If this is your first viewing, please see my Introduction before reading this.
8 February. Leviticus chapters 22-23
Chapter 23 describes the rituals of the main Jewish seasonal festivals that eventually came to be established. Some of them have equivalents in modern Christian worship (Passover/Good Friday; Sabbath / Sunday; and with a different climate we just have one Harvest festival to their three of Weeks, Firstfruits and Sukkot). I commented on the Day of Atonement in a recent post. It does not mention Hannukah, as that comes from an even later historical development. What all these have in common, even the solemnities of Atonement, is that they give thanks for God’s gracious presence in both the everyday life of a farmer, and the dramatic events that make history.
A post-religious age has nothing comparable to celebrate, and it is sad to see that “festivals” such as Black Friday and Halloween have taken their place alongside a secularised Christmas and Easter (Star Trek Advent calendar, anyone?) as the significant dates in the calendar. Even those ‘family festivals’ of Valentine’s, Mother’s and Father’s Day are more about commercialism than true love, and leave out those who through no fault of their own have no partner, parents or children alive. What can the church do to draw people back in to the celebrations of God’s goodness in which everyone can participate?