The Vow Renewal: the Spiritual Significance of Our Church Anniversary & Praise Day

THE VOW RENEWAL

The Spiritual Significance of Our Anniversary & Praise Day

My Wedding I remember it with such vivid detail, the day I married Scott, now my husband and father of our 2 beautiful boys. It was something that I always hoped for and prayed for. I was dressed in all white with a beautiful veil. My mother, sister, cousin and nieces attended to me. The venue was scenic and the decor was elegant, beautifully dressed in white, gold, pink and rose pink. My father walked me down the aisle and I remember looking at Scott, thinking, "finally.� Surrounded by loved ones and with Cedar Lake as our backdrop, Scott and I were married by my father and minister. We exchanged vows and pledged our love and life long commitment to one another before all of you and most importantly, before God. It was by far, one of the happiest days of my life.

Marriage Now even more important than our wedding day, is our actual marriage. Daily, we have to put our vows into action and make good on our promises. And like most marriages, that can be challenging at times. As each year passes, I have learned to take time to reflect upon the good in my spouse, the promises I made on our wedding day and to place God at the head to ensure our success.

Vow Defined But there is a vow even greater than the one I made to my husband. This is the vow I made with God. So what exactly is a a vow? It is a solemn promise of one’s intention. It is a covenant between 2 parties who are coming together for a specific purpose.

Binding Agreement When we decide to walk like Christ we enter into a covenant with Him with the intent to pledge our allegiance and obedience. This is a binding agreement in which both parties (you and God) play key roles.

The Lord gives us everything that we need to survive daily and to learn of His truth. He created us, wakes us up everyday, provides us our basic necessities, teaches us, bestows grace and mercy through His death and resurrection and ultimately will grant us salvation. The list goes on and on.

We can do NOTHING without God.

Our Offering What we offer in the agreement is our 10% offering, which is obedience and dedication of our whole selves to God. This offering is non-negotiable and required if we want to gain immortality. Together, what God gives us and our obedience, enables a sound and perfect agreement.

The Church’s Vow & Betrothal We not only make a vow to God as individuals but as a church as well. This church, at 2266 Arthur Street, was consecrated solely for the worshipping of God and for the edification of the saints with His word. In the scriptures, we have learned that the Church is expressed in female gender, representing Christ’s bride to be. Christ is the bridegroom (Ephesians 5: 23-27).

The Church’s Vow & Betrothal We as a church are espoused or betrothed to Christ. What does espouse or betroth mean‌.To be engaged in a common sense. In a spiritual sense it means to belong to God as we await our marriage. It also means to be adopted in the way of God (Ephesians 1:4-9). This means to be chosen. When we enter in holy matrimony with Christ, He will write His laws upon our hearts and dress us in immortality, (Hebrews 10: 16-17).

We will then be forever one and nothing will be able to tear us asunder. (Matthew 19: 6)

Our Anniversary We know that the Lord blessed us with this building, breaking ground on June 22, 1992. To commemorate this monumental date, we have an annual praise day.

This year it will be on June 26th, 2021, and it will mark our 29th anniversary.

When you think of our anniversary in this respect I want you to liken it to a vow renewal.

Every Year Is a Milestone Typically, a vow renewal takes place between a married couple during a milestone anniversary, such as 20 years or 50 years. As you know, my parents had a vow renewal during their 40th year of marriage on August 2016. However, each year that we remain standing as a church, is a milestone. And there are many blessings to proclaim.

Blessings to Name a Few •The bible class reached a 10 year anniversary in December 2020.

•We recently anointed our brother and newest member, Brother Lawrence during the Feast of Dedication, December 12, 2020.

•Zion’s Little All Stars will be performing for 1 year in June 2021.

•July 1, 2021 will mark the 10 year anniversary of our website.

•The weekly prayer and fast on Wednesdays have been taking place for almost a year now.

Blessings to Name a Few •. And finally, in the month of October 2020, we established our music group, Asaph Ministries. Our emblem was beautifully designed by my mother, sister Evelyn.

•I am proud to announce that Asaph Ministries will release a sample preview of our debut album, “Jacob’s Music Box” on Passover, March 28th, with the full album to be released on Praise Day, June 26th, 2021.

•These blessings are evident that the Lord is with us, that the Spirit is guiding us and we are stronger than ever, standing as a united front for the truth.

Vow Renewal Why is a vow renewal important?

What does renew mean in this context? It is to re-establish, repeat and give fresh life to, to strengthen. Repetition is very important for the brain to learn and retain information in all aspects of our life including serving God. We are instructed to read the Bible daily and to pray daily. You establish a worship routine and you repeat it each day of the week. By doing so, you are able to remember the laws and thereby, put it into practice.

Vow Renewal When we come to worship, we have the same type of opening, the same set of opening songs, prayer, and the reading of the law. We do this together as a group as a reminder of what our church stands for and then we put it into action. That is how we are made and that is how we learn. As such, acknowledging our anniversary is very important . It is not coincidence that we decided to have an annual Praise Day. It was the will of the Spirit.

Our Bond in Christ When we acknowledge June 22, 1992, we re-affirm and strengthen the bond we have first with God and of course the brethren.

We express joy and thanks for blessings bestowed upon our church. We are reminded that this church was anointed and consecrated fully unto God, each of us as individuals and the entire structure including the furniture, artwork, decor, songbooks and equipment that we use. Our success and triumphs and the trials that we have overcome is exclusively because of God’s mercy and His Spirit. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts,” (Zechariah 4: 6). At the Household of Israel Temple of Jesus Christ, we know what our purpose is in Ecclesiastes 12: 13, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.”

Praise Day Why do we associate our anniversary with a praise day? As you know, praises are a way to reverence and worship God , often done through song, dance or poetry. Our songs are unique from spiritual songs in the world, because we do not seek to emulate secular styles of music such as POP, R&B or hip hop. Every word is meaningful and must align with the laws of God. Songs to God are testimonies, sermons, teachings, prophecies, a means of comfort and a weapon of defense against Satan.

Music the Universal Language Music taps into your senses and has the power to evoke any emotion. It is indeed the universal language that can transcend any cultural, racial or gender boundary. Did you know that music is said to enhance your memory and help facilitate learning? How do we know this? Consider the ABC song. This simple little tune that you learned as a child has stayed with you even through adulthood and it enables you to always remember the Alphabet, which is fundamental in your eduction and life. Or perhaps a certain song was playing during a very popular commercial or movie. It stays with you. So much so, that every time you hear that certain song, that commercial or movie will pop up in your mind, even if you are not watching it at that moment. This is intentional because research has revealed how music works with the mind, specifically with your memory and emotions. The same goes for the word of God. A certain verse can bring a scripture to mind or help you better understand and remember anything about the truth.

Praise Day!!!

So with Praise Day, we sing songs pertinent to whatever spiritual theme we may choose and specific to our church to help us commemorate our anniversary so that it stays with us.

Dress Attire Our attire is spiritually relevant for Praise day as well all holy days. We dress according to what the occasion is. When we attend church, we do not dress the same as we do for work or for a casual party. Our clothing is modest and more formal to reflect that the Sabbath is distinct, holy and sanctified from the remaining days of the week.

Dress Attire •For Praise Day, we are asking members to dress more formal, as we do for other feast days, to reflect that we must put on our wedding garments in preparation for the marriage Supper of the Lamb •We are asking the ladies to dress in all white if possible. If not, white and gold or white and black.

•Females represent the Church of Zion, God’s bride to be. A bride wears white to represent her purity as a virgin. This represents a person that is not corrupt with false doctrines of the world. White represents unspotted holiness and righteousness, this is perfection. Before we enter into a complete marriage with Christ, we must be perfect in His eyes.

•Men are to wear black and white with gold tie or a black and white tie.

•Black and white together are the colors of the watchmen. We must remain watchful of the times so that we prepare for the coming of the Lord.

•Gold represents the word of God. A tie is placed over a man’s heart.

The word of God must be in our hearts.

•Finally, when we are dressed alike or in similar colors, it showcases that we are on one accord and united in our faith and belief.

Church Decor •We are asking that the decor in the sanctuary and multi purpose area be white and gold for tables with flowers of pink, yellow and blue, which were colors chosen as accent colors for this occasion.

The dinning room will be decorated to resemble a wedding reception to reflect the magnitude and spiritual significance of this day.

Dinner Reception •The dinner reception is not merely when we eat food. This reception is a refrain for when Christ would break bread and sup with his disciples and saints. They would often worship and Jesus would teach them as they ate. The dinner reception also points to the great feast that will happen at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

Therefore, what we do and how we carry ourselves in the dining room must be reflective of Christ and elevated, particularly for special occasions and feast days.

The Blessing •Typically we say the blessing in the sanctuary before we enter the dining room. However, it is recommended that we all enter into the dining room first and stand with hands held high as the minister says the blessing.

Consider the words, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God,” (I Corinthians 10: 31).

That means something. It is not just about food. It is about consuming the word of God and doing all things to obey, please and revere the Lord. It also sets the tone that we are still in God’s house, even in the dining room.

The Toast •At a wedding, a toast is typically led by the best man and/or maid of honor to give well wishes and cheers to the bride and groom.

•For our dinner reception, we would like the minister to give a toast proclaiming thanks and appreciation to God for all He has done to bless our church and prayers for more blessings to come.

•A toast also points to the time of joy, gladness and thanksgiving we will experience during salvation, especially during the marriage supper of the Lamb.

•All the saints, Christ and the entire host of heaven will toast and celebrate together.

• Recall this scripture Matthew 26: 29, “But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom.”

The Wedding Cake & Cake Cutting Ceremony •Another tradition of a wedding reception is the cake cutting ceremony.

•We will have a 2 tiered wedding cake prepared by Sister Evelyn.

•It will sit on its own table with beautifully decorated cupcakes baked by Sister Melissa.

•There will be a special knife and spatula just for the cake as you see in most wedding receptions.

•The cake will be cut by Sister Evelyn, with spiritual music playing in the background.

Sister Camille and Sister Desirae will help pass out the cake to all of the members.

Spiritual Significance of Cake Cutting Ceremony •What is the spiritual relevance? •When baking a cake certain ingredients must be included and in specific measurements to create the perfect balance •This perfect balance is necessary to ensure the cake rises properly in the oven, with the perfect flavor and just the right texture.

Cake Ingredients •Lets consider typical cake ingredients and what it means…

• Milk - Moistens the cake as well as add color and flavor.

It is the first type of nourishment we receive. It represents the very basic and foundational aspects of the word, the laws of God. • Oil - Helps keep the cake moist. In ancient days, oil was used to heal the sick, light lamps and to consecrate . The word of God heals us because it ultimately removes sin and death to make us whole. When we have the word of God we can let our light shine, meaning showcasing our righteousness for all to see. And of course via the word, we are made sanctified from the wickedness in this world • Salt- enhances the flavor of the cake and prevents it from being too sweet. In ancient days it was used as a preservative to protect food against bacteria or mold.

Salt when not overly consumed, helps our body to function properly. This showcases how the word of God protects us against sin, which is like bacteria. The truth helps us to function on a day to day basis.

Cake Ingredients • Flour: Provides the structure in a cake. It is a powder made from grain. In ancient times offerings unto God was made with fine flour to burn on the altar. This represents the word of God, (Leviticus 2: 1-8).

• Butter: Is made from milk and adds smoothness to a cake as well as flavor. “Butter and honey, shall he eat that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good,” (Isaiah 15:7) (Song of Sol. 4:11).

• Honey: Provides more uniform baking with a more evenly browned crust. Adds moisture, sweetness and improves aroma of cake.

Spiritually represents the hidden mysteries of God. In ancient time honey was hunted for and sometime found by accident, (Judges 14:8-9& 18, 1 Samuel 14:27)

Cake Ingredients •Eggs: Adds structure, color and flavoring to the cake.

They are rich in protein and other vitamins and considered the treasure and riches of the people, (Isaiah 10:14).

•Baking Powder: Leavening which makes the cake rise and light. Leavening has more than one spiritual meaning. It means the word of God rising with in you, (Matthew 13:33) •Flavoring or Taste (vanilla): Enhances all the other flavors in the cake and makes the cake taste pleasant.

The word of God when we feed on it is pleasant to our hearts, minds and soul. “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him, (Psalms 34: 8).

•Sugar: Adds sweetness but also impacts the texture, color of cake and how well a cake keeps. Like honey, it represents the sweetness of the word of God, (Psalms 19:10). Our sacrifices are sweet to the Lord, (Jeremiah 2 & Genesis 8:2).

Cake Ingredients •You can see each component is key and essential to make the perfect cake just as every aspect of the word of God….the law, gospel and prophecies are key ingredients necessary to make us perfect. So when we consume the cake it is as if we are consuming the word of God. The cake also represents us spiritually.

•Now the act of cutting the cake and passing it out to the members as well as any type of food being served represents our brothers and sisters feeding us the word of God. •We all feed each other with our testimonies, sermons and songs. We feed and serve each other because that is what Christ did. This is done every Sabbath and throughout the week via phone calls, text messages or emails. God commands us to exhort one another lest we fall into temptation.

•Hebrews 3: 13, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Reception Music •During Sabbaths and most feast days, it is still Sabbath when we go into the dining room. •We will have holy music playing in the background as we dine during the reception dinner. This being done to set the right tone and mood and to keep our minds and conversations on the Lord.

In Conclusion Let us continue to strive in truth and perfection, fulfilling all ministries and elevating our works as a cohesive group throughout the entire church. I look forward to all of our Sabbaths, New Moons, Feast Days and of course Praise Day. The next time I speak, I will discuss Praise’s Days theme of love and how this pertains to the fulfilling of the Royal Law in both the sanctuary and dining room area of our church.

May God be with you all. Amen.

Written By: Elisabeth C. Tunstall