OLCC,P E-Newslink
March 27, 2020
From Pastor Paul
Dear OLCC,P Family,
I hope this week’s message finds you and yours healthy and well! Faith Community Nurse Emily Grakul, Pastor Linda, and myself have been touching base with congregation members by phone to check in and see how folks are managing. The good news is that it seems that the large majority of our “family” are doing well, observing the order to “stay safe, stay home”, and having family members, neighbors, or friends check in on them to assist with any needs. Please continue to do so as we live into this unique time, and let us know if you are aware of specific needs. We have folks who are willing to pick up and deliver groceries, medications, or other necessary items if you let us know of the need.
With the “stay home, stay safe” order of the Governor now extended through April 13, we of course will suspend all activities and corporate worship through that time. Holy Week and Easter will be a very different experience for us this year. Like many persecuted believers around the world, we will need to worship in our homes with gatherings of only our relatives. We will continue to provide video worship offerings through our website and YouTube page for you to access. We have this week held Zoom video staff and Session meetings as well as Thursday bible studies. It’s a blessing to be able to “connect” at least in this way and see other faces, hear other voices, and share in the ongoing life and ministry we share together. And as our special “Give to the Church” message of the other day reminded us, we rely on your continued financial donations – especially using the “Give Online” tab on the front page of our website, www.olccp.com – to keep that life and ministry going during these unique times!
As we continue our “Everything Can Change In Forty Days” Lenten journey, we turn this week to John 11:38-44 for our reflections on transformation into the likeness of Jesus Christ. In this well known story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, we see not only a transformation from death to life, but an image of the ongoing transformation we need to experience as believers as we “unbind” the clothes of death and sin and cloth ourselves in the new garments of faith and life in Jesus Christ. Jean Watson’s offerings this week (chapters 23-28) are wonderful stories and teachings about the nature and character of those new garments of faith. I hope you will take time to join with others in watching our video worship offering this week as we each continue to exalt the Lord together in our homes and families.
Blessings,
Pastor Paul
Pray for one another...
- Continued healing and health for: Elizabeth Belcher, Dodie Berry, Mary Bragg, Nancy Burton, Tom Conrad, Peter Cooper, Alan Coopland, Jackie Johnson, Larry Lankford, Nina Linebaugh, Bill Marvin, Trudy Morse, Lisa Pence, Bill & Joyce Pitchford, Sarah Robertson Nadeau, Jack Rothley, Peggy Simon, Dara Sperstad, Melanie Telford, Doris Wiegert, Madie Zurkan.
- Prayers for the Graczyk and Hatcher families on recent passing of Frederick Anthony Graczyk. He passed peacefully March 25 of natural causes at the age of 90 in Palm City Florida.
- Prayers for all those impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak and for those medical professionals and researchers doing all they can to care for the ill and find ways to slow the outbreak.
OLCC, P Calendar
Our calendar is available to browse live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at OLCC,P Calendar. You can browse all events coming up. You can also subscribe to the calendar on the same page.
From the Desk of Martha Piesko
Dear OLCC,P Families,
Spending time with family in the word of God is a special and meaningful way to connect. I found this devotional I would like to share with you. I hope you and your family find it to be useful and meaningful.
"Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.."(Luke2:52)
We don't know much about Jesus when he was growing up- but we know he grew in ways that made God and people happy. That's something we can do, too - and not just while we're kids. Grown-ups can keep growing, too.
Take turns telling one another how you see each person in your family growing....especially in ways that please God and others. Be encouraging!
Now let's ask Jesus how he. Ightbwant us to grow, especially as a family. Let's sit quietly, with our eyes closed, for one minute as we ask him to speak to us.
After one minute, ask if anyone got a word, idea or picture they think might be from Jesus- a nudge about how your family might grow in ways that please God. Talk about anything someone has to report. Pass out a piece of paper and each of you draw a picture of your family.
Sending lots of love!
Director of Children's Ministry
Holy Week 2020 Services have been cancelled.
Facts about Coronavirus
Women’s Bible Study
Wednesdays 10-11:30 AM, Staring April 15th (tentative)
“The Secret of Contentment” by James Barcley
The temptation to be discontented is everywhere. We are bombarded with advertisements telling us we are incomplete and unfulfilled. And yet the seeds of discontentment are already present in our own sinful hearts. Contact Bonnie Horner at bnnhrn@yahoo.com to sign up.
Thursday Classes
9:30 AM and 7:15 PM – Starting April 16th (tentative)
“Minor Prophets and the least read Bible Books”.
We will be studying, discussing the following Bible books of the minor prophets: Amos, Nahum, Hosea, Jonah among others. We will see when, how and why they did God’s will. Class Leader: John Vermeulen.
Per Capita
Per capita is a fundamental way in which all Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations support the work of the wider Church.
Each year it costs OLCC,P over $30 for each member. When the full amount is not covered by the congregation, the money comes out of our Mission Budget. If all of the members of OLCC,P would prayerfully consider paying their own family’s per capita, it would allow your Mission Team to have more to give to others in need.
The 2020 Per Capita offering is $30.55 per OLCC,P member. To provide your per capita online, please visit the OLCC,P website, select the “Giving” tab, select “Donate Online” found on the top right side of the page, and follow the instructions.
(If you use offering envelopes, a Per Capita envelope is included.)
Lockdown
Yes there is fear.
Yes there is isolation.
Yes there is panic buying.
Yes there is sickness.
Yes there is even death.
But,
They say that in Wuhan after so many years of noise
You can hear the birds again.
They say that after just a few weeks of quiet
The sky is no longer thick with fumes
But blue and grey and clear.
They say that in the streets of Assisi
People are singing to each other across the empty squares,
keeping their windows open so that those who are alone may hear the sounds of family around them.
They say that a hotel in the West of Ireland
Is offering free meals and delivery to the housebound.
Today a young woman I know is busy spreading fliers with her number through the neighbourhood
So that the elders may have someone to call on.
Today Churches, Synagogues, Mosques and Temples are preparing to welcome and shelter the homeless, the sick, the weary
All over the world people are slowing down and reflecting
All over the world people are looking at their neighbours in a new way
All over the world people are waking up to a new reality
To how big we really are.
To how little control we really have.
To what really matters.
To Love.
So we pray and we remember that
Yes there is fear.
But there does not have to be hate.
Yes there is isolation.
But there does not have to be loneliness.
Yes there is panic buying.
But there does not have to be meanness.
Yes there is sickness.
But there does not have to be disease of the soul
Yes there is even death.
But there can always be a rebirth of love.
Wake to the choices you make as to how to live now.
Today, breathe.
Listen, behind the factory noises of your panic
The birds are singing again
The sky is clearing,
Spring is coming,
And we are always encompassed by Love.
Open the windows of your soul
And though you may not be able to touch across the empty square,
Sing.
– Fr. Richard Hendrick, OFM
March 13th 2020
Contact Us
Rev. Dr. Paul H. Thwaite (Sr. Pastor): paul@olccp.com
Rev. Linda Cochran (Temp. Supply Assoc. Pastor) linda@olccp.com
Margaret Bell (Organist): mtbellmusic@gmail.com
Stacey Cheff (Business Administrator): stacey@olccp.com
Emily Grakul (Faith Community Nurse): egrakul@yahoo.com
Martha Piesko (Director of Children’s Ministries) martha@olccp.com
Bruce Snyder (Dir. of Music Ministries): bruce@olccp.com
Jennifer Taub (Office Administrator): jennifer@olccp.com
Doug Wilson (Sexton)
Email: info@olccp.com
Website: www.olccp.com
Location: 5171 Commerce Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: 248-682-0730
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OLCCP/