ONE PRAYER,* MANY VOICES
Lent & Easter 2008
*The Prayer That Jesus Taught Us
(Matthew 6:9-13 & Luke 11:1-4)
One Prayer, Many Voices
The Lord’s Prayer is the central devotional prayer of the Christian faith. Jesus spoke these words to his disciples as an example of how to pray, opening a spiritual door to our individual and communal relationship with God. Several versions of this prayer appear in the gospel writings, and there are multiple ways of translating the Greek words in different Biblical texts. When we explore the deeper meanings that lay within the simple words of the Lord’s Prayer, we embrace our connection to Jesus and his guidance about our relationship to God.
During the six Sundays of Lent and the special services of Holy Week and Easter, we will relate the words of the Lord’s Prayer both to other scriptural texts as well as to our own stories. We will explore different ways of discovering how the Prayer of Jesus reveals his meaning to us. Through sermons, music and ritual we will seek to reveal the ways the life, death and resurrection of Christ speaks to our contemporary world.
Come experience our Lenten Sunday worship and special Holy Week services. As the light and warmth of spring reminds us of the promise of renewed life, let us explore together the many ways we pray the Prayer of Jesus, and how our stories reflect the deeper meaning of his passion in our daily lives.
Frank Baldwin and
Kirk Thomas, Pastors
Sonja Ingebritsen, Minister-In-Training
Sunday, February 10
11:30 a.m.
Anna Johnson presents an after-church forum on her recent trip to Nepal and Kathmandu.
“Soup with Soul”
Weekly Meditation on Scripture
Tuesdays, 6:30-8:00 p.m.,
February 12, 19, 26, March 4, 11 & 18, Fellowship Hall
Nourish your body with a light meal and your spirit with personal stories of faith that relate both to the sections of the Lord’s Prayer and to the scripture text for the coming Sunday worship.
Doug Adams Memorial
Art Gallery Wall
Sunday, February 24
11:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary
Presentation by photographer Matt Herron describing his selection of photos of the March from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 for civil rights featuring the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Sunday, March 9
11:30 a.m.
Minister-in-Training Sonja Ingebritsen presents an after-church forum on her recent trip to Uganda and Rwanda.
Saturday, March 15
8:00 p.m.
Orinda Performances at the Community Church presents the University of California Gospel Choir.
February 10
“Our Father”
Frank Baldwin preaches on Romans 8:12-17.
February 17
“Thy Kingdom Come”
Kirk Thomas preaches on John 3:1-17.
February 24
“Thy Will Be Done”
Frank Baldwin preaches on Luke 22:39-46.
March 2, Communion Sunday
“Our Daily Bread”
Sonja Ingebritsen preaches on Matthew 14:13-21.
Throughout the season, enjoy a wide range of musical offerings, from the Chancel Choir, the Family Choir, the Crossroads Gospel Quartet , the Choir Soloists, and David Milnes at the Organ.
Children’s Angel Choir
will practice in Learning Community classes during worship on Sundays, Mar. 2, 9 & 16, with a final rehearsal at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary on Easter Sunday, March 23.
Palm Sunday, March 16
10 a.m. Worship, Sanctuary
“Deliver Us From Evil”
Frank Baldwin preaches on Matthew 26:1-5,14-25. Children, youth, and parents will lead the “Procession of Palms,” which forms at 9:45 a.m. in the Courtyard. Bring green branches to share and to wave in this joyous parade.
Walk the Labyrinth
Guided Meditation
Palm Sunday, March 16
11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Self-Guided Meditation
Weekdays Monday-Sat., 3-6 p.m.
March 17-22, in Fellowship Hall
Nourish your spirit with music & walking meditation on our indoor labyrinth.
Thursday, March 20
7:30 p.m., Sanctuary
& Fellowship Hall
Remembering both the Last Supper and the crucifixion of Jesus, our church musicians and pastors will lead an inspiring service of scripture, prayer and singing, concluding with an opportunity to walk the labyrinth.
Easter Sunrise Service
7:30 a.m. in the Olive Grove
“He has risen, he is not here.”
Kirk Thomas presents a homily based upon Mark 16:1-8. Using elements of the ancient Vigil of Easter Eve including Holy Communion and the Renewal of Baptismal Vows, worship commences at first light and ends in the Easter dawn.
Easter Celebration
10 a.m. in the Sanctuary
“Kingdom, Power, Glory”
Frank Baldwin preaches on John 20:19-31. Join the congregation for dramatic festival worship with glorious music by the Chancel Choir and the children’s Angel Choir.
Our annual Easter Offering
will be dedicated to OCC’s ministry of community outreach, specifically to the Winter Nights homeless shelter program in Contra Costa County.
A children’s Easter Egg Hunt
will be held at 11:15 a.m. (meet at the Peace Pole). Bring dyed, refrigerated eggs to hide and retrieve. Afterwards, help our Mission and Outreach Commission bag them with other breakfast treats to be distributed to county homeless shelters Monday morning.