There’s an old joke that asks something like “how do you tell a happy motorcycle rider?” The answer: “By the bugs in his teeth”. Yesterday was a good day . . . a good day of worship, a good day of celebration, and a good day of ministry. We welcomed the Ottawa Misfits Motorcycle Group to our service for what we called the Fourth Annual/Second Actual Misfit Motorcycle Rally Day (pandemic restrictions limited us from meeting years two and three).
Keith Green established the Misfits in 2009 as a non-threatening place where riders of all sorts could gather (hmm, I could have used that in yesterday’s message as well . . . the group is like a church in that it is “interdenominational” – it is not specific to one brand). I have been the unofficial chaplain of the group for the last number of years. At their request we have a service followed by a “blessing of the bikes” (and riders) each year. It has been my privilege to be part of the group and to pray with and for each rider. Keith has asked that Trinity Church continue this focus (and blessing) in the years ahead.
We may have focused our message yesterday on the similarities between rider and follower of Jesus – based on Ephesians 6:10-20 – but the challenge shared is indeed to the Christian. It was a challenge to awareness. It was a challenge to preparedness. It was a challenge to support others in Christ. It was a challenge to growth as a child of God.
As always, you can find a manuscript of the message in the SERMONS section of our web site – click here to download a copy. You can also “revisit” yesterday’s service on our Facebook page (click here) and on our YouTube channel (click here).
Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday . . .the day that we celebrate the birth of the church when the Holy Spirit came in power.
It is also our annual spring Celebration of Worship through Music. By now I’m sure that everyone who would like to participate has talked with Matt about it . . . but if you haven’t, please e-mail him this week so he can prepare for the service. We would like to invite everyone to participate . . . talk with Matt if you would like to sing, to share some prose/poetry/a story, to play . . . to be part of a great time of praise.
We will gather at 11:00 to celebrate together. Our worship team will lead in song (e-mail me at the church if you do not receive the lyrics weekly and would like them sent to you). Our message reminds us that we are Ghosted.
If you do not yet feel comfortable joining with others in the congregation in person please join us through our Facebook feed (click here) or our YouTube feed (click here) – or link directly from our web site (click here). Please “check in” – let us know if you worship with us “live or delayed”.
Our Annual District Assembly will be available on ZOOM (for delegates) and streamed on YouTube (for non-delegates) June 10, from 9:30 am (prayer) until 1:00 pm (Assembly and Conventions). Links will be provided in next week’s “Musings”. Let me know if you would like to be a voting delegate.
All reports will be found on the district app, and in the District Assembly booklet (on line on the district web site, centralnazarene.ca).
The Ordinaton service will be streamed on the District YouTube channel at 7:00 pm.
A District “Family Reunion” service will be streamed on the District YouTube channel beginning at 3:00 pm Sunday June 12. We will gather to celebrate through worship at 11:00 am in the sanctuary as we usually do.
This is the last week of our denominational Half Million Mobilization – a call for people of our denomination to stop and listen for and to the voice of God and to become grounded, to search for God’s direction so that we can be what He wants us to be in the coming days. We pray as a local church within a denomination . . . and wait quietly for Him to speak powerfully.
We have been Praying Our Way to Pentecost (Sunday). We are praying for God’s protection, direction, and revelation, looking to see renewal and revival in our churches.
This Half-Million Mobilization is a call to Nazarenes to experience unity as a region, to hear from the Spirit in our times of prayer, to share with each other what the Spirit is saying, and to discover His plans for our hope and future. A prayer journal has been developed to help us in our focus (click here, or download your copy from the main mailing page).
An app for mobile devices has been developed, and provide daily devotionals.
A Holiness Today Special Edition devoted to prayer is also available (please e-mail the church to receive a copy or click here to download a copy). Print versions were made available but were sold out before we could order them; I am sorry that we missed out on them and could not have them for you.
We meet every Wednesday evening at 7:00 through ZOOM to pray together. We share with one another, we discover the needs of others who are part of our church near and far, and we pray . . . some silently, some vocally. Join us this week! Contact the church for a link to join us.
Thank you for your faithful support of the work we are trying to accomplish for Christ through what we do as a church . . . for giving generously of your tithes and offerings to the meet the needs of our local church. We continue to receive our tithes and offerings through e-transfer (ottawatrinity@rogers.com) and through the Canada Helps web site (click here).
Barb, Emmanuelle, Matt, and Pierre are your pastoral transition team. They will begin working with our District Superintendent following the upcoming District Assembly and will be seeking input . . . a “transition handbook” is available on the district web site. During the transition Johania, Matt, and Pastor Lloyd Rodriguez (and perhaps others) will share preaching duties; we are working on a preaching schedule.
There will be a “Celebration of Life” memorial service for Pastor Al MacMillan Saturday June 18 at 1:00 pm, at the Bridlewood Church of the Nazarene in Kanata. All are welcome. Please wear a face mask.
Also note . . . A family that we are in contact with is moving into the neighbourhood and is in need of some furniture . . . talk to me if you have anything you can share . . . the church property committee will share a “spring cleaning needs” list soon; we ask that if you can you sign up for a cleaning need, to be completed at your convenience; this is instead of holding a work day . . . District Assembly will be led from the Rosewood Church in Scarborough June 10 and streamed on the district YouTube channel. The evening ordination service (only) will be “in person”. . . Pastor André of our Ottawa Haitian Church will have his credentials recognized by our denomination (he comes to us from the Mission Evangélique d'Haiti) . . .