Greetings everyone,
As we mentioned in a special e-mail sent on Monday (September 17), Mr. Meredith recorded earlier that day another audio commentary, discussing the spiritual principles that can help Christians make sense of the horrific terrorist attacks that occurred last week.
You can listen to that commentary online or read the transcript at www.lcg.org/commentary.htm .
Dr. Meredith's previous commentary (from September 11) is still available at cm010911 .
Last week was, by several measures, the most active week on the Church Web sites since they were established in early 1999. Thanks largely to Dr. Meredith's two recent commentaries which have already been read or listened to more than 4,000 times—the site received 13,358 visitor sessions from 5,780 unique visitors.
Watch the site ( www.lcg.org/commentary.htm ) next week for a new commentary—from Europe!
The FEAST OF TRUMPETS
Mr. & Mrs. Ames flew successfully to Minneapolis where they were hosted by area pastor David Burson and his wife Patty. They spent Trumpets with 109 enthusiastic brethren in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Some traveled from Merrill, Wisconsin; Wisconsin Dells; Dubuque, Iowa; and as far away as Bismarck, North Dakota, 520 miles distant. Meeting in the same hall where the Feast of Tabernacles will be kept, brethren experienced a foretaste of the Feast.
FROM OUR CANADIAN OFFICE
Mr. Norm Aitchison, our dedicated Elder serving in the Vancouver BC church area, has had a heart attack. Even though it has been diagnosed as mild, any heart attack is serious. Mr. Aitchison is receiving medical treatment but he and his wife, Gail, would greatly appreciate your prayers to God for his complete recovery and healing. Thank you very much. – Charles Bryce
EUROPEAN TRIP – Douglas Winnail
The recent trip to Europe was very profitable and informative. We had several visitors in Holland for services. On Sunday I traveled with our hosts, the Peeters, to Maastricht (the oldest city in Holland) and Aachen, Germany (the capital of Charlemagne's empire). We saw a High Mass in one of the cathedrals and visited several cathedral Treasuries—rooms where ornate gold and silver containers studded with jewels display relics of various saints. These can be viewed for paying an admission price. The Aachen cathedral treasury probably contained several million dollars worth of gold, silver and jewels.
In recent years some have issued apologies for teaching that the Roman Church was the harlot mentioned in the book of Revelation, yet a visit to a mass, viewing the accumulated treasures and the worship of relics makes any other explanation of the Scriptures in Revelation 13 and 17 highly improbable. The early Protestant Reformers were quite plain about this teaching and made no such excuses.
Many Protestants might be surprised at the basic similarity in format of Protestant and Catholic services. The Apostle's Creed is recited, several verses or a chapter of Scripture are read without comment, communion is served, and the priests or ministers enter and leave in a procession to music. The brief sermons are general and largely non-threatening. The sermon we heard essentially said that all God's children (Catholic, Protestant, Jews and Orthodox) need to draw closer together in unity. The elaborate ritual replete with treasures and relics, choir and organ music echoing through a cavernous cathedral that is over a thousand years old makes quite an impression on the mind and senses. The fact that most of this is directly contrary to the teachings of Scripture just does not seem to be important. It is amazing that anyone who tells the truth about these issues today is seen prejudiced, bigoted and a threat to peace and Christian unity! In this world people really do prefer darkness.
From Aachen I traveled to Trier which is regarded as the oldest city in Germany. Trier has one of the most impressive collections of Roman ruins north of the Alps. It was one of four capitals of the Empire and was the residence of Constantine for nearly a decade. Local legends (mentioned freely in literature about Trier) assert that the city was founded by Trebeta, an Assyrian Prince, 1200 years before the founding of Rome. One purpose of my visit was to explore the origin of those legends.
On my return trip, while eating breakfast in a hotel in Belgium, I learned of the devastating terrorist attack in America. The reaction in the European media was one of horror and revulsion. However, European leaders recognize their own vulnerability—especially as they move to play a more prominent role in Middle Eastern affairs. They will probably move to create more stringent means of social control to protect European security—which could have ominous future implications in the hands of unelected and unaccountable European leaders. My flight back to Ireland from Belgium was uneventful and without serious security delays.
TO ALL SITE COORDINATORS AROUND THE WORLD
To distribute Feast greetings between sites this year, we will be following a procedure similar to the last two years. All Feast greetings are to be faxed to the Florence, Oregon site at (541) 902-0991 or e-mailed to [email protected]. In Florence, the messages will be combined and sent out to all the sites from which greetings have been received. Those sending a Feast greeting to Florence must make sure that they include a return fax number or e-mail address, to ensure that their site will receive from Florence the combined messages from the other sites.
To help us plan ahead, if you already know the fax number or e-mail address at which your site will be receiving Feast greetings, please send this information via e-mail to [email protected] BEFORE ATONEMENT to help ensure that your site will be able to receive Feast greetings. - Don Davis, Festival Coordinator
FROM THE FESTIVAL OFFICE
I realize this reminder is a little late, however, better late than never. In order to facilitate the delivery of songbooks to each site, please ask each household to take a book from your local stock with them to the Festival. Be sure to remind everyone that the book they are taking belongs to your congregation and that special care should be taken in seeing that it is returned. Festival advisors who are driving to a Feast site should bring extra books with them so that we will have extras to hand out at the door. Thanks for your cooperation. Have a great Feast! – Don Davis
CHILDREN'S CHOIR AT OZARKS FEAST
This announcement is made by Jill Webster, Children's Choir Director in the Ozarks: Anyone who has children who would be interested in participating in the Children's Choir at the Lake of the Ozarks Feast site please send your name and address, call or e-mail immediately to Jim Reed and we will send a tape and music to your home.
Phone: 740-439-5387 (leave the information on the answering machine if no one is home.) [email protected] or Jim Reed 64575 Falcon Ln., Cambridge, Oh 43725
If you do not receive a tape before you go to the Feast your children may still participate. Tapes and music will be handed out at the Feast also. We are just trying to get the music to the youngsters and their parents to enable them to practice before arriving so they will be better prepared.
CONCLUSION
All of us have been deeply concerned and preoccupied—justly so!—with the tragic events of September 11th. But it is now high time for us—God's people—to concentrate our thoughts on the forthcoming Feast of Tabernacles. A Feast of happiness and GOOD tidings. Let's look forward to the day when there will be no more wars, no terrorist attacks, no calamities or sufferings.
In the sermons we ministers will be giving, let's be positive and encouraging (Philippians 4:8). Let's all of us dwell on things that are ahead and not on things that are behind (Philippians 3:13-14). God will never forsake us. We truly can make this Feast the best ever—if we make the effort and if we keep close to God.
Next week you will be hearing from the CAD director who is back from his successful South Asian trip. I myself will in Paris, France, for the Day of Atonement, and later at Port d'Albret, in the southern part of France, for the Feast of Tabernacles.
Y'all have a wonderful Sabbath and happy Feast days!
Dibar Apartian