Think of some happy moments in your childhood. Hopefully they are numerous, and if you’re like most people, many of those memories center on holidays and family celebrations. Just thinking of them now brings a smile to your face. We love the joy of repeated celebrations for they are the stuff some of our happiest memories are made of.
One of my staff members here at HROCK recently shared this special memory from his childhood. Every Christmas Eve, his extended family gathered for a special dinner. It was a wonderful time to enjoy a good meal, exchange gifts, and tell stories on one another. But his favorite part came after dinner. He would wait, barely able to contain his excitement, for the special “celebration glasses,” to appear.
They were a set of etched crystal stemware handed down from his great-grandmother’s wedding. Adult glasses were filled with champagne, while the children got sparkling cider. The family formed a circle in the front room and began a series of toasts to memorable events from the past year, achievements of family members, and personal affirmations of one another. Everyone had the opportunity to make a toast.
He remembers standing in that circle, feeling the solidarity of family and basking in the warmth of shared love. He inherited those glasses and continues the family celebration to this day.
This may surprise you, but God loves to celebrate! He knows that we need to make time to commemorate special events in our lives and share our joy in remembering them with others. He wants our lives to regularly be filled with joy! He commanded Israel to keep 7 feasts every year to take time and remember their history with Him. Most of these celebrations were several days or even a week in length. Imagine it being mandatory to take off that kind of time to celebrate!
God went even further with Israel. He commanded them to completely cease from work, and rest and refresh themselves one day in every seven. Israel took the Sabbath rest and turned it into a set of legalistic restrictions, but that was never God’s intention. He wanted the Sabbath to be a joyful remembrance of His act in creating the world. One of His most repeated encouragements to us is “Rejoice!” or as we might say today, “Live it up!”
God even celebrates you! He tells us in Zephaniah 3:17b: “The Lord takes great delight in you. He quiets your heart with His love. He rejoices over you with singing!” Receive God’s joy as he remembers you. His command to you is: “Rejoice” (“Live it up”) in Me always!” (Philippians 4:4)
Come and join our family celebration this Sunday as we observe HROCK’s 17th anniversary. We now have 2 services every Sunday morning, an early service at 9:00 AM and a second service at 11:00 AM. Hear about all the wonderful things God has done for HROCK as we remember our past!
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