May 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
					1	2 - Sabbath Afternoon Potluck/Meeting 1-5 PM Topic: Colossians 2
3	4	5	6	7	8 - Sabbath Eve Potluck/Meeting 5:30-8PM Topic: Sanct. Courtyard	9
10	11	12	13	14	15	16 - Sabbath Afternoon Potluck/Meeting 1-5PM Topic: Elisha Message
17	18	19	20	21	22 - Sabbath Eve Potluck/Meeting 5:30-8PM Topic: the Holy Place	23
24	25 - New Moon Eve Potluck/Meeting 5:30-8 PM Topic: Matthew 15	26 New Moon	27	28	29	30 - Pentecost Weekend Meetings/Prayer 10 AM to 6 PM Call for info.<
31 - Pentecost Meetings/Prayer 10 AM to 6 PM Call for info.

June 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
	1	2	3	4	5 - Shabbat Vespers 5:30-8:30 PM Potluck supper Topic: Meaning of the Sacrifices	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13 - Shabbat Bible Study Vegan Potluck 1:00-5:00 PM Topic: Priest of the Home
14	15	16	17	18	19 - Shabbat Vespers 5:30-8:30 PM Potluck supper Topic: Most Holy Place	20
21	22	23 New Moon Eve Meeting 5:30-8 PM Topic: Spiritual vs. Literal Jerusalem	24 New Moon	25	26	27
28	29	30

July 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22 - New Moon Eve Meeting 5:30-8 PM Call for info.	23 New Moon	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

August 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21 Sabbath New Moon Eve Meeting 5:30-8 PM Call for info.	22 New Moon
23	24	25	26	27	28	29
30	31

September 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20 - Feast of Trumpets Meetings/Prayer 10 AM to 6 PM Call for info.	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29 - Day of Atonement Meetings/Prayer 10 AM to 6 PM Call for info.	30

October 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
				1	2 - Shabbat Vespers 5:30-8:30 PM Call for info.	3
4 - Tabernacles Sabbath Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	5 - Fall Retreat Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	6 - Fall Retreat Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	7 - Fall Retreat Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	8 - Fall Retreat Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	9 - Fall Retreat Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	10 - Sabbath Retreat Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)
11 - Tabernacles Sabbath Meetings from 9 AM-7 PM (Roseburg, OR)	12	13	14	15	16	17
18 New Moon Meeting 6-8 PM Call for info.	19 New Moon	20	21	22	23	24
25	26	27	28	29	30	31

November 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
8	9	10	11	12	13	14
15	16	17 New Moon Eve Meeting 5:30-8 PM Call for info.	18 New Moon	19	20	21
22	23	24	25	26	27	28
29	30

December 2009
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Sabbath
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11 - Shabbat Vespers 5:30-8:30 PM Call for info.	12 Chanukah
13 Chanukah	14 Chanukah	15 Chanukah	16 Chanukah	17 Chanukah New Moon Eve Meeting 5:30-8 PM Call for info.	18 New Moon Chanukah - Shabbat Vespers 5:30-8:30 PM Call for info.	19 Chanukah Party 5:30-8:30 PM Call for info.
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

As you may be aware, determining the dates for the annual Sabbaths is a controversial issue. Some believe the year begins with the first new moon after the barley harvest. Others believe the Biblical year begins with the new moon closest to the vernal equinox. A third view is that the Biblical year begins with the first new moon after the vernal equinox. With all these views, how are we to "assemble together" and "so much the more as ye see the day approaching?"

First, we believe that it is very important for us to approach this topic Biblically. Historical evidence should only be a secondary source to the Bible. Next, we believe that it is important for each person to live up (fully) to the light they have. This is what we are doing. We, at Lighted Way Ministries, are students of the Word. We love truth and we walk in every ray of light that shines upon our path. This is the light of the Word we have on the subject of calculating the annual Sabbaths and the Biblical year.

At Lighted Way Ministries, we believe the end of the Biblical year takes place on Tekufah. This Hebrew word is translated in English in the Bible as "the end of the year" (see 2 Samuel 11:1). An alternate meaning for this Hebrew word is "Vernal Equinox."

Just as Josephus (the Jewish Historian) explained the Jews did in the time of Christ, and the book of Enoch states was done in his day (located with the Dead Sea Scrolls), we start the Biblical year with the first new moon following the Tekufah (Vernal Equinox). This is also in accordance with Genesis 1:14, which states that the heavenly lights are used for determining days and years.

What about the Abib? We believe that the Abib is the second witness to the timing of the beginning of the year. Abib does not mean "barley" as some have believed. It literally means "greening" or "spring". So in literal translation, the beginning of the year happens in the month of the "greening".

Obviously the barley played a vital role in the timing of Passover and Unleavened Bread as the barley had to be used for the wave sheaf on the day of Firstfruits. But, having barley for wave sheaf isn't the same as starting the year by waiting for the new moon after the barley is ripe in Jerusalem.

The following are several reasons we do not believe that the barley was the primary source for determining the beginning of the Biblical year.

1. The Bible never states to start the year by the barley harvest! It does state that the heavenly lights are to be used to determine the years (Genesis 1:14).

2. The Bible states that the Biblical year ends at Tekufah or the equinox of Spring (2 Samuel 11:1). (The word Tekufah is translated from Hebrew on a total of four different occasions in the Scripture.) This corresponds to the way the year was begun according to the historical sources of Josephus and the book of Enoch.

3.For two successive growing seasons (the Sabbath and Jubilee years), no grain was to be planted and, therefore, no maturing barley was available to consult (Lev. 25:1-24). True, barley sometimes sprouts and grows voluntarily with no cultivation, but this was less likely in the second year. It was illegal to reap volunteer grain in the 50th year, so Israel probably allowed their flocks to graze the fields. This was legal (Lev. 25:7,11).

4. During the flood, Noah was apparently able to determine the first day of the year without consulting the barley harvest.

5. During the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness (a desert), Israel kept a careful record of the months and years - apparently without consulting the barley harvest in Canaan.


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