Year: 2023

Thank you for joining us on-line!
OCC is made up of people who are meeting in-person and who are meeting on-line.

Remember we are currently showing the video of the service on a week’s delay. The video goes live at 8:00am
So this video is from Sunday 24 December 2023 but is being shown on 31 December 2023, pastor Mike is speaking in the on-line service and the in-person service. This is the end of our Advent series.

God calls all of us into his presence:

He calls us to be together both with him and with one another;
He calls us to wait with and for him;
He calls us to serve & bless others – those who are part of God’s kingdom and those who have not yet responded to God’s grace.
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 some deep breaths… in and out… breathe.
Invite the Lord to make himself present with you as you watch – he is with us.

“The Virgin Mary Consoles Eve” by Grace Remington

• Entertain the interruptions.
  When interrupted pause to engage and be present to the person or event interrupting your well-laid plans.
  Be kind.
  Be patient.
• Schedule a 5-minute break to be with just Jesus on Christmas Day.
  If it’s appropriate, invite others who will be with you to do the same.

Joy

LOOK

• Look at the image below and let your eyes stay on the very first thing that you see. Keep your attention on that one part of the image that first catches your eye.
• Try to keep your eyes from wandering to other parts of the picture. Breathe deeply and let yourself gaze at that part of the image for a minute or so.
• Now, let your eyes gaze at the whole image. Take your time and look at every part of the photograph. See it all. Reflect on the image for a minute or so.

REFLECT

• Reflect on the image for a minute or so. Notice what thoughts or feelings surfaced for you as you looked carefully at the artwork.
• Where do you notice hope in this image?
• How might what’s stirring in you relate to some other themes or ideas you’ve encountered in the Lectio Divina this week?
• What do you think God might be inviting you to know, be, or do as we come to the end of this work week?

The artist: LAUREN WRIGHT PITTMAN says this about her piece.
When I read through the Magnificat, I was overwhelmed with the gravity of this moment. Her reaction to finding out that she, a young virgin, would birth the Son of the Creator of the universe was to sing a song of overflowing praise affirming God’s goodness and sovereignty. It seems as if the entire universe revolved on the axis of this moment. Her song carried me to the creation narrative where God’s very words materialize water and sky and light and animals and people… everything we know to be and will ever know. As I read the Magnificat, I imagined that her tones of adoration, melody of acceptance, and rhythm of awe ushered in the heartbeat of Jesus within her womb. Mary’s song became the score for a new creation narrative. In this piece, I imagined all of creation embracing Mary in this moment as the creation narrative echoes in her womb.

REQUEST

• Ask God for wisdom and insight as you continue to reflect on the image.

RESPOND

• Decide on one specific attitude or action you’re going to adopt today, in your work, in response to what you’ve experienced through this practice today.
• It may be helpful to write down that action step.

 part of a series of images for Advent

Half of our Christmas Offering goes toward meeting needs here in Orillia.

Half will go towards helping fund a pastor’s conference, organized by ILA Uganda, for rural pastors from Uganda & South Sudan, which pastor Mike will be speaking at in February. Here’s a couple of photos from the first pastor’s conference in 2022

You can give in-person on December 24 (morning or evening) or on-line via e-transfer: finance@occweb.org.

Thank you for your generous giving toward kingdom building

 part of a series of images for Advent