Meeting House Worshipers: Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Morning Services (8:30 and 11:00 am)

Scripture

Isaiah 42:1-9

Matthew 3: 13-17

Sermon

Marked for Service — Dr. Laha

Hymns

O Day of Radiant Gladness

Baptized in Water

God, Whose Giving Knows No Ending

Other Special Music

Prelude:                      Bunessan – Charles Callahan

Introit:                         Christ, When for Us You Were Baptized – Scottish Psalter

Anthem:                      O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion – G.F.Handel

Offertory:                    Grave (Sonata # 6) – A. Corelli

Postlude:                     Trumpet Tune – Henry Purcell

Coffee Hour: Join us in Fellowship Hall after the 11:00 am service. The host this week is the 20s/30s Group.

Christian Education.

Children’s Education: All children in grades 1-5 begin learning about baptism. Check the board in the Education Bulding for grade assignments.

Share your gifts with children by serving as a Sunday School rotation leader. This 3 or 4 Sunday commitment involves sharing the good news with our elementary age children. All materials and directions are provided and you will be joined by someone who is shepherding the children each week. Rotation options include art, storytelling, baking, crafts, and more. Com join the fun!

Adult Education

Westminster Hall: The Gospel of Matthew, this Bible study resumes this Sunday through March 16. It is an in-depth study of the second part of the Gospel of Matthew (Ch 17-28). Lee Posey, Tom Roberts and Hal Collums will serve as facilitators during the spring term. Please join us in Wesminster Hall.

Heritage Hall: Faith and Reason, Then and Now will be led by Dr. Bruce Douglass. Our society is now in the midst of a fresh debate about the rationality – and even morality – of religious belief. This is not a new issue. It has long been a part of modern life, and it has played an important role in the development of Reformed theology. This course is designed to clarify: 1) the issues at stake in the current debate; 2) why this debate has arisen; and 3) what bearing Reformed thinking has on the subject. Classes continue through Feb 10.

Wednesday Night Bible Study: Joshua, Judges, Ruth. Meets Wednesdays, 7:30-8:30 pm beginning Jan. 9.in Flounder 1b. Join us for this weekly Bible study, as we dig deeper into the Scripture, and listen for how it speaks to our lives today. Please contact Ann at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 549.6670, x129 for more infomraiton, or to sign up.

Reformed Institute: Look on the web site for these special offerings.

Fellowship, Study, and Prayer Groups:

Youth: Meeting this Sunday night in Fellowship Hall from 5 to 7 pm and work on preparing for the Souper Bowl project. Youth Advisory Council meets from 7 to 8 pm.

Youth Advisory Council: Please let Cristy Gallagher or Nancy Davidson know if you would like to be part of the Youth advisory Council. The council will be the youth “voice” for OPMH and will meet once a month before youth fellowship on Sunday.

First Sundays with the Stephen Ministers: Stephen Ministers host an informal time of fellowship on the first Sunday of each month for those who are experiencing a difficult or challenging time and would welcome a willing listener. We will meet this Sunday in the Elliot House parlor following the 11:00 am service. If you would like more information or would like to spend one-on-one time with a Stephen Minister during the holidays, call Susan Grandy at 703-780-4134 or 703.299.4749.

20s30s – This group is open to all in their 20s and 30s (married, single, members, visitors, friends). Join us Monday nights for dinner and discussion at 913 Oronoco Street at 7 pm. For more info, call Mike Campagna at 703.785.4736 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Presbyterian Women’s Prayer Breakfast, Natonal Presbyterian Church (4101 Nebraska Ave., NW), on Jan. 10 9-12 pm. The speaker is the Rev. Dr. Jan Edmiston, on the topic “Pray Without Ceasing.”

Married couples of all ages are welcome to join Celebration for its January event which will include dinner and a presentation entitled “The Many Faces of Love” given by Dr. Bill Phillippe on Wed., Jan. 16 in Heritage hall. The cost will be $5 per person and childcare will be available (but a separate reservation is required). The dinner will be at 6:15 pm, followed by the presentation and discussion from 7:00 to 9:00 pm Please RSVP by Jan. 22 to Gerry and Gloria Cooper at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 703.837.0291.

Mission

Prayers for the World: The Meeting House has long-standing relationships in both Kenya and Pakistan, and as those countries experience unrest, we ask that you keep Kenya and Pakistan in your prayers. In Kenya, we have been in touch with the moderator of Elburgon Presbytery and with the director of the United Orphanage and Academy – all were very concerned, especially as some of the violence has come within a mile of the orphanage. In Pakistan, an end-of-the-year letter from the director of the Church World Service Office asks for our prayers. The Meeting House has long supported the health and literacy programs of St. Thomas Church in Islamabad, as well as the Taxila Eye Hospital and Forman Christian College.

The Environmental Stewardship Advocacy Group will meet on Wed., Jan. 16 at 7:30 pm. The meeting will be held in the Elliot House second floor conference room. The focus of this meeting will be OPMH’s participation in the Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light and discussion of including environmental stewardship classes as part of OPMH’s Sunday adult education. Please contact Matt Ries at 703.549.1880 or Larry Williams at 703.683.2417 with any questions or for more information.

The Global Missions Committee plans to organize another trip to Bay St. Louis, MS, April 13-10 to help First Presbyterian Church with their continued resonstruction efforts following Hurricane Katrina. An information meeting for those interested in learning about this mission opportunity is scheduled for Jan. 13 following the 11:00 am service in the Elliot House Library.

Calling for our planet – Many are familiar with Matthew 19: 16-22, where Jesus instructs a young man to sell his possessions and give the money to the poor so he can have eternal life. The man “went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” As we ring in a new year and consider our lifestyle resolutions, the credit card bills from last month’s Christmas presents are reminders of our consuming ways. We each make many consumer decisions each day – as you begin this new year, consider a resolution to live lighter on the planet. Look for opportunities to buy local produce and products, re-use items, minimize waste, and pollute less.

Music:

This morning, Samuel Baker begins serving as our interim Director of Music and Organist.

Adult Choir rehearses on Thursdays, at 7:30 pm in the balcony. Everyone is welcome!

Children’s Choir’s rehearses on Sundays, in room 22, Education Building. 12:05-12:50 pm.

Concerts With A Cause: La Ménéstrandise, Early Music Instrumental Ensemble, this Sunday, Jan. 13, 2008 at 4:00 pm, in the OPMH Sanctuary. Specializing in music from the late Renaissance to the Baroque, La Ménéstrandise is a trio of oboe, recorders, and string bass with harpsichord continuo. The concert will benefit United College Ministries of Northern Virginia, an ecumenical Christian ministry reaching out to students at George Mason University and Northern Virninia Community College campuses.

Churchwide News:

News Update: 2008 Stewardship Campaign – After eight weeks we have received 319 pledges, 53 of which are new. These pledges total $1,225,000 with the repeating pledges showing some significant increases. But in order to meet the identified needs for the upcoming year, we will need everyone’s pledge. So, if you have not yet turned in your pledge, please do so as soon as possible. For your convenience, you may submit your pledge online to our Administrator, Casey Naatjes at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Pledge cards are available in the friendship pads. Thanks for your support!