As we looked at Isaiah 51-52 we saw the repeated encouragement (that's a gentle British way of saying "challenge"!) from God to his people to wake up, and really get what he wants to say and show them. A short paraphrase of the passage could read: "Listen, listen, listen! Awake, awake; awake, awake; awake, awake!"
This week marks the beginning of Step 3 in the English roadmap out of lockdown. There are new freedoms and opportunities. As the elders were praying earlier in the week, we thought about some of the different ways that we will all be feeling and responding as we emerge into relative freedom.
Maybe you feel like a bear emerging from hibernation with a sore head! For you, the lockdown has left you disorientated, maybe slightly grumpy and uncertain about what the world is like now. You don't want to be awakened, and as you emerge you wonder whether anything has changed!
In my Sunday message from Isaiah 42-44, I commented on the prophetic words shared with OCC earlier in the year. Will you join with me in prayerfully reflecting on these words, and asking that God will he help us see what he wants to do in our city and communities?
It was a big day in the life of Lifehouse Community Church in the afternoon of Sunday 25th April 2021. After not meeting in person for over a year during the pandemic we met together again for our first Sunday gathering. It felt a bit like going on holiday crossed with Christmas Day! For Katherine and I and our family there was a level of excitement and nervousness - constantly checking the clock to see if it was time to get in the car yet! There was a growing excitement and an expectation of what was to come.
Who loves the sound of the alarm clock waking you up in the morning! Are you leaper-out-of-bed, a snoozer, or a coffee-grabber?
On Sundays at OCC, we're just starting a series exploring the message of Isaiah, one of the so-called 'major prophets' in the Old Testament (OT). Why are we looking at an obscure part of the Bible, when there is plenty of more straightforward teaching in the New Testament (NT)
Let me introduce Rich and Anna Houghton to you. We have known them for many years having been first connected in Kidlington. Anna works as a primary school teacher and Rich works as a project manager for a design agency. They have two children and are fun-loving people that love sharing life with others in Banbury.
The old quip goes: “Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children. Now I have six children – and no theories.” The point being made is that every child is an individual. A good parent listens, and then considers the right response to that child and their questions. There is no one system or approach.
There's a church just north of Oxford that we're family with! Although its exciting, being actively part of a wider family of churches may be a new idea for some of you, so we want to tell the story of how we got there, and how relationships are sustained today.
In the 1970s, UK churches were impacted by a new movement that came to be called both the ‘charismatic renewal’ and the ‘house church movement’. It placed emphasis on authentic community, participation in worship, spiritual gifts, and meaningful discipleship.
Where and when are your Bible study groups? This is one of the most common questions we get asked by Christians new to OCC!
Over the past few months, in response to prophetic words throughout 2020, we've been drawing near to God.
We've done this through our series on Identity and by exploring God's Heart - his heart for people, justice, mercy, family, and for all of us to play our part.