January 2024 at First OPC
Dear congregation and friends,
Like a half-forgotten New Year's resolution, this newsletter is coming to you a bit late. Please pardon the delay. Whatever the timing, it is a delight to share reflections and updates with the friends God has given us.
So much has happened since last writing (on December 5). One special memory, for me, was our neighborhood caroling after the evening service on Christmas Eve. About twenty of us were eagerly looking forward to singing for our neighbors, but we did not expect 50 more to join us! Were we a "troupe" or a "mob"? Who can say? We sang to dear fellow church members, now unable to attend church, and we also met some other neighbors for the first time. We hope we were able to bring them joy and point them to Christ.
Many of you will be wondering about my health (this is Pastor Goligher writing). I have just finished my second round of chemotherapy treatment, and I am feeling quite well. I expect to receive two more rounds of chemotherapy, and I am preparing for a major surgery in March, which will involve removing the tumor along with my left lung. If you would like to know more about how to pray for me, I am sharing more frequent updates through another newsletter.
In the meantime, the rhythm of life and ministry continues at First OPC Sunnyvale. In the evening services, Pastor Vroom is preaching through Matthew's Gospel, which shows the amazing mix of familiar and unexpected in the early part of Jesus's life and ministry. In the mornings, I have returned to 2 Kings, where the wild and wonderful deeds of Elisha keep surprising us with the aroma of Christ's grace. There is such a happy variety in Scripture, and it is pleasant to enjoy that variety each week in our pulpit ministries.
In Adult Sunday School, we have begun studying of worship. I need to give a hat-tip to Jonathan Bartlett, our former pastoral intern (now the Pastor at Sovereign Grace Community Church in Hughson, CA), for his idea to study each item in a typical Sunday bulletin. So often we do not appreciate, understand, or enjoy the things we do every week in worship. We hope these classes will enrich our weekly service to God.
At our annual congregational meeting next week, there is one especially significant item for consideration. The session has nominated Jake Hernandez to be a new ruling elder in our congregation. Jake and his family have been part of our church for more than twenty years. In the last several years, he has overseen our Sunday School ministry. Please pray for God to bless the congregation as we consider calling him to this office.
Whether your new year is off to a roaring start, or perhaps already sputtering, I trust that God will show you his mercy, bless your service to him, and keep you in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Sincerely,
Pastor Goligher