By Mark McCulley
Festival Administration manager
Many members will travel to a regional site for the Festival, for eight days of rejoicing, worshiping and celebrating with friends new and old. Others will gather in local church areas.
Wherever we meet we will be united in worshiping Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Jesus, the focal point of salvation, fulfilled the pictures of the sacrifices offered at the Festival (Numbers 29). He became the bread of life (John 6) pictured by the manna in the wilderness. He fulfilled the jubilee year, a time of release from debt and servitude (Leviticus 25). He is the great High Priest for all people in every age (Hebrews 8).
Jesus Christ filled up every type and figure of salvation given in the Old Testament (Luke 24). In the Worldwide Church of God, we have always realized that various Old Testament pictures pointed to Christ. But we didn't realize how many there were, perhaps because we were busy practicing the physical observance of some of them.
Though physically observing the annual festivals is not a salvation requirement, we find many meanings in those days. As a church, we are beginning to explore more of the pictures of salvation connected to those festivals.
There's great joy in meeting with other Christians, some of whom have traveled long distances, to celebrate the greatness of our Savior. The joy of worshiping together is growing in all our congregations and will be stronger than ever at the "Celebration of Salvation." I have kept these festivals most of my life, but I have never been more excited about gathering to celebrate with God's children.
Besides the Festival sermons, many of our ministers will give workshops taken from their graduate school studies in theology, family living or other areas. Some have offered Bible study outlines that bring some of those Old Testament pictures, mentioned above, into sharp focus. Those studies will help us further celebrate salvation.
If you have not yet registered for the Festival but intend to go, please register as soon as possible. Hotel rooms set aside for church members will be released for sale to the public July 31, so you will need to make a reservation by that time if possible. Also, we need to make sure our facilities are adequate at each site.
As always, your financial contributions for the Festival are needed and appreciated. Paying for the meeting halls, equipment, setup charges and the sound systems--which we need to upgrade for the demanding musical portion of worship services--are some places your contributions go. They are also used to send expense money to the ministers so they will be able to attend and deliver those sermons, workshops and Bible studies. Many other expenses are paid from this fund, including the expenses for local sites and the videotapes sent to all sites.
David Barnett, a local elder from Texas, will conduct Festival services for deaf members in Rapid City, South Dakota, on the first weekend and in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on the last weekend. Deaf interpreting will be available in Big Sandy; Rockville, Maryland; Seaside, Oregon; and in London, Ontario.
Translation of the services into Spanish will be available in Daytona Beach, Florida, and Palm Springs, California.
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