Sacred Celebrations

All scriptural references are from the King James Having grown up being steeped in this world’s culture, which to a great extent revolves around this world’s holidays, I know full well the great influence that celebrations involving music, art, and poetry can have on young minds. It is my hope that these poems and lyrics, based on God’s ordained Holy Days and the inspired words of God, can help develop the kind of culture among God’s people that will influence the children of God’s church in the right way. Some of these poems have already been put to music, and hopefully others will lend themselves to this venue as well. When referring to child rearing, a wise man once stated that if you take something away from a child, you should give them something else to take its place. While he was referring to a child who wants to play with something he should not, the same principle applies when we take away this world’s holidays that mean so much to children; especially those children coming into God’s church from the world. We need many more songs about the true Holy Days, the true church, and the good news of tomorrow’s world that our children can relate to and internalize. We need to develop a whole righteous culture based on true knowledge—a culture that celebrates true values and virtues with uplifting songs, jubilant dance, wonderful art, and positive literature with memorable poetry—to give to our children in place of the traditions and culture this present evil world offers. Some will argue that all these sacred Festivals and Holy Days were abolished with Christ on the cross, but careful examination of all the scriptures reveal otherwise. Luke records that after Christ died, the women prepared spices and ointments to anoint the body, then “rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.” The gospel writers all agree that Christ gathered with His disciples to celebrate the Passover on the very evening before His crucifixion. The book of Acts shows the faithful believers and followers of Christ gathering together “in one accord” more than 50 days after the crucifixion for the Feastof Pentecost, called “the Feast of Firstfruits” in the Old Testament. Concerning the Days of Unleavened Bread, Paul told believers in Corinth to “keep the Feast.” Luke records that Paul, referring either to a spring or fall Festival, stated he “must by all means keep the feast that comes to Jerusalem.” Luke mentions other Holy Days and Festivals in the book of Acts. Jude, the brother of Christ, lamented that certain evil doers had crept into the church, and were “spots in your feasts of charity”—undoubtedly referring to those Feasts ordained of God. One cannot clearly see the incredible step by step plan God has for all of mankind without recognizing the outline for that plan as pictured to us by these sacred Holy Days: played out year by year in the very order by which God is carrying out His amazing plan of salvation. The poems in this collection have been written over a period of about 20 years. Several small booklets have been printed and handed out in a limited way to a number of members. Some have been sent to the elderly or infirm who were unable to attend the fall Feast of Tabernacles. Several requests have come from the brethren since, wanting copies of these earlier booklets which are currently out of print. More poems have been written and added to my collection since these were published; including a number of poems and lyrics for younger children. I would have desired for all these poems to be made available free of charge to all of God’s people, but being a man of limited resources, I knew of no way to do so. While it has never been my desire to profit from the brethren with these poems, the brethren could use second tithe funds during God’s annual Feast of Tabernacles to purchase this collection and defray printing costs. Perhaps in the future they can be used as fund raisers

What’s the story behind all those feasts? It’s hard to know when you read about the Feast of Booths why exactly it matters for your life. What in the world is the Feast of Trumpets supposed to be teaching you? And, in this case, the text itself doesn’t tell you. You need a resource, a guide that can help you understand the cultural significance and how these feasts relate to the rest of the Bible. That’s exactly what Erin Davis does in this new 8-week Bible study, 7 Feasts. She’ll teach you: The significance of these feasts and why God wanted His people to celebrate How each of them point to Jesus and His work in redemption Why all of this matters for our lives today You will discover that passages you once skimmed over are now rich and meaningful in your life today.

This user-friendly source book will be of great value to everyone wishing to celebrate and honour the changing rhythms and seasons of the Earth and her cycles. Sacred Celebrations explores each of the eight Celtic festivals, looking at how they were celebrated and understood in the past, the underlying changing energy of the Earth and ways we may use this energy to create meaningful celebrations for today. This book does not attempt to follow or recreate the past, but encourages us, whether celebrating on our own or with family and friends, to follow our own inspired interpretations of each festival, to touch the sacred, share and participate in the power of nature, express our feelings and find ways to focus on spiritual regeneration and healing. Book jacket.

Written in a clear and concise manner, this book provides useful information for the home and synagogue celebration of Jewish holidays. Each chapter includes insights from Jewish texts, and descriptions of holiday celebrations, rituals, blessings, and family activities.

Uplifting and inspiring, it explores eight Celtic festivals, how they were celebrated and understood in the past, the underlying changing energy of the Earth, and the ways we may use this energy to create meaningful celebrations for today to deepen our connection to the Earth and our fellow human beings.

In Sacred Ceremony: How to Create Ceremonies for Healing, Transitions, and Celebrations, Steven Farmer offers ideas on how to create your own ceremonies to consecrate the critical events and passages that you experience on your life’s journey.

'Chloe is an absolute gem. As an early mentor and then friend I watched her turn her creative gifts from fashion into something so giving and nurturing. She draws on her experience of the yin and yang of life to offer women something tangibly spiritual to incorporate into their modern lives. I've watched her turn three back to back challenging events into rocks to leap into the great unknown and become the softest, strongest gem.' - Jasmine Hemsley During the average day, most people's time is consumed by thinking 'I need to do this. Can't forget that. How did I come across? What did that person think of me? Why are they acting like that?' Our endless thoughts can run havoc and often cause a state of stress and anxiety - the mind can be a very useful and brilliant tool, but when we slip into unhelpful thought patterns, with the same story going around and around on repeat, it's exhausting. In Sacred Self-Care, Chloe Isidora offers an antidote, with ceremonies and rituals that ease the mind and connect you to your heart space. Rituals can range from the smallest act, such as lighting a candle or blessing your food, to a ceremony involving many people singing and dancing. These processes encourage you to slow down, to honour the moment and to connect to something greater than yourself. Learn how to create a sacred space, hold a ceremony and weave ritual into everyday life. Through practices suggested throughout the book, you will create opportunities throughout the day, week and year to experience reconnecting and receive your own inner guidance, recognizing the feeling of following your joy, just as Chloe herself has. Chapters include: Sacred self-loving Affairs of the heart Feminine empowerment rituals Celebrations Gathering with friends Staying connected

The Sacred Santa is an inquiry into the religious dimension of postmodern culture, seriously considering the widespread perception that contemporary culture witnesses a profound struggle between two antithetical systems -- a collision of two worlds, both religious, yet each with vivid visions of the sacred that differ radically with regard to what the sacred is and what it means to human life and social endeavor.