I think some of the happiest words we, as members of this congregation, can read on the back of our Sunday worship bulletin (twice a year – once in the fall and once is the spring) are the words, “Rummage is now being accepted!”  What this announcement means, on the surface, is that the O.C.C. Women are getting ready again for their twice a year Rummage and Attic Treasure Sale.  We know that these sales are a lot of work for a lot of people, taking many hours of effort and organization.  And we know that the money raised goes to support important mission projects.  But the underlying reason that I have for looking forward to seeing those words is that they mean I can get rid of some of the “stuff” that has been taking up room at the back of my closet!  My guess is that I’m not alone in this.  I have clothes that  I no longer wear, kitchen utensils that I never use, books that I have already read, and an assortment of things that maybe once meant something to me but don’t any longer.  I want these things out of my house – out of my way.  I gain a real sense of satisfaction by pulling up to the lower level doors and leaving those bags and boxes on the gathering table.  I don’t have to maneuver around those things anymore!  Our O.C.C. women offer me a wonderful opportunity.  They invite me to do the sorting and cleaning that I know I need to do if I am ever going to have space for anything else.

 The celebration of Easter feels a little like this to me.  The season of Lent is like the announcement in the bulletin that proclaims “It’s time to clean out!  It’s time to sort through!  It’s time to get rid of what doesn’t work for you any more!” 

 Each year we get that chance.  We get to rid ourselves of attitudes and behaviors that just don’t belong in the houses that are our lives.  Without this yearly event, you and I could well find ourselves accumulating all sorts of “stuff” we no longer want or need – shortcomings and failures, sorrow and disappointments, bitterness, fear, anger, isolation – dead-ends.  Through the truth of the good news of Christ’s overcoming of death, we know that we no longer have any use for these things.  They simply no longer “fit” us and there is no reason they should be allowed to take up space in our lives.

 My hope is that you’ve used these weeks of Lent to your benefit – that you’ve prayed and reflected and allowed God’s Holy Spirit to do some work in you.  There are some powerful things the Spirit offers, among them healing and freedom and joy and, especially, peace.  God never imposes these things on us or tries to crowd them into the places in our lives where other things are still taking up most of the room.  We can accept what God offers or not, but God never stops offering. 

 So, it’s not too late.  Our yearly celebration of Christ’s resurrection will be on Easter morning, of course, but the work of the Holy Spirit to bring harmony out of discord, hope out of despair, forgiveness out of defiance, and new life to even the deadliest of human predicaments – that power is available to us each and every morning. 

 Newness of life surrounds us.  That is God’s doing.  May we be the ones who are courageous enough to make room for it and then may we give God our thanks.

Joyous Resurrection!

The Okemos Community Youth activities for the month of March will involve one Sunday gathering, and three Saturday events.  Please note the different times and locations.  As usual, you may bring a friend to any event.  Remember there is a Confirmation Class this spring.  We will make adjustments in our schedule to accommodate the middle school youth who are in the Confirmation Class. For more information about these or any Okemos Community Youth events, please contact the Church office at 517-349-4220 or email Paul Hartman at  plhartman@okemoscommunitychurch.org

  Saturday, March 24, 9 am to noon, we will help clean the sanctuary. This has become a traditional service project for those going on the Spring Break trip, but everyone is welcome to participate.  Parents of the mission team are invited to meet at 11 am.

This year’s Lenten Study at Okemos Community Church will use material from Adam Hamilton, based on his book, 24 Hours That Changed the World.  The class sessions will include a video presentation followed by a discussion.  We will have two study opportunities:  Sunday evenings @  6-7:30 pm and  Wednesday evenings @  6:15-7:30 pm The five study sessions will include: February 26 & 29 The Garden of Gethsemane  March 4 & 7 Condemned by the Righteous March 11 & 14 Jesus, Barabbas, and Pilate March 18 & 21 The Torture and Humiliation of the King March 25 & 28 The Crucifixion  

The Okemos Community Church Book Club will be meeting next on Tuesday, March 20^th, at 7:00 p.m., in the Lounge, to discuss The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford.  This novel is a tender story about a young Chinese-American boy growing up in Seattle during the II World War.  A complete list of all O.C.C. Book Club selections and meeting dates are available from the church office 517-349-4220.  We welcome everyone who likes to read and talk about books!

The Okemos Community Church Spring Break Work Project for youth and adults will take place April 3-6, 2012.  We will work with the Sunset Gap Community Center in Cosby, Tennessee.  Middle and high school youth are invited to participate.  This work project, in the past, has been a powerful and meaningful experience. Make plans now to be a part of the project and the fund-raising activities. You must contact Paul Hartman, plhartman@okemoscommunitychurch.org or 517-349-4220, by Sunday, March 11^th, to secure a place for this experience.

Okemos Community Church will continue our Lenten Study during our Wednesday Night Alive program time.  Our study is called, “24 Hours That Changed the World.”  It is a study with Adam Hamilton on DVD.  We will follow the events which led to Jesus’ crucifixion.  Please feel free to participate.  The class begins with a video presentation followed by discussion.  In order to maximize our discussion time, we will begin the Lenten Study at 6:15 pm Dinner will be offered at 5:30pm. Please call the Okemos Community Church office to make dinner reservation. The menu is as follows: March 4 – Menu: Roasted Lemon Chicken, Roasted Cabbage Wedges, Potato Fan, Cookies and Ice Cream March 11 – Menu: Pizza, Greek Salad, and Strawberry Pretzel Dessert March 18 – Menu: Thai Salad with Peanut Dressing, Sweet Bacon Chicken Strips, Fried Rice, and Lemon Cake March 25 – Menu: Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables, Apple Pie and Ice Cream

As I write this, I am getting ready to begin another series of Confirmation Classes for the young people of this congregation interested in becoming full members.  I love teaching these classes for many reasons, among which is simply the opportunity to become acquainted – or re-acquainted – with these young people themselves.  This year, they are all 6^th and 7^th graders and I like hearing them talk about their lives, the things that matter to them and the things they think about.  I will admit that sometimes their high energy level can present challenges, but I always seem to clean-up after class is over thanking God for the pure experience of them! 

To be frank, however, even with all of the above being true, I sometimes wonder about the timing of all of this.  I know why we offer these classes to young people at this stage in their lives, but I also know from years of personal history that we seem to bring these young men and young women “in” just before the time when most of them will be moving on – or even out!  Whether it is because “Church” seems to lose its relevance in their lives, they begin to have doubts about their faith, or they just get busy with other things, our children often choose to absent themselves from Sunday School and worship more and more during high school and certainly during college. 

I remember years ago hearing someone speak on this very topic.  He said that he thought the Church would be wise to adopt a ritual named for Thomas, the Doubter, and offer that instead of Confirmation to its young people.  He argued that in doing this, we would acknowledge that doubt and struggle are important parts of a healthy and mature faith. I thought he was on to something, although I’m not sure such a ceremony would do much to provide a correction for all the other tempting things the world holds out as possible ways to use what might otherwise have been church time.

So what will make the difference?  How do we pass on to our young people a sense of what we value here in a way that might lead them to value it, too?  You might spend a few moments thinking about that.  What did it for you?  What happened in your childhood years that made Church the place you wanted to be?  What brought you back to the Church after your own wandering away? What has caused you to seek out the Church as an adult, even though it may not have been something your own family encouraged during your growing up?

The answers you find to these questions may lead you to some new understanding of who you are as a member of the congregation these young people are a part of.  Who we are – how we relate to each other – how we come to know and understand and invest ourselves in the children and young people among us – how we act intentionally to create a sense of belonging – may, in fact, make all of the difference. Please keep our young peoples in your prayers.  I look forward to introducing them to you again on Confirmation Sunday, May 6^th.

Rev. Jeanne M. Randels, Pastor

Okemos Community Church 2011 CROP Hunger 25 Walkers who raised $5,370. 25% of our total will stay in the Greater Lansing community. OCC earned a matching gift of $50 for having an attendee at the Recruiters’ Rally in September !st.  OCC also ranked first of thirteen churches and organizations that raised money using the “Walk on the Web” Church World Service donation website. Our on-line total was $1,760 ! Thank you to our Walkers, Rockers, and generous Sponsors / Donors.  Also thank you to everyone who helped promote the walk and recruit Walkers and Rockers at our church. Please mark your calendar for the 2012 walk:  Sunday, October 14, 2012 !

The sacrament of Baptism is currently scheduled for April 29^th   at Okemos Community Church. If you would like to arrange for baptism for yourself or your child at that time, or at a future date, please give the Okemos Community Church office a call at 517-349-4220.

The sacrament of Holy Communion will be offered in worship at Okemos Community Church next on Thursday, April 5^th, at 7:30 pm, as part of our Maundy Thursday worship service.  If you would like the sacrament brought to you in your home, please phone the Okemos Community Church office at 517-349-4220.  Arrangements will be made for one of the pastors to visit you.