| The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor… (Isaiah 61:1-2a) Last Sunday we learned about the year of Jubilee in the book of Leviticus. It was already to be the practice that every 7 years, the land was to have a year of sabbath rest. Then after the 7th sabbath year was to be a year of Jubilee. Every 50 years was to be a celebration of release from sin, a restoration with God, and a reset for and with all of creation. In a poem from “Dreaming Anew,” Jubilee is described as: In the day of Jubilee, the Holy One brings justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry. In the day of Jubilee, the Holy One sets the prisoners free and opens the eyes of the blind. In the day of Jubilee, the Holy One lifts up those who are bowed down and watches over strangers and widows and orphans. In the day of Jubilee, all creation reaps a rich harvest of peace. This Sunday we will sit with the idea of Jubilee once more (Luke 4:16-21), but from the words of Jesus as he reads the scroll from Isaiah 61. Something interesting happens here and perhaps with it a sense of clarity. Jesus proclaims that he is the one to bring justice and release. That the “year of the Lord’s favor” would be found in him. Jesus would make every year a Jubilee. With Christ, every day should be a day to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, and a proclamation that God is with us. This is who he was and what we are called to do in the world as a community of those who follows Jesus. “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” Jesus said as rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The laws of Israelites and the prophecy of Isaiah has been and continues to be fulfilled says Jesus. So, for us, 2024 will be an ideal opportunity to remind ourselves of this calling and purpose. We are the body of Christ and we have been called to great things. For 50 years the saints who have gone on before us lived faithfully and established this wonderful space, tradition, and mission for us as Sun City Christian Church. It will be the perfect opportunity to release, restore and reset as a faithful community. As followers of Jesus, we have much to celebrate and even more to look forward to as we grow the Kindom of God in this place. I look forward to worshipping we you on Sunday! In your prayers, continue to lift up Joe Emmerson and add the health of Burnell Babcock as their return to Arizona has been delayed until after January. Brett |
Tag: jubilee
Pastor’s Notes 10/27/2023
That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee for you: you shall not sow or reap the aftergrowth or harvest the unpruned vines. For it is a Jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces.
Leviticus 25:11-12
As we continue our worship focus around the practice of Sabbath, we will turn to Leviticus 25:1-12 and find the first scriptural reference to Jubilee. In the law handed down from Yahweh to the Israelites, a land Sabbath year was to take place every seventh year. Consequently, after the seventh Sabbath year or once every 50 years, a time of rest was to take on even greater significance known as the year of Jubilee.
As scholar Melody Murton teaches, Jubilee is an economic, cultural, environmental, and communal reset. Biblically it was to be a time when the land and people rest, and all those who are in slavery are set free to return to their communities. The Jubilee laws are essentially concerned with social relationships, economic security, stability, and the wellbeing of the community. They seek to ensure that people live in ways that reflect good relationships with God, with each other, and with creation.
I look forward to worshipping with you on Sunday as we will kick-off what will be a special year of celebration as we head into a modern year of Jubilee! In 2024, Sun City Christian Church will celebrate our 50th anniversary as a congregation.
During our year of celebration, we will focus our energies on the ways in which we are stewards of our resources, time, and talents to build up the kindom of God. We will seek to live in ways that reflect the faithful relationships, as followers of Jesus, we wish to share with one another and our community. We will commemorate our achievements and begin plans for our next 50 years of ministry.
See you Sunday!
Brett