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He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His seed forever” (Luke 1:54-55). When blessed Mary was making mention of the fathers, she properly represented them by naming Abraham in particular. Although many of the fathers and holy ones mystically brought forward testimony of the Lord’s Incarnation, it was to Abraham that the hidden mysteries of this same Lord’s Incarnation and also of our redemption were first clearly predicted. Also, to him it was specifically said, “And in you all the tribes of the earth will be blessed.” None of the faithful doubts that this pertains to the Lord and Savior, who, in order to give us an everlasting blessing, deigned to come to us from the stock of Abraham. However, “the seed of Abraham” does not refer only to those chosen ones who were brought forth physically from Abraham’s lineage, but also to us…Having been fathered together to Christ from the nations, we are connected by the fellowship of faith to the fathers, from whom we are far separated by the origin of our fleshly bloodline. We too are the seed and children of Abraham since we are reborn by the sacraments of our Redeemer, who assumed His flesh from the race of Abraham. – Venerable Bede
Church Announcements:
- Liturgy Schedule this Week
- Liturgy tomorrow, December 25th, from 8:00-10:00am
- No liturgy on Wednesday and Thursday due to Winter Retreat
- Kiahk Praises:
- Kiahk Praises are from 8 to 11:30pm.
- Men’s Meeting:
- The Men’s Meeting will be this Thursday, January 11 at 7:30pm
- To receive information on the men’s meeting, click: Men’s Meeting
- Women’s Meeting:
- The Women’s Meeting will resume in January of next year
- Bible Pleasure:
- No Bible Study this week
- Saturday Night Adult Bible Study:
- Saturday nights at 6pm in the Church.
- Covering Galatians
- Deacon’s Meeting:
- To receive information on the deacons’ meeting, click Deacon’s Meeting
- To join the COCC Advanced Hymns Class meeting, click Advanced Hymns Class
- Church Pictures:
- Please send any church occasion pictures to coccpics@gmail.com
- Donations Needs:
- Men’s and women’s clothes (T-shirts, pants, shorts, shoes) are needed.
- Hygiene supplies are also needed (toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, small bottles of shampoo and conditioner)
- Donations can be left at the shed next to the church van.
Sermon:
This Week’s Schedule:
- Monday:
- Liturgy: 8:00-10:00am
- Midnight Praises: 8:00 – 9:30pm
- Tuesday:
- No Bible Pleasure
- Wednesday:
- Liturgy: 8:00-10:00am
- Thursday:
- No Liturgy
- Friday:
- No Liturgy
- Youth Meeting: 8:00-9:30pm
- Saturday:
- Hymns: 5:00-6:00pm
- Sunday School/Adult Bible Study: 6:00-7:00pm
- Vespers: 7:00-7:30pm
- Kiahk Praises: 8:00-11:30pm
- Sunday:
- Liturgy: 8:00-11:30am
- New Year’s Eve Program will be sent shortly