While we recognize the Appointed Times outlined in Leviticus 23 are considered “the LORD’s (YHVH’s) Feasts” and were commanded to be holy convocations for the children of Israel, to include those who joined with them, we understand the context in which that command was given was under a functioning Levitical priestly order, with their service being done in a place where YHVH put His name, particularly in the Promised Land.
However, we don’t know for certain that we are considered “the children of Israel”, since we came to the saving knowledge of YHVH and His Anointed One through the religion of Christianity, and we are unaware of our having any genetic link to Jacob.
Second, we recognize this priestly order is no longer in operation and the place where YHVH put His name was destroyed in 70 AD, so we seriously question whether or not these appointed times are something that can even be kept as they were prescribed in the Bible.
Given all this, we choose to honor these times with periodic gatherings throughout the year, as an educational tool — to remind ourselves of the past, to enlighten us as to their intended purpose, and to teach the future generations their relevance to our lives.
Who We Are
My husband and I run our own online retail business from our home, while raising and home schooling our three children on a homestead in Virginia. We have cows, goats, chickens, ducks, quail and turkeys.
We are not congregational leaders, nor do we seek to be. While we were raised in a Christian environment and consider the Bible to be an authoritative text in our lives, we don’t ascribe to any particular religion or movement these days.
What We Believe
We recognize the Creator, whom we refer to as “Yahweh” (YHVH) as the Most High God, and do our best to walk according to His ways as we understand them. We also believe the Jesus of the Bible, whom we refer to as “Yeshua”, is the Messiah, the anointed man over all mankind.
We are personally convicted regarding erecting any symbols as a form of religious service or respect, to include crosses and stars of David. Therefore, we do not allow the public display of them anywhere on our land.
What We’re About
Our desire is to love our Maker with our whole heart, soul, mind and body and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are interested in like-minded fellowship, seeking Biblical truth, being held accountable, and encouraging one another on the road to life.
We recognize not everyone is on the same path as we are, but we believe that if we all fear the same Creator and strive to walk according to His ways to the best of our understanding and ability, then we can benefit from assembling with one another.
Given that, we like to periodically assemble with others of like mind on our country homestead.
Keep in mind, we hold to several unpopular notions, with the most controversial being:
- The day begins in the morning.
- The land we live on is stationary and relative to sea level (not a globe spinning on its own axis, whirling around the sun).
- The Messiah is the product of the natural order: a man knowing a woman.
We do not expect others to have to hold these similar views to be in fellowship with us, but we do expect others to accept who we are, and allow us to hold our positions without disdain, and we’ll do the same for others.
What We Have to Offer
Our homestead is on 15+ acres in rural Virginia, southeast of Charlottesville.
In addition to our home, it includes rolling pastures, a fishing pond, a wooded area backed up to a nature preserve, a playground/tree house, and a climate-controlled meeting/dining facility with a full kitchen and 3/4 bathroom.
We have the capability for RV hookups (with limited electricity) and several campsites throughout the property.
So, we periodically offer our facilities (not including our main living quarters) as a host site.
What We are Not Offering
We are not a professional campground / retreat center. We do not have unlimited electricity or an endless supply of water (we presently operate the entire homestead on one deep well and stored rainwater).
We do have running hot and cold water in the community facility with a separate septic system dedicated to that facility, and we are anticipating having a few extra toilets (and sink) in the near future, but there is presently only one shower available for these events.
We are not a professional catering service. We have another kind of business to run during week-long events, so my husband and I do not prepare any meals for the community. We also do not want to make these events cost-prohibitive for those who wish to attend, so we do not hire any of the meals out.
Instead, we may work to help coordinate meals for the whole community and provide some of the ingredients and supplies with community support, so that the community will be able to serve one another in this capacity.
We are not responsible for entertainment and childcare. However, we are willing to coordinate facilitating those who are interested in planning/leading or participating in particular activities/programs during the event. There are plenty of things we can do on the premises as well as nearby attractions.
Since we are opening our homestead to the public, we cannot guarantee the conduct of each member in attendance. All will be expected to exercise wisdom and sound judgment in community affairs, particularly surrounding the weaker members of the community.
I would hope all members in attendance would look out for one another, but ultimately each adult is responsible for his/her own individual and family’s behavior and well-being.
In Conclusion
I hope this gives you a better idea of what to expect with these events. We are down-to-earth, non-religious, yet set-apart from the world, kind of people. We are interesting because we don’t fit into any particular mold, and we are respectful and accepting of others who don’t think or believe exactly like us.
We would love to have those who can appreciate folks like us come camp with us!
If you are longing for a traditional “Hebrew Roots” experience in a Feast gathering, this may not be the place for you.
But if you are interested in…
- Hanging out with people who seek to learn what the Bible and other related texts have to say,
- Gaining more understanding from different perspectives of others on the road to life,
- Gathering in a non-religious family-friendly setting, and
- Enjoying the great outdoors in a relatively quiet rural environment,
Then what we have to offer may be a good fit for you. 😉 If that’s the case, then stay in touch, and we’ll keep you informed of the details as each event draws near.
