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Remember This
In the classic 1942 black-and-white film Casablanca, characters played by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman both tell a piano player named Sam to play their favorite song. The song was “As Time Goes By,” and contains the phrase, “You must remember this…”. The line is never said exactly this way in the movie, but the famous quote is: “Play it again, Sam!”
I once read an interview with Amy Grant. She had just recorded an album of hymns, and she told the interviewer, “I’ve heard lots of sermons over the years, and I don’t remember any of them. But I do remember all those wonderful old hymns we sang when I was growing up.” Well, excuse me, but that’s not a fair comparison at all. You might hear any given sermon once (assuming you stay awake all the way through it). But we’ve sung those old hymns over and over and over, until many of us have them practically memorized. A hymn is probably sung in a church twice a year at least, maybe more often than that. Let a pastor try repeating the same few sermons twice a year, and the deacons will be meeting to discuss the problem.
Besides that, you’re not supposed to remember the sermon. You’re supposed to remember the Scripture.
Read MoreWeekly Update for Sunday, October 2, 2022
On Sunday, October 16, Rev. Roger Bear will be preaching in both the morning and evening services.
Fifth Sunday OCC Special Offering: Oct. 30, following the Morning Worship service at the Welcome Center.
OCC Packing Party: Oct. 30, 5 :00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. This will be in lieu of our Sunday Evening Worship service.
October OCC items: Postage and prayer.
The roofing project is completed! Special thanks to Chris Gardner for his efforts that resulted in the roof being replaced at no cost to us.
Weekly Update for Sunday, September 25, 2022
We send our love and prayers to the family of Wayne Hollingsworth.
Copies of the booklet What’s After Life? by John Burke are available on a table in the narthex. If you’d like a copy, for yourself or someone else, please help yourself. We will be keeping this booklet in supply on our Welcome Center.
October OCC items: Postage and prayer.
Weekly Update for Sunday, September 18, 2022
Copies of the booklet What’s After Life? by John Burke are available on a table in the narthex. If you’d like a copy, for yourself or someone else, please help yourself. We will be keeping this booklet in supply on our Welcome Center.
This Sunday, Rebecca Smith, Executive Director of our local Pregnancy Choices Center, will give us a report about their work. We will take a special offering for the Pregnancy Choices Center at the end of the service.
The Wednesday, September 21st at 6:30 pm, Pastor David will begin a series called Sacred Words: 13 Key Words of the Bible. The first study will focus on the word “God.”
September OCC items: School supplies.
Weekly Update for Sunday, September 11, 2022
Next Sunday in our morning Worship Service, Rebecca Smith from our local Pregnancy Choices Center will be here to tell us about their work. There will be a special offering taken for the P.C.C. at the end of the service.
September OCC items: School supplies.
Weekly Update for Sunday, September 4, 2022
There will be no Evening Worship this Sunday in order to allow more time for families to gather on Labor Day weekend.
The church office will be closed on Monday for the Holiday.
Ted Wagner will be teaching the Wednesday Bible Study this week.
August/September OCC items: School supplies.
On Pastors and Deacons
This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but I’ve been reluctant to write about it for several reasons. First, because I’m not sure how many people will actually be interested. Second, because the discussion can get technical and “deep in the weeds.” You can quickly get into the nuances of Biblical interpretation, and the Greek language of the New Testament. And third, because, on a personal level, nothing I’m about to write will give you a warm fuzzy feeling or help you get your locker open. So those are the reasons you shouldn’t read this article. If any of that resonates with you, you should stop reading now.
On the other hand, I hope you do read this, for several reasons. First, because I hope it will reassure you about our church. Second, because while I’m going to try hard to not get “deep in the weeds,” I will suggest some resources for those of you who might want to investigate this topic some more. And third, because not everything in the Bible is intended to give you a tingle or a set of easy steps to solve life’s mundane problems. A lot of it is intended to help you think clearly and to know what you believe. As Linus from the comic strip Peanuts pointed out, sound theology has a way of giving us great comfort.
Read MoreWeekly Update for Sunday, August 28, 2022
There are Bibles, copies of the Gospel of John and other literature available free on our Welcome Center.
Contact information and prayer requests may be shared on the Contact Card in your bulletin, then placed in the Offering Box.
There will be no Evening Worship next Sunday, September 4th, in order to allow more time for families to gather on Labor Day weekend.
August/September OCC items: School supplies.