OK, OK...I still miss it.
What is it about the Fall Festival season that still finds a very
conscious or at least subconscious place in our former WCG minds? I
always have looked forward to Fall in any place I lived and for half my life at
least Fall meant Feast of Tabernacles. I always like the Feast of
Trumpets because plainly it could be, whether should be, linked to the Second
Coming of Jesus just any time at the last trump. Atonement, not so much
except it was not uncommon to leave that night or at the latest, the next day
for the Feast of Tabernacles somewhere.
I still have relatives who physically linger around the edges of the COG
and the Festivals even though they never attend church during the year and
really don't believe much in it. Yet it is not uncommon for them to get
that old "Feast Fever" and head off to, not just some local site, but
some foreign country of the Islands, to "keep the Feast."
I know some who go to festival sites yet don't go to church at that that site
at all! How nuts is that. Well, really not nuts if you have to
endure the worn out old routine of 3 songs, opening prayer, sermonette, announcements,
special music, nuther song, sermon that is over long before the guy gets
finished and nuther song with hurry up and pray ending.
But Fall feels like the Feast to me and I can tell you without looking
which full moon is it!
Even the new and improved WCG which repudiates the crazy thing still
finds Fall time to Cruise for Jesus. You can't tell me that is not a
leftover need to get out of Dodge in the Fall. Old habits die hard.
I think I miss the crowd with the common hope. It was a great hope
you know. The world is indeed nuts and a clean up is in order. I
loved seeing all the friends, new and old from churches long since transferred
from. Friends in WCG seemed to be true friends indeed to me and I
can't say i don't miss them. If I don't miss someone, it's the guys i
went to college with who went on to be pastors and still are either in some
splinter or sliver or simply off on their own repeating the same old story over
and over still without the training or credentials to know whereof they
speak. Oh well, it's a living.
I have to say, I miss teaching and giving those sermons to thousands. I
can only speak for myself, but I had fun. Tried to pick practical topics and
always found a way to get around speaking about the assigned topic that was
given each towards the latter years from "HQ." I guess they
were afraid of who would really say what so they told them what to say.
My last real sermon, "The Politics of the New Testament" at Myrtle
Beach, was my last really great time for me in teaching. I ended up saying a
bit too much and shortly after labeled as knowing a lot about Jesus, but not
knowing Jesus. Oh well, screw it. To me, knowing a lot about Jesus and
knowing Jesus are one in the same unless one goes into some kind of silly
evangelical fourth dimension. However remind me to clean up my
explanation of how Matthew came up with his Virgin Birth 'prophecy.' And
never, never say, "come on folks, where DO babies come from" to
a COG audience or administration :(
It was still fun and I'm still right.
I did hear one minister, still a minister THREE TIMES in THREE FEASTS
give the same sermon!!! As soon as he said, "I'm going to show you
something you have never seen before and will never see again." He
then opened a peanut and ate it. The third time I got up and took a walk
on the beach. Much nicer.
I still have friends from the past however I rarely hear from them.
When I call on occasion, we remember the good old days and realize how old we
have gotten. After all, with Jesus coming shortly, soon and 3-5, 10 at
the most, no more than 15 and 20 tops....we weren't supposed to start falling
apart. Some have weathered aging well and others, not so
much..ha. But like the tractor pull at the fair that has the
sliding weight that bogs you down eventually and says, "you know I'm going
to get you," nothing lasts.
But what is the pull of it all. I was not as much a fan of the
Spring Holydays. Passover and UB was taught from on high in such a
negative manner. Somber, sober and Stiffling. Every year someone
somewhere had to argue over what day really was the Passover and what really
was and was not leavening. I had to conduct the funeral service we called
the Passover and read an hours worth of script that Jesus may or many not have
said since only one gospel reports any of it. Hoping one did not get
memberstinkyfeet for the footwashing was always a hoot!
No, I miss the Feast. The reasons seem deeply set and it's not
because I know I should be there and am rebellious. I know it is not
necessary and it's origins are nothing what the COG's think. I seriously
doubt they really point to all the glorious things we thought they did.
If they do, "time is short," has a meaning different from what
"time is short" means to me.
And of course, Second tithe was really play money and only turned back
into real money when we left after the first service on the Last Great Day
because we wanted to get home and had to get back to work. Only the
really loyal stayed until 4:30 PM and left that evening.
Anyway, it's a lonely time of year for me personally. I expect it
is for others too and even those who rail against their church
experience.
I get a little depressed this time of year. What were all those years
about anyway? Was it all one big waste of time and energy? Yes and
no? I didn't ever see or even hear about "drunken ministers" or
"drunken members." I don't say it wasn't so. I just
didn't hang with that crowd. It was a challenge at times keeping track of
my teen sons but they still speak fondly of their WCG Festival experiences, one
even returning to Jekyll a couple years ago just to feel the feelings.
At any rate. Nothing wrong with feeling a bit nostalgic. It
is amazing to me however the lengths some who do not attend and do not believe in
the festivals will go to, to attend one or at least find a reason to take that
great Fall vacation to some amazing place they never would have gone to for any
other reason.
Jesus, if you are listening...Soon would really be a good time to return
and shut us all up.
Dennis C. Diehl
