One anomaly in the Church of God was that the church was never able to completely make its members attend the opening night service of the Feast, and still cannot to this day. For many in the church, making it to this service on time, if at all, was due to the fact many did not have the luxury of taking off lots of extra days to leisurely travel to a Feast site. It ended up being a rush to get to the site and check in, exhausting many, especially those with children.
Here we are in 2024 and this is still an issue. Not only is that is an issue, but members skipping out on weekday services is a problem too. After traveling long distances people don't want to be parked in some dank hotel ballroom listening to a canned sermon you have heard for decades by the same person.
United Church of God has this up:
As we head to the Feast, let’s determine in our hearts to serve Him first and observe the Feast as He commands. Make it a priority to be there at the opening night service (or the first scheduled service) at your Feast site. This is God’s time—be where and when He wants you to be. When faced with the choice between attending services or Bible study and what “we want to do,” choose God first. There is plenty of time for the other activities we can enjoy at the Feast.
And remember to pray and make extra time for prayer. We gather where He placed His name for the Feast—to His house, the temple He is building in us. His house is meant to be a “house of prayer.” During this time, draw close to God. Use this time to commit to growing closer to Him. Dedicate yourself to keep His ways, truly “coming out of this world.” Grow daily in faith and trust in Him.
