bedbugs!
In recent years, bedbugs have made a comeback, especially in hotels at some popular vacation spots. Therefore, it is prudent to check the beds of your accommodations when you check into your Feast hotels. If you see signs of bedbugs, you should request a different room. Here is a summary from the United States Environmental Protection Agency on how to check your room for bedbugs. Essentially, one should look for physical signs of bedbugs, which include:
- Rusty or reddish stains on bedsheets or mattresses.
- Tiny dark spots (about the size of a “period” on a typed document) on bed sheets or mattresses.
- The actual bugs, themselves, in the seams of mattresses or cushions.
Bedbugs not only inflict painful and irritating bites, but also can travel back home with you and are difficult and expensive to eradicate. God can and will protect His Feastgoers from bedbugs if we are prayerful and vigilant. We also know that a prudent man foresees danger and takes precautions (Proverbs 22:3).
Before You Go… Take a Hymnal!
Brethren who don’t have a personal hymnal are encouraged to bring a hymnal—one or two per household—from their local congregation’s supply for use at the Feast. Please make sure that all hymnals are clearly marked as to which congregation they belong to. For those who do take any blue congregational hymnal(s), please be sure to bring the same hymnal(s) back to your congregation after the Feast, so that the number of hymnals returned to each congregation is equal to the number of hymnals taken.
Stay Healthy as You Prepare for—and Travel to—the Feast!
As we prepare to depart for the Feast of Tabernacles, it is not uncommon for many of us to push ourselves and compromise on sleep and diet. Then, when we finally get in the car, on the train, on the bus, or on the airplane, our bodies slow down and we get sick. In past years, this has resulted in some bringing the flu or a cold to the Feast site and spreading it to other Church members. If we do arrive at the Feast feeling ill, it is important—for the benefit of our brethren, as well as ourselves—to avoid fellowshipping and attending services until all symptoms are gone. Taking measures to stay healthy and even improve our health before the Feast will mean we are more likely to arrive at the Feast in good health, and we will be physically and mentally better prepared to partake of the powerful spiritual food and fellowship that God is preparing for us.
What Is Appropriate Dress at the Feast?
As we prepare to be lights to the world at the Feast, it’s good to review some basic principles about decorum and attire. When we look to the Holy Scriptures we find definite instructions about dress for both men and women—instructions that our modern societies have forgotten or ignore, as do even some members of God’s Church unless reminded periodically. Jesus stated in a parable that some invited to the wedding supper will be turned away because they are not dressed appropriately (Matthew 22:8–14). While the parable is certainly spiritual in intent, Christ made His point using the fact that some occasions require appropriate clothing. Some people assume that, because God looks on the heart, He is not concerned about how we dress when we come before Him. They are missing the point that how we choose to dress is a reflection of what’s in our heart. God’s Church has taught for decades that, when we come to services, we are coming before the God of the universe and should dress in the best appropriate clothing we have, in order to show proper respect to Him.
In most modern cultures, coats, collared shirts, ties, and nice slacks are considered appropriate attire for men on special occasions. Jeans, T-shirts, tennis shoes, or other sportswear are simply not in good taste at Church services or other special occasions. This may vary in tropical climates, but in all climates there is a distinction between what is appropriate and what is not. The Apostle Paul explains that ladies should dress “in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation” (1 Timothy 2:9–10). This does not include the trendy and immodest apparel that is commonplace in our society today: short and/or form-fitting dresses, necklines displaying cleavage, strapless dresses, spaghetti straps, backless dresses, belly-baring tops, etc. These are simply not appropriate forms of attire for Church services—and many other situations!
We come to services to worship God, not to display our bodies. Something may be comfortable or acceptable in our modern society, but that does not make it appropriate at Church services. When people dress in a manner that attracts attention to their bodies, they present a distraction from the real reasons for being at services, and may put a stumbling block before others. Our challenge as Christian men and women is to come out of this world (2 Corinthians 6:17) and recapture true values so we can be lights to a world that has lost its way (Matthew 5:14–16). This is especially true as we gather to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles—picturing Christ’s glorious reign on earth!
What to Wear at the Beach?
Appropriate beach attire is swimwear that is modest and in good taste. We must be guided by the two great commandments—to love God and love our neighbor (Matthew 22:37–39; Mark 12:29–31)—so as not to offend God or our neighbor by our dress at the Feast. Accordingly, following our Living Youth Programs policy, beachwear at the Feast for ladies should be a modest one-piece or a modest tankini (covering the midsection), and for the men, no Speedo-type suits except in cases where pool facility rules require them. As leaders in their family, fathers and husbands have a responsibility to teach and guide regarding what is appropriate and what is not (Ezekiel 22:26).
Food and Drink During Services
While much modern worship has become quite casual, with congregants even eating and drinking during church services, God’s Church teaches a different way. Refraining from eating or drinking during the service shows respect to the speaker and honor to God. Except for medical reasons and for very small children, food and beverages beyond water should not be brought into the seating area.
Caring for—and Watching—Our Children at the Feast
Children are a joy to parents and fellow Feastgoers. The Feast is great family time—and it’s inspiring seeing children attend the Feast with their families! But, parents, please remember that children are not permitted to run or engage in horseplay before, during, or after services where services are held. Children playing on the stage or near speakers and microphones can damage expensive equipment. Children darting in and out among fellowshipping brethren can cause falls. For the elderly, this can be especially dangerous, even life-threatening. (Ushers or deacons shouldn’t need to physically restrain children who are misbehaving—unless required to avoid injury—but they should tell them to stop.)
Parents have full responsibility for their children at the Feast of Tabernacles, including at services, and should always be vigilant about their location and activity. While precautions are taken, and there are activities for children, a Church meeting or event is not a childcare facility. The Church does not take responsibility for the care of children at Church meetings or events. Their absolute safety cannot be guaranteed. The ultimate responsibility for the care of children always remains with parents or guardians. Please ensure that the conduct of your children is adequately supervised throughout their attendance, and that your children are fully under your control. Minors—those under the age of 18—should never be wandering around unsupervised.
Experience has shown that young children and teenagers pay better attention and therefore learn more from the messages when sitting with a parent than when sitting elsewhere. Therefore, it is the policy of the Church to have children and teens sit with their parents during services. An exception may be where an individual child or teen sits with a friend’s parents and family.
Show Love by Going Light on the Perfume
Some brethren have serious sensitivities to perfumes and colognes. Even being in the same room as someone with a lot of perfume or cologne can send some of our brethren to the Emergency Room. Let’s take extra care to show love to others by avoiding the use of perfumes and colognes at the Feast.
When You’re Expecting…
Women going to the Feast in the late stages of pregnancy can face unforeseen complications. If you are pregnant and will be due around Feast time, please exercise caution and discretion in deciding to attend the Feast. The Church’s long-standing recommendation is that you stay home from the Feast if your due date is around Feast time, for your sake and the sake of your unborn child. As in all matters of health, this is a personal decision that must be weighed carefully and prayerfully, and with the advice of your physician or midwife. The Church provides prerecorded sermons—on CD and posted online—for shut-ins, and you can avail yourself of those. Also, some Feast sites will provide livestream or call-in telephone service for members assigned to that site.
We Want to Know What You Think!
Every year we take a survey to gain valuable feedback from brethren attending the Feast. We will again have the Festival Survey available online, and will have paper survey forms handed out at the Feast. The web address for filling out the Feast survey will be FOTSurvey.LCG.org. We ask everyone at the Feast to be sure to fill out either the hard copy or the online version of the survey form during or soon after the Feast, as it provides us with helpful information to assist with Festival planning for future years.
This year’s Feast of Tabernacles will no doubt be an exciting and memorable highlight for God’s people! As we gather together, let’s remember why we are going—to “learn to fear the Lord” always (Deuteronomy 14:23). Let’s be grateful for the Feast and the opportunity to draw closer to our Father—and each other—at this special time.