Weekly Pastoral Message prepared by Rev. Murray Adamthwaite
for Sunday 17th January 1999

From the Pastor: Holiday or Holy Day? III

"You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the LORD." Leviticus 23:16 "I'm counting the days!" you will sometimes say, perhaps in respect to Christmas or Easter or a Birthday or in regard to upcoming holidays. We all know the feeling of anticipation as a certain date approaches to which we eagerly look forward. Of course, "counting the days" can take other connotations as well: calendric precision and accuracy of dates is important as new calendars are drawn up as a new year approaches. In both these senses the annual Feast of Weeks or Pentecost was regarded on the ancient Jewish calendar. The priests had to "count the days" precisely to arrive at the exact date, 50 days from the Passover; and the worshippers for their part looked forward excitedly to this joyous occasion. It was a popular occasion! Notice here the huge crowds who had travelled from all over the Empire to be at this festival, according to Acts 2:6, 9-11. However, that holy convocation was made the more special because at that time the Holy Spirit was sent from Heaven inaugurating a new era, the Gospel era, one of freedom in the Spirit and uncluttered by rites, ceremonies, festivals or sacred places. At the same time, the count of the days for that year indicates that Pentecost was a Sunday, the day after the Jewish Sabbath. Our Sunday is therefore designated by each Person of the Trinity: the Father raised His Son from the dead on this Day, Christ Himself appeared to His disciples on that first Easter and then subsequent Sundays and finally, the Holy Spirit was given on this Day. All together these facts underscore it as "the Lord's Day". Let no-one say that this Day is merely one of convenience or tradition and not one of God's appointment. It is firm on God's calendar! The implication of this is that just as the old Pentecost was a joyous occasion, so should the Lord's Day be, as we contemplate the great facts of redemption and the glory to come. It is not a list of "don'ts" or artificial restrictions, but a day when by God's express permission we can put away the affairs of this world with all its worries and concentrate on the things above and meet with God's people in the same pursuit.