Caulfield Evangelical Methodist Church
- Weekly Pastoral Message -

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"Continuing steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine" Acts 2:42

Weekly Pastoral Message prepared by Rev. Murray Adamthwaite
for Sunday 24th January 1999

From the Pastor: Holiday or Holy Day? IV

"On exactly the tenth day of the seventh month is the Day of Atonement ... and you shall humble yourselves ..." Leviticus 23:27

A familiar element in our community is what is known as the "Christmas and Easter Christian". i.e. those who come to church only on the Festival days of the Christian year, but never at any other time. More devout folk are sometimes at a loss as to what to make of this phenomenon: some would deplore it outright and take a fairly negative stance; others would see it as a golden opportunity to declare the terms of the Gospel and urge such people to become sincere Christians rather than in form only. A proper approach is surely along the lines of the latter position: they must be encouraged to take the things of God seriously, since eternity hangs on the right response.

It will perhaps come as a surprise to some that modern Judaism faces the same problem among its adherents: many are "Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) Jews". They come to Synagogue once a year on Yom Kippur, and that in their view is sufficient. Jewish leaders are divided as to how to approach this same phenomenon; whether to take a strict or a more lenient approach. At least there is here some improvement on the Christian version: such people come to confess sin on Yom Kippur, whereas the formal Christians come, at least at Christmas time, in an atmosphere of festiveness and jollity.

This one day of the year in the Old Testament calendar was to be the pinnacle of all the sacrificial legislation: it was when all of these came together. The High Priest made his annual entry into the Most Holy Place, sins were atoned for by sacrifice and the expulsion of the scapegoat. This "Holy Day" of all days looked forward to the cross and the once-for-all atonement by His bloodshedding. It reminds us that "without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sin" Hebrews 9:22, nor access into the presence of the eternal God. The tragedy of Judaism is that it does not believe in atonement, but that a ritual repentance is sufficient. But then, perhaps they are not that far away from formal Christians after all. Is this true of you?

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Caulfield Evangelical Methodist Church
Please email comments to: cemc@genesis.net.au
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