New Moon
Observance
By Jim Hamby
Little over
the years had been said on this subject in
the various
Church
literature going to the general membership.
Already you
have on this page addressing New Moon Observance have
seen the
scriptural references, so I will deal with some of the reasons given
in the past
to nullify the observance of New Moons and quote from Church
literature
on this subject.
Some reasons for not celebrating the New Moons
come from Church literature, and others come from e-mail responses I have received or read
from those
at the various Headquarters of the Fellowships.
One reason quotes the June-July 1954 Good
News article "Should You ASSEMBLE Without a Minister" ""With social fellowship comes the
inevitable desire to assemble on the Sabbaths for round-table discussions.
Many feel
the necessity of social contact with brethren." The article also states on the
subject of if two or more are gathered together ,Christ would be in there midst as follows
"But didn't Jesus promise that wherever two or three brethren gather together, he
will be in their midst?
The common misapplication of this text comes from
careless reading. Christ was discussing with his apostles the matter of making binding
decisions in the church (Mat. 18 : 17 ). He promises to back every decision --
even where
only two or three are gathered together IN HIS NAME!
What does
"in His name mean? It means "by His
authority"! We baptize "in
the name of
"Jesus Christ"--"by His authority". But Jesus never gave authority for
his converts to hold meetings by themselves without a pastor!
Any who do
so are not acting according to Jesus' commands. They are going contrary to Christ's
authority. He does not promise to be in their midst."".
There are those that site this Good News article
of not accepting New Moon Observance by
stating that nothing else came down in written form for the general membership after this.
Another example is the May 1988 Personal
Correspondence Department letter from Joseph Tkach Sr. stating that New Moon observance is
not necessary because we all have calendars today unlike the ancients .
This was the
same reasoning I received from an Evangelist
in God's Church within the last couple of years.
This subject was one of the factors in the recent
split within the Church.
Wherein one
of the Top men just suggested that the
Council look into the
New Moons.
One of the reasons here was that Mr. Armstrong did not "Ordain it, so it is a moot
point"
As I have already stated, not much
over the last 50 plus years have been mentioned on this subject , in official Church
literature.
One article
in the October 1957 Good News by Kenneth Herrmann titled
"Prove
God's Calendar Correct!" states to "Prove all things"
This article
not only outlines the New Moon Observance, but explains how to unify its observance around
the globe. This article sets the standards of observance and goes on to say" Thus, all Jews (and Christians)
throughout the world could know when the new moon would occur according to Jerusalem time
and consequently they could celebrate the same day all over the earth in unity" Does
this not sound like we should be observing New Moons. This one of a handful of articles
ever produced on this subject by the Church?
This article
goes on to state "It
should be obvious now how to prove all things. Check them against the Oracles of God. What
are these Oracles preserved by God through the Jewish people? Three: The Scriptures, The
Sabbath, and The Calendar."
Continuing
"It was God's prerogative to give these communications and commands. It was God's
responsibility to see that they were preserved down to our time. It was God's judgement
that a stiff-necked, rebellious, unchanging Jewish people should be given the assignment
to preserve His Calendar, His Sabbath,His Scripture. With God behind them you may be sure
that they carried out this task."
Continuing "It is our responsibility as
God's people to search out these Oracles, to study and obey them"
Continuing
on it says "If you
reject Moses today , if you reject the Oracles given through Moses, you also reject the
One who sent him" Also stated is
"The real reason now becomes apparent why it
is so hard for us to turn our hearts and minds to the true way that God has given to us.
We have inherited this same stiff-necked rebellious nature. Why not get back to the truth
and then remain firm in it?"
This article in the October 1957 Good News finishes
with the following statement "Are the ministers in the Church
of God able, in due time, to clear up puzzling questions and seeming contradictions about
the Calendar? Do they "read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and give the
sense and cause the people to understand the reading?""