Year: 2021

Jesus Creed 9

We are reflecting on the Jesus Creed as Jesus’ way of spiritual formation

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.
The Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Formation

As human beings, we long for the deep joy that comes from loving God and loving others.

Exercise 1

These are words of Jesus on spiritual formation.
Over the month of September: read – memorize – recite – reflect on these words daily.
Bask – sit in his presence and his love. Learn that love. Trust that love.
Take a few (or many) minutes to prayerfully read the Jesus Creed.
Allow this reminder of what we are called to be and do, shape our thinking and our actions.

Exercise 2

What are some of the longings of people in your circle? What are some signs of deep longings in our culture? What do we seek as a deep source of joy? What does Jesus, in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, show such longings are really for?

  • How does the wedding at Cana, John 2: 1-12 help us understand joy?
  • C.S. Lewis understood his life as the pursuit of joy. How does such an understanding of joy give us a deeper understanding of life?

Listen

Listen to the longings of your heart and see how they point toward Jesus. Look at the “I am” passages in John’s gospel and notice how joy is a relationship to him.

Lesslie Newbigin wrote “Mission begins with a kind of explosion of joy. The news that the rejected and crucified Jesus is alive is something that cannot possibly be suppressed.”

Imagine

Imagine what it would look like if your longings or yearnings were shaped toward love of God and love of other, where the deepest joy we find is in resting, abiding, living in God’s love.

 

Sept 26 | Kingdom of God 3

welcome

Church is about more than attending a gathering.
It’s about being a people who belong to God for the sake of others.

  • This Sunday morning we are meeting as adults
  • & as OCCKids K to Grade 5, Grade 5-8
  • This Sunday evening me meet on-line to pray & High School students meet in person.

As we can gather in larger numbers in our building, we remind you of a few details

  • You still need to register… the link is available each week on the home page.
  • We need to maintain distancing in our building.
  • We need to wear a face-covering in our building.
  • At this point, we cannot serve refreshments, but you are welcome to bring your own coffee/tea/water, for the comfort of others, please do not remove your face-covering until you are in your seat.

We will continue to offer our service on-line… that’s right here

As you prepare to watch our service video, we encourage you to take a few moments…

  • get your coffee or tea, settle in, be still…
  • take 2 or 3 deep breaths… in and out… breathe,
  • invite the Lord to make himself present with you as you watch – he is with you – it’s just that often we are not aware that he is.

teaching

Here is the service for Sunday, 26 September.
We are looking at The Kingdom of God
OCCKids (K to Grade 5 & Grade 6-8) is meeting in person

Jesus Creed

We are keeping focus on the Jesus Creed
We encourage you to read – memorize – recite the Jesus Creed

Coming Up

 

 

giving

In this new way of being the church, we don’t practice giving by placing our offering in a basket as it is passed. OCCers are generous people. Thank you for your gifts. You can find all the ways to give here.

Jesus Creed 8

We are reflecting on the Jesus Creed as Jesus’ way of spiritual formation

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.
The Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.

 

How are you going to love God and love your neighbour today?

Jesus Creed 7

We are reflecting on the Jesus Creed as Jesus’ way of spiritual formation

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.
The Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Formation

The Jesus Creed invites and empowers us to restore people to community.

Exercise 1

These are words of Jesus on spiritual formation.
Over the month of September: read – memorize – recite – reflect on these words daily.
Bask – sit in his presence and his love. Learn that love. Trust that love.
Take a few (or many) minutes to prayerfully read the Jesus Creed.
Allow this reminder of what we are called to be and do, shape our thinking and our actions.

Exercise 2

Walls separate people from people and from God.
Robert Frost in his poem “Mending Wall” wrote “Something there is that doesn’t love a wall. That wants it down.”
Think about how Jesus’ practice of healing led to walls being broken down and people being restored to kingdom society (see the healing references in Mark below.)

Listen

Listen to the voice of Jesus “Be healed.” Listen to the power of Jesus who can restore people.
Here are some of the healing accounts in Mark’s gospel: Mark 1:29-31, 40-45; 2:1-12; 5:1-20; 7:24-37; 8:22-26; 9:14-29; 10:46-52.

Imagine

Imagine a society in which all – broken & healed, disqualified & qualified – are welcomed to God’s table.
Imagine the differences such a kingdom society would make.
How can you begin to live in this way?

Financial Summary Jan-Aug

2021 YTD
income 129,833.42
expense 147,587.88
income over expense -17,754.46
CEWS 20,279.30
Total 2,524.84
2020
income 142,932.05
expense 150,938.13
income over expense -8,006.08
CEWS 32,314.18
Total 24,308.10

CEWS: Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy

Jesus Creed Formation 6

We are reflecting on the Jesus Creed as Jesus’ way of spiritual formation

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.
The Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Formation

The society of the Kingdom of God is a society that pursues justice because its people love both God and others.

Exercise 1

These are words of Jesus on spiritual formation.
Over the month of September: read – memorize – recite – reflect on these words daily.
Bask – sit in his presence and his love. Learn that love. Trust that love.
Take a few (or many) minutes to prayerfully read the Jesus Creed.
Allow this reminder of what we are called to be and do, shape our thinking and our actions.

Exercise 2

Think about how understanding justice includes both restitution and restoration. Jim Wallis wrote “faith works”. What are some of the ways this can look like?

Listen

Listen to what God is saying about justice as defined by the Jesus Creed [Luke 4:16-19; Luke 18:1-8; Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount)].

Imagine

Imagine what justice would looklike in our city, province, country and world if it was shaped by the Jesus Creed.

Sept 19 | Kingdom 2

welcome

Church is about more than attending a gathering.
It’s about being a people who belong to God for the sake of others.
It is good that we can gather in-person & worship, including singing.

  • This week we meet as adults
  • & as OCCKids K to Grade 5, Grade 5-8
  • & during the week Jr-High & High School activities

As we can gather in larger numbers in our building, we remind you of a few details

  • You still need to register… the link is available each week on the home page.
  • We need to maintain distancing in our building.
  • We need to still wear a face-covering in our building.
  • At this point, we cannot serve refreshments, but you are welcome to bring your own coffee/tea/water, for the comfort of others, please do not remove your face-covering until you are in your seat.

We will continue to offer our service on-line… that’s right here

As you prepare to watch our service video, we encourage you to take a few moments…

  • get your coffee or tea, settle in, be still…
  • take 2 or 3 deep breaths… in and out… breathe,
  • invite the Lord to make himself present with you as you watch – he is with you – it’s just that often we are not aware that he is.

teaching

Here is the service for Sunday, 19 September.
We are looking at The Kingdom of God
OCCKids (K to Grade 5 & Grade 6-8) is meeting in person

Jesus Creed

We are keeping focus on the Jesus Creed
We encourage you to read – memorize – recite the Jesus Creed

Coming Up

 

 

giving

In this new way of being the church, we don’t practice giving by placing our offering in a basket as it is passed. OCCers are generous people. Thank you for your gifts. You can find all the ways to give here.

 

Jesus Creed Formation 5

We are reflecting on the Jesus Creed as Jesus’ way of spiritual formation

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.
The Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Formation

Oen of Jesus’ models for the Kingdom of God is the mustard seed: a seed that grows among the unlikely, from person to person, and among the peaceful and patient.

Exercise 1

These are words of Jesus on spiritual formation.
Over the month of September: read – memorize – recite – reflect on these words daily.
Bask – sit in his presence and his love. Learn that love. Trust that love.
Take a few (or many) minutes to prayerfully read the Jesus Creed.
Allow this reminder of what we are called to be and do, shape our thinking and our actions.

Exercise 2

How are you tempted to see the work of God mostly in the powerful? What are some ways you can the Kingdom of God growing or moving slowly in insignificant ways?

Listen

Listen to what God is saying to you about being mustard seed like in your world.

Imagine

Imagine how you can be a mustard seed in some concrete way in your family, neighbourhood, city, world.

Jesus Creed Formation 4

We are reflecting on the Jesus Creed as Jesus’ way of spiritual formation

Hear O Israel, the Lord our God.
The Lord is One.
Love the Lord your God
with all your heart,
with all your soul,
with all your mind
and with all your strength.
The second is this:
Love your neighbor as yourself.

Formation

The Kingdom of God is the place & society where the Jesus Creed transforms life. God’s Kingdom has arrived in Jesus.

Exercise 1

These are words of Jesus on spiritual formation.
Over the month of September: read – memorize – recite – reflect on these words daily.
Bask – sit in his presence and his love. Learn that love. Trust that love.
Take a few (or many) minutes to prayerfully read the Jesus Creed.
Allow this reminder of what we are called to be and do, shape our thinking and our actions.

Exercise 2

How can the Kingdom of God be seen as the place & society where the Jesus Creed transforms life?

Listen

Listen to the words of Jesus “the kingdom of God is among you” [Luke 17:21]; listen to what this means for your life, as you are open to the kingdom.

Imagine

Imagine a society totally committed to the Jesus Creed.
Imagine what part you would play in such a kingdom society.
Imagine your family life, imagine your neighbourhood and city, imagine the world in that kingdom.
How will you commit yourself, today, to the central source of that kingdom – Jesus?