World Mission Society Church of God

Year of Jubilee Proclaimed to All People in the World

Nation | Korea
Date | January 01, 2014

The New Year 2014 has dawned, marking the fiftieth year since Christ Ahnsahnghong founded the Church of God. The commemoration event was held at the Okcheon Go&Come Training institute to greet the hopeful New Year and to celebrate the birth of Christ and the fiftieth anniversary of the church. From the Third-day Service on Dec. 31 to 1 a.m. of Jan. 1, eleven thousand members, mostly consisting of the families of the pastoral staff and the families of male adults who have titles or positions in the church, gathered and celebrated three happy occasions—Christ’s birth, the New Year, and the church’s fiftieth anniversary. The event was broadcast live across the nation so that all the church members in Korea could gather at each local church and share the blessings and happiness together.

During the last service in the year 2013, Mother prayed for all the church members of the world to be in good faith so that they would enjoy the blessings of the New Year. “People usually regret when the year goes out, but let us not regret but repent,” said Mother. She hoped that Her children would do their duty as the children of God so that they would be blessed by practicing God’s will in 2014 and give glory to God. Mother also asked the members to find the lost ones all over the world to please father in this meaningful and joyous New Year starting with Christ’s birth and the church’s fiftieth anniversary, the year of jubilee.

Through the sermon titled The Command to Give Thanks, General Pastor Kim Joo-cheol gave thanks to God the father and God the Mother for leading the members for the last year. “In the New Year, let’s also keep the command of God, ‘Give thanks,’ according to the words, ‘Give thanks in all circumstances’ (1 Th 5:18), and ‘overflow with thankfulness’ (Col 2:7), so that we will give thanks in everything every day,” said General Pastor.

After the service, the members went outside of the institute for a performance. Giving more thanks to God for the mild weather in winter, they went out to the lawn like clouds. Under the title, The light to the world, they held a feast of light. With the institute building and the trees decorated with laser, led light, and bulb light in the background, they shone the light with flashlights, glow sticks, and cheongsachorong (traditional Korean lantern with a red-and-blue silk shade) in their hands in order. Young adults showed letters—50, 희년 (year of jubilee in Korean), We♥U—with flashlights, and tens of thousands of lights embroidered the institute like the stars in the sky.

The motif of the cheongsachorong performance was the parable of five wise virgins who prepared the lamp and oil and greeted Christ in Matthew 25; through this, the members introduced the beauty of Korean tradition as well. Into the light of cheongsachorong, the members put their wish, “we’ll shine the dark world with light, and give hope for the future to people who are living tough lives."

A parade was followed, which was a magnificent sight. With a brass band at the head, hundreds of members had a parade, walking along the main road of the institute to give a message that the light from the east spreads to the whole world and the whole world comes to the light of the glory of Jerusalem Mother. When the wave of light was entering the institute with the sound of trumpet coming closer, the rest of the members received Mother—God the source of all blessings—with cheers and excitement. Mother led the parade of light, and gave a message of great blessing and love to the members with a bright smile and gestures.

The performance continued until 11 p.m. and the residents living around the institute came out and watched it with admiration, saying that it was a grand view that they had never seen in their lives. “I’ve known the members of the Church of God since this institute was established. They’re very kind and always greet us first. I’ve heard that your church is being prosperous throughout the world. I wish you more success in your fiftieth anniversary,” a livestock farmer from Seodae-ri said.

From 11 p.m., the members had a celebration event in the main hall. The mixed octet and the men's quartet sang praise to God who came to this world and saved us with His love and sacrifice, and the choir sang the Beethoven’s Symphony no.9 known as Choral, 4th movement, ode to Joy. The Messiah orchestra’s grand play, traditional Korean fan dancing, and various performances were put on before the New Year’s countdown.

“. . . 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0!”

With a great fanfare and songs of praise, the year of blessing started. In the New Year, which started with the day of Christ’s birth and the fiftieth anniversary of church’s founding, Mother gave thanks to God the father first, offering Her congratulation and reminding the members of the meaning of Christ’s birth for coming a second time to save His children. “in 2014, let’s repay God for saving us, and bear fruit most by freeing many souls from sins, so that father may be pleased,” said Mother. She also asked the members to lead the people of the world, who are suffering from economic depression, various disasters and diseases, to Zion where we have true happiness and eternal life, and to be always joyful and bear abundant fruit in the new Year. The celebration came to an end with Mother’s proclamation of the year of jubilee.

“I proclaim the fiftieth anniversary of the Church of God, the year of jubilee, to all people in the world!”

The year 2014 is the year of jubilee for the Church of God that marks its fiftieth anniversary. in the Bible, the year of jubilee which comes after seven Sabbaths of years is the year of blessing. in the year of jubilee, the Hebrews who became slaves owing to unavoidable circumstances were set free, and people who were forced to sell their land got it back. The year of jubilee is the time when everything restores its order and goes to its own place. “in the year of jubilee, the Church of God will endeavor to set slaves to sin free, comfort those who mourn, and give hope to all people in the world,” Mother spoke about the spiritual meaning of the year of jubilee.

The members hoped that they would receive the blessing of the jubilee together with their families, neighbors and all people in the world in 2014. The first day of the new Year started as the members wished human beings—slaves to sin and death—freedom, liberation, happiness, and fullness of blessing in God Elohim who is free.