feeding . . . gathering . . . carrying . . . leading . (Isaiah 40:11)

Dearest family,

I do hope that you have looked at the schedule of services planned for the celebration of Easter Week, and that you are thinking intentionally about how you are going to participate, and take time out of the usual busy order of weekly events, to respond to Hebrews 12:3: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men…” Please plan to be at one of the services. We begin with the Night of Prayer on Saturday from 6-midnight. We will have a wonderful celebration of ordination on Palm Sunday, focusing on the risen Christ’s gifts to the church. Come to either Maundy Thursday service, led by Church of the Resurrection, or our special combined service on Good Friday when I will bring the meditation. Holy Saturday begins with an intimate gathering at our Communion rail at 8:00am and then we will have our “first day of the week” service on Easter Sunday, preceded by a continental breakfast. See you there!

Over the last two Sundays, we have been seeing that the enemy’s plan for opposition is overpowered by God’s purpose for opportunity. We have seen the way that God’s open door is his gift to the church, which was first seen after the cross “behind closed doors” for fear. The circumstances that seem to wall us in and thwart the advance of the gospel in our lives and in our world, are punctured by an open door. This was the glorious message for the besieged church at Philadelphia that went on to became one of the great missionary communities that lasted into the fourteenth century, and was only then defeated because of internal dissension. One way to sum up the message to that church in Rev. 3 would be like this:

For opposition read opportunity. For “hitting the wall” read “going through the door”. For the character of the world out there that is uncleanness and lies, read the character of the Lord who is holy and true. For the “synagogue of Satan” read “the community of saints.” For the lock read the key. For engulfed read endured. For resigning read reigning. You’ve heard of “Catch-22”. Jesus is quoting Isaiah 22:22 here: “What he opens no one can shut.” I call this “Latch-22”! The Lord is the one who breaks asunder the bars of iron, who opens the door of opportunity for the church. The door of our salvation is the door of our service!

The main part of our service was to present you with the doors of opportunity that already exist for you as a member of COSC, and thus automatically an operative of the Care Company, our shared corporate outreach to our neighbors, and of The Antioch Group, our shared corporate outreach to the nations.

So much love and labor goes into these ministries and these presentations. Please steward these opportunities. The sense of the Revelation text is that this door is a trust and a gift and that we have responsibility to make the best and the most of it. At least encourage us by going to the two websites and getting them on your Favorites:

www.carecompanydc.org www.theantiochgroup.org

Be sure to keep those draft brochures in your Bible!

Pastorally yours,
Stuart

http://www.christourshepherd.org/pastlet.htm (follow links to download MP3 sermon)

Announcements

Night of Prayer
This Saturday—April 4
6pm to midnight
Come to pray for your neighbor, your nation,
your church, the nations…and yourself!

This Sunday—Adult/youth Softball at Randall Park (South Capitol and I Streets SW) after church. Bring lunch and enjoy playing or watching.

Water baptism service on April 19. Class will be held at 8:30am on April 5 for any adults considering baptism.

FREE Apologetics Evangelism Seminar Series

Apologetics Evangelism with Postmodern People, April 3-4 with Prof. Jerram Barrs
Tactics in Defending the Faith, May 15-16 with Greg Koukl These will both be at McLean Presbyterian Church. Free attendance with registration at www.cslewisinstitute.org

Care Company Opportunities: (202-422-7032 or monique@carecompanydc.org)

Care Company is now online at www.carecompanydc.org—check out the website for many volunteer opportunities!
Adult Literacy Volunteer—We are looking for men interested in mentoring men from Central Union Mission who have a desire to learn to read. Please contact us ASAP if you would like to find out more information.

For the women of COSC:

On April 13, the next book club meeting will be held at Laurie Chenoweth’s house to discuss the book Expecting Adam by Martha Beck.
The next Saturday supper will be cajun at Cay Perque’s house on April 18.
Women’s Retreat June 6-7 at the Bishop Claggett retreat center in Maryland

Please pray for the Kamon family. Larry’s mother has been quite ill and was hospitalized recently. She lives in Chicago, so the Kamon family will likely be making some cross-country trips to visit and support her.

Bulletin Board
Postings not officially sanctioned by COSC.

HOUSING—Brookland/Catholic Univ: 4BR, 2.5 BA four story with semi-finished basement & backyard, w/d, cac, d/w, parking. 7 min walk to Rhode Island Av Metro. $3000/mo, 1 year lease with deposit/application/credit check. Avail mid-April. Tom & Dee Scriven, 703-403-5026

JOB OPENING: Capitol Hill Pregnancy Center seeking part-time bookkeeper/office manager. Need general office skills, must be organized; experience in or ability to adapt to donor base technology and computer finance recordkeeping. Janet Durig, 202-546-1018

INTERN HOUSING: Christian Legal Society (CLS) hosts summer interns with ADF Blackstone Fellowship. The students work in the Center for Law & Religious Freedom, assist with our cases and help us to assist others whose rights are being violated. They are typically hardworking, conscientious, passionate, and love the Lord. We need 2 households for 1 intern each June 19 - July 31. ADF requires that they have their own bedroom and strongly prefers that they not be housed with young people (teenage through college) of the opposite sex. We don't know yet the gender of this year's interns. They receive a stipend to help pay for food and other costs while they are here. Casey Mattox, cmattox@clsnet.org

U.S. Capitol Bible Reading Marathon: Begins 6PM May 3 with Genesis 1:1 and runs for 90 hours, ending at 4PM on May 7. Reserve your time to read with Terry Shaffer Hall via email at dcbiblemarathon@aol.com www.dcbiblemarathon.org / 202-441-6455

HOUSING-Capitol Hill: furnished apartment available April 15 (short-term lease ok) $2100/mo. 3 blocks from Capitol, walking distance to metros, 2 large rooms, large bath, fully-equipped kitchen, washer/dryer, completely furnished, utilities, cable TV & wireless internet included. Karan Townsend, karantownsend@gmail.com or 304 -702-1872 or Jason Townsend, 202-415-7400 or Jason@RealEstateinDC.com

HOUSING—Union Station NW: large Victorian near 1st & K NW. Complete apartment in basement; 4 BR, 3 BA upstairs. Game room with pool table and basketball hoop. Seeking 4 renters at $800/month and split utilities by April 10. I will be moved out by May 1 and my home will be available including furniture and household items. Joanna Johnson, 202-997-5738