Dear Brethren,
In three months we will be observing the Feast of Tabernacles at more than 40 sites around the world. This year the dates fall later in the year, but already the excitement is building. Most members have selected a location and arranged for their housing. More than 5,000 U.S. members have registered for this year’s Feast of Tabernacles, which is our highest total over the past three years. Our goal every year is to select Festival sites that are strategically located to serve the membership; and we pray for, and expect, God’s involvement in that process. Your registering for the Feast helps greatly in our planning year after year.
In ancient Israel during the Second Temple period (515 B.C. to A.D. 70), it was easy to know where everyone would go for the Feast—the city of Jerusalem was the only location. Even though Israel was a small country, it was still a long journey and required much planning for those who lived in the far north in Galilee (Deuteronomy 14:24-26).
Luke 2 tells an interesting story about Joseph and Mary and the young Jesus traveling from their home in Nazareth to Jerusalem for the Passover with a “company” of people that included “relatives and acquaintances” (Luke 2:44). On this occasion the 12-year-old Jesus remained behind, and His parents traveled a full day’s journey heading home before they missed Him. They had to travel another day back and then after three days of looking, finally found Him in the temple. It must have been scary being separated from the young Jesus for approximately five days. The story provides insight into Jewish life in the first century. It illustrates the size of the crowds and the work and planning that must have gone into preparing for and attending the Festival and then returning home with a “company” of people, including relatives and acquaintances.
Over the years I have had the opportunity to serve as the Festival coordinator for several sites—Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Saratoga Springs, New York; and Corpus Christi, Texas. Cape Cod was the site where I had my first experience as a coordinator; and when it was selected, all those involved were convinced that God had opened a door for us to use such a venue. But that did not mean there wouldn’t be challenges.
Our first year on Cape Cod we had 4,500 people, and by the third year it had grown to over 6,000. Then, without any warning, in January of 1984 the arena we met in was sold to a private group that planned to turn it into a warehouse. There was no other venue on Cape Cod that could accommodate 6,000 people, so we were forced to find a new site only a few months before the Feast of Tabernacles.
I learned an important lesson that year. When selecting Festival sites, we always look for a convenient location and where we believe God is directing our efforts, but it isn’t easy. There is no blinking, neon sign saying, “God has chosen this site.” And sometimes what seems to be an obvious answer from God may actually become a trial, whether it is a personal decision in your life or one made by the Church as an organization.
Reviewing Church history teaches us that trials are not necessarily some sort of punishment from God, nor do they prove that God isn’t pleased with us. Trials can come as tests and challenges (James 1:2; 2 Timothy 3:12). We have so much to be thankful for, but we must never become complacent and expect that everything will work out exactly the way we want all the time. We must seek God’s will and accept His answer even when it isn’t what we want to hear.
Life will provide challenges every now and then for us as individuals and as an organization. Our responsibility as Christians is to draw close to God (Psalm 73:28) and seek His will in all that we do (Psalm 69:32). We fast and pray, asking for God’s involvement in all our decisions. In 1984 we faced a genuine challenge when we were informed that the meeting facility on Cape Cod would not be available for the Feast of Tabernacles that year even though we had a contract. A door closed, and we had to scramble and find another site. In the end we found a new site in upstate New York and experienced more than 10 years of wonderful Feasts there. We weren’t expecting to lose a Feast site in the middle of the year, but we did, and within that experience was a valuable lesson. I don’t believe this was due to the fact that God didn’t like Cape Cod; but when one door unexpectedly closed, He opened the door for another location in New York that became a popular Feast site.
I know that many brethren are facing trials and challenges that are of a critical nature and not something as routine as where we will meet for the Feast this year. Trials come to everyone, and they come from different directions. The test is whether we are willing to trust God and accept His answer even when it may not be what we want to hear at the time. Along with each trial, we believe that God will open a door and provide a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13).
Trials are never easy, and we should pray daily for our brethren who are experiencing them. When the door closed on the Cape Cod Feast site in 1984, a new one opened in upstate New York. We should ask God to intervene in a similar way for the brethren who find themselves in the midst of trial. The way of escape may not always be obvious, but we put our trust in God and know that He will never forsake us.
Sincerely, your brother in Christ,
Jim Franks