Let's have a party

I'm sure we all like a good celebration. The skies around here have been full of fireworks over the last week as the local Hindu community celebrates Diwali. I was talking to a dad outside school on Wednesday - he was off to Toys-R-Us to get Diwali presents for his children and complaining that they are abusing the system as they are expecting Christmas presents as well.

I'm sure that within every culture there are celebrations or ceremonies that take place at points during the year - events that are significant in helping those communities tell and remember their story.

The Old Testament people of Israel were no different. Each year they celebrated seven annual feasts. These feasts were ordained by God and God had told them when to celebrate and how to celebrate. Last Sunday, we looked at four of those feasts as we continue our journey through the book of Leviticus. The instructions are laid out in Leviticus 23.

[We looked at the Day of Atonement a few weeks ago and we're looking at Passover and Unleavened Bread next week.]

The feasts of Firstfruits, Weeks and Tabernacles are directly linked to the harvest. In Israel there were two harvests each year - the barley harvest in the spring and the wheat harvest in the autumn.

The Feast of Firstfruits happens right at the beginning of the barley harvest - the very first thing that is done with the first sheaf that is harvested is that it is offered to God by the priest. It is a thank you to God for the firstfruits and also an anticipation of the harvest still to come. The firstfruits are a sign and a promise of what is to follow over the coming weeks of hard work and labour.

This feast is a reminder to us to be thankful for all that we have, and to give back to God out of the first and best that we have. Not to wait until everything else is taken care of and then give to God out of what is left.