The Year of Jubilee
Scarlet Sweat served on summer staff for three summers, most recently as a Director. Scarlet is from Barnesville, GA and is currently a student at Augusta University studying non-profit management.
Fifty years in ministry! How special it is that we got to celebrate the journey of this Holy place. This year, Mountain T.O.P. celebrates its 50th year, a special milestone that deeply connects with the ancient tradition of Jubilee, a time of restoration and renewal. Jubilee begins in Leviticus 23, as it outlines the ritual calendar. Every seventh year, the land itself gets a Sabbath rest. After seven cycles of seven years, that is, 49 years, the Jubilee year is proclaimed. This is the 50th year, and it’s called the Year of Jubilee. Then in Leviticus 25:10, we hear these words:
“You will make the 50th year holy, proclaiming freedom throughout the land to all of its inhabitants. It will be a jubilee year for you: you must return to your family property and your extended family.”
Today, because of the faithfulness and hard work of those who founded this ministry, Mountain T.O.P. is here to celebrate in liberation! The principles Mountain T.O.P. was founded on, such as community, service, and restoration, are still very much alive here today. The network that George Bass and his leadership created has expanded the community of Christ followers and deepened the impact of Mountain T.O.P. across generations. In 2025 alone, Mountain T.O.P. will invest nearly $1 million in this community through our program materials, contributions, and volunteer labor value. This summer alone, we worked with 249 families within this community.
I want us all to imagine ourselves in the shoes of someone living in ancient Israel. Imagine that life hasn’t gone the way you hoped. Maybe a drought wiped out your crops. Maybe someone in your family got sick and couldn’t work. You fell behind on harvesting and got yourself into debt. Eventually, you lost your land and all of your freedom. But just when it feels like the weight of it all will never lift, a yoval horn sounds. A declaration goes out across the land, and it is now the year of Jubilee.
The Hebrew word Yoval was the horn used to announce to the people. Jubilee’s announcement proclaimed good news to those who were enslaved, indebted, and had lost their land. It’s not just an announcement; this is a miracle. This divine act of mercy from God resets everything. There are four main ideas surrounding what happens in the jubilee year: all of our debts are forgiven, enslaved people are set free, everyone can return home, and the land has time to rest. Each of these speaks to God’s heart for renewal.
YOUR DEBTS ARE FORGIVEN
In the Jubilee year, all financial debts were wiped clean. Those who had borrowed and fallen behind were no longer trapped under the weight of what they owed. It was a radical leveling of the playing field. This act of justice said that no one should be permanently crushed by their past. It broke the cycle of generational poverty and created space for dignity to be restored. Imagine the relief of waking up no longer defined by what you couldn’t repay or carrying the shame. Jubilee declared that people mattered more than profit, and that God's economy is one of grace, not oppression.
SETTING CAPTIVES FREE
When crops failed, illness struck, or poverty took hold, there were few safety nets to fall into. Families would sell their labor and freedom to repay debts or simply to stay alive. This was bondage. A life defined by limitation and dependence. Jubilee declared that no one was meant to live their entire life in bondage. That freedom was not just a hope for the privileged, but a right for everyone created in the image of God. This is about reclaiming human dignity. God says: You are more than your labor and your hardship. You are free. No one is too far gone to be restored. We proclaim freedom in practice. We become partners in God’s liberating work by showing up, speaking out, and walking with others until we are all free.
Trapped by cycles of poverty, systemic injustice, or addiction, Jubilee reminds us that God's vision of freedom is still for today. It calls us to challenge systems that dehumanize, to lift burdens off our neighbors, and to walk alongside those who feel forgotten. We are invited to be agents of liberation—reminding others (and ourselves) that every person deserves dignity, restoration, and a fresh start.
“God says: You are more than your labor and your hardship. You are free. No one is too far gone to be restored. We proclaim freedom in practice.”
REUTNING HOME
When Jubilee was declared, home wasn't just a building; it was identity, belonging, and land passed down through generations. It was the place where your name meant something and where your story was rooted. If someone had lost their home due to debt or disaster, it was more than a financial loss; it was a loss of their home, history, and themselves. But Jubilee declared: You are not forgotten. The land was returned. It was a radical act of pulling people back into the life and land they were meant to be.
"Returning home" might look different for us now. It may mean rediscovering your dignity, reconnecting with your purpose, or finding belonging in a safe and loving community. It may mean creating spaces of welcome for those who feel like outsiders, those who have been pushed to the margins. And for some of us, returning home is an inward journey. We need to come home to ourselves and stop running or hiding behind what the world expects. Jubilee offers that invitation: come back to who God created you to be. Come back to the truth that you are loved, you are seen, and you are home.
“Jubilee offers that invitation: come back to who God created you to be. Come back to the truth that you are loved, you are seen, and you are home.”
REST
After many years of hard work, no one planted crops, picked fruit, or worked the soil. The ground was allowed to rest, breathe, and recover. This was a command from God. Just like people need rest, so does the Earth. Jubilee was a time that reminded everyone of the rhythm of life: working and resting. It was a way for people to trust that even when they stopped working, God would still provide.
When we never take a moment to stop, we wear ourselves out and harm the earth too. Our bodies get tired, our minds feel stressed, and the planet can’t keep up. Jubilee invites us to slow down. To rest. To stop trying to do it all. It reminds us that we are loved by God, not for what we do, but for who we are. Rest is an act of faith. It’s saying, “God, I trust You even when I’m not working.” In a world that never stops, Jubilee teaches us that it’s okay, and holy, to be still.
As we celebrate 50 years of Mountain T.O.P., we’re not just marking a milestone; we’re stepping into a story renewal. What started as a dream in the heart of George Bass has become a movement. A movement that has brought hope to thousands, built bridges between communities, and helped people find their way back to God, to one another, and even to themselves. This mission is deeply rooted in the words of Matthew 25:34-36, 40, where Jesus reminds us that in serving “the least of these,” we are serving Him. Whether it’s a warm meal, building a porch, or simply listening to someone’s story, Mountain T.O.P. has lived out that call, showing what it means to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world.
This is a reminder that the work isn’t finished. The same God who called this ministry into being 50 years ago is still calling us today. May the spirit of Jubilee live in us. Not just today or this year, but every day we choose to serve in the name of the Lord. Here's to the next 50 years of holy work, faithful community, and lives transformed by grace.
