Here at home, Christians celebrated Sukkot too

While more than 6000 Christians celebrated Sukkot in Israel, Central Florida Christians celebrated the feast with a replica of the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, also called the Tent of Meeting, erected in the field behind Fellowship Church. Banners with each tribe's name were displayed around the Tabernacle courtyard, showing where each tribe set up camp during the 40 years the Israelites traveled in the desert.

Sukkot is the festival in which the Jewish people are reminded of living in tents after leaving Egypt. The Tabernacle, set in the very center of the camp, was where the high priest, Aaron and his sons, would make sacrifices to G-d (Exodus 29) and where G-d abided with the Israelites.

For five days, Fellowship Church held tours of the Tabernacle to teach about this feast. Every detail-from the articles in the Tabernacle to the vestments worn by the priests-was replicated to give a visual of what the Israelites experienced. Several of the church elders led the tours, all of which were sold out.

On Shabbat, Sept. 28-29, church members as well as others camped around the Tabernacle and on Saturday the church was filled with celebration, culminating with a buffet dinner, singing and dancing as the Ark of the Covenant was carried from the Tabernacle into the sanctuary where it was placed in a replica of David's Tabernacle.