“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8)

Those words from the book of Revelation underscore the everlasting rule of our God. There was never a time when God was not. There will not be a time in the future when God is not.

Our Lord has lovingly cared for all creation throughout eternity. As temporal creatures with no ability to travel forward or backward in time, the only part of eternity that we are typically concerned with is the time of our own existence.

Very often, we crown our own epoch in time as the most significant in human history. As I am likewise tempted to do so, I am concomitantly chided by the writing of Vinoth Ramachandra (in Gods That Fail, addressing the gods – little “g” – of modernity).

Vinoth writes, “We are all prone to consider our own generation as somehow special, unmatched in the depth of its crises no less than in its achievements. So it comes as some surprise to be reminded that many of the themes that have dominated the second half of the twentieth century [and into the twenty-first century] were first conceived in the European ‘cultural crises’ of the 1890’s. Amidst the declining glory of Hapsburg Vienna, for instance, there emerged the study of the subconscious and its role in the irrationalities of everyday life [addictive behaviors, personality disorders that dominate our news cycles today], the notion of nationhood as the basis for political identity, and a preoccupation with language [how does the changing meaning of words affect our view of the world] and its effect on the ‘construction’ of reality.”

It’s interesting to note how these discussions germinating some 130+ years ago continue today.

My purpose in sharing that quote is to remind us that the same God who was Lord of all in the 1890’s remains Lord of all today. Each epoch of human history is critically important to our Lord because all humankind is beloved by God. God loves and cares for each generation, no matter how trying the times are or were. Praise be to the Lord Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.

Awestruck by the eternal love of God,

Rich

In celebration of Pentecost Sunday, May 28, the congregation is invited to wear RED, signifying the “tongues, as of fire” from Acts 2.

There is only one service at 10:30 am on Pentecost Sunday, May 28 because of Memorial weekend. There is no GLU or Sunday School. There will be kid’s activity bags available during the service.

Pray for these people on our Prayer List:

Jon Paul Ayres (military), Marion Benedict, Martha Besuden, Nancy Burton, Nancy Carter, Judy Daulton, Jean Downing, Pamela Duplacey, Eileen Fisher, Dorothy Friedl, Xander Frost, Nancy Galloway, Paul Gribbell, Tom Gribbell, Steve Hauser, Herbert Jarvie, Beth Keppel, Diane Kennedy, Karla Kurzweil, Kay Malaney, Bill Marvin, Julie Morrish, Sarah Robertson Nadeau, Jack Rothley, Brian Russek, Karen Schoonover, Pat Sluka, Carol Stark, Heather Steggall, Paul Stottlemyer, Gowan Thamer, Terry family, Ron Verduin, Doris Wiegert, and Pamela Zimmerman.

Join us before and after the worship services. The Health and Wellness Team will be in the Lakeview area taking blood pressures and answering questions as to how we can maintain a healthy blood pressure. We look forward to seeing you for a quick, free, painless check of your blood pressure.

Chair Yoga will end for the season on May 24 for the summer. We will resume in the fall. See you on Wednesdays at 1:00 pm until then!

Blessings,

Kim Hakala

Come cheer on the OLCCP Softball Team on May 24 at 7:45 pm at Keith Sports Park #1.

Click link below for the schedule of upcoming games.

Click here for Schedule of Games

Please note that the church office is closed Monday, May 29 in observance of Memorial Day.

Join us on Saturday, June 3 for another Lakeside Coffee House. The doors will open at 7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the beautiful music of Becah Brudi, indie-jazz singer-songwriter from Michigan. Free-will offering will be accepted and donated to the Crane Centre.

We will be recognizing high school, college, graduate school and trade school graduates on June 11.Please call the Church Office at 248-682-0730 or email Leida at leida@olccp by June 1 if you have a child graduating or are graduating yourself.

We would love to celebrate this wonderful accomplishment!

Since 1991, OLCC,P has been involved with the South Oakland Shelter (SOS), a ministry dedicated to breaking the cycle of homelessness in our community. Until 2020, we hosted an average of 30 homeless men, women, and children here at the church for a week each year, providing meals, a safe place to sleep, transportation, and love. The pandemic eliminated the possibility of hosting, but the need hasn't gone away.

For the last two years, we have provided two dinners for the SOS clients during the week when we normally would host, delivering them to the motel where they were staying. They now are housed in a new, more permanent facility, and we hope to prepare and deliver THREE dinners during the week of June 19-24.

The system we have developed has worked very well: 8-10 volunteers come to church on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, June 19,21,and 23 in the afternoon to prepare and refrigerate the food. On Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, June 20,22, and 24 more volunteers (about 5 or 6) come to church in the afternoon to serve the prepared food into "clamshells" and deliver it to the SOS clients.

Betsy Telford, Sherry Orr, and Dodie Berry will develop the menus and do all the shopping, and at least one of them will be at church each day to direct the activities. In addition to needing volunteers to cook and serve, we will also gratefully accept monetary contributions to help cover the cost of the food.

There will be sign-up sheets available after church beginning this week, May 14, or you contact Dodie Berry with any questions, or to let her know you would like to volunteer.

Thank you for blessing the homeless in our community.

Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian, together with Versiti Blood Group of Michigan, will be holding a blood drive Wednesday, June 21, 2023 from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm in our beautiful lakeview area. Every donation is needed to meet the high demand of hospitals in our community. Together we can make a difference.

Continue you to check the bulletin and email blast for further information and appointment sign up. Questions? See Emily or email her at info@olccp.com.

Are you interested in teaching God's Word and assisting children on their spiritual journey?

OLCCP is looking for volunteer teachers and youth volunteers (ages 13+) for a variety of roles for Vacation Bible School (VBS), Compassion Camp. VBS will take place June 26 though June 29 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm.

Please join us in spending time with children, growing in your own faith, and engaging in the OLCCP community!!Please contact Kelly at kellyh@olccp.com.

Join us for the Thursday Morning Bible Study with John Vermeulen. Did you know that Esther, Obadiah, Jonah, John 2 and John 3 are among the least read books of the Bible? We will take a closer look at the least read books for the next several weeks. Each book has a great message that can be applied today. Donuts and coffee will be provided!!

Join us on Zoom for Our Daily Bread Devotions during the spring months, Monday through Friday at 9:00 am. Free devotional guides are available for pick-up 24/7 in the Little Free Library outside our entrance or in the main lobby.

The Zoom link is

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88183107041?pwd=ZG9mSTIwYi9BaDRkOHdFWGpYRlpBdz09

And to lead the class, you can sign up here Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian: Our Daily Bread Devotional (signupgenius.com)

The Permanent Nominating Committee seeks your input as a slate of candidates is prepared for the leadership positions of Elder, Deacon, and Trustee of the Orchard Lake Community Church, Presbyterian. Please use the form i the Lakeview area to indicate any Elder, Deacon, or Trustee suggestions you may have. Please return the form to Barb Christoff or the Church Office.

The form is also available on the link below:

Click here for Form

Thanks you for your input!

You can sign up for flower dedications in 2023 in honor or memory of loved ones online by clicking here . Or we have brought back the sign up sheets located in the Narthex by the display case.

Please note: the cost of the chancel flowers are $40 this year.

Did you know that the OLCC,P church library is available for all of us to use? We have a fiction section, a children’s bookcase, Chicken Soup for the Soul, devotional books and books by popular Christian authors like Max Lucado. There are books on grief, health issues, parenting. And of course many books to support Bible study. Some selected books are on the shelves in the gathering area, but the library itself is just beyond Heritage Hall. Next time you are at church, feel free to check out a book.