Merry Christmas, Everyone!

One of the families of the PCO (Protestant Church in Oman) lighting the 4th candle of Advent season: the candle of LOVE.  There are a few church services going on over the next few days to celebrate Christmas here in Muscat.  Tonight at 6pm in Ghala (Family Christmas Eve service with communion) and also later at 11pm (Candle Christmas Eve service with communion).  There is also a Christmas morning service in Ruwi church tomorrow at 9am (Christmas Day Worship Service with communion.Let’s not forget that “Jesus is the reason for the season”!Last Friday was a nice celebration through music at the PCO.  We even had the Muscat Singers pay us a visit to sing a few carols, including “Angels We Have Heard on High” which I am adding here for your enjoyment:  One young girl, Christy Roy, did a fabulous job singing “Mary Did You Know?”

We hope you all have a safe and joyous Christmas!

Hugs……and kisses from Andy in Oman and family! 🙂

Weekly Photo Challenge: Community

It’s easy to come up with photos for “community” as the word “community” automatically brings thoughts of “church” or “community of believers” to my mind and it’s been a pretty busy week for the Protestant Church in Oman during this 3rd week of Advent! 🙂  Here, as with each of the 4 weeks of Advent, one family from the congregation lights the previous candle(s) of Advent and then lights the next candle until the 4th is lit on Christmas week.  This ancient tradition is one way for the church to celebrate the first Advent (“Coming”) and anticipate the 2nd Advent of Christ.                                      One important aspect of community in the church is fellowship and the breaking of bread together.  This photo was during the last Tuesday night Bible study of the year.This photo was from Friday’s event known as “Christmas Joy” , which is an outreach party to give an evening of joy to female migrant workers in Muscat, Oman (next year is the men’s turn!).  This was the 7th annual Christmas Joy in Oman!  Outreach and charity are important features of any healthy church community.

I hope you enjoyed my interpretation of “community” for this photo challenge.  Finally, here’s a short video from the Children’s Nativity Play this past Friday morning in which the children and youth led us in celebration of Christmas Worship Service”: 

Learning to Deal with Giants

We all have “giants” in our lives.  Every single one of us.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Movement

Movement.  Another great prompt from Sara Rosso on the daily post: “Movement.  How do you show movement in your photos? This photo choice is a very deliberate show of movement through the camera lens and the blurring lights, but how else can you show movement of objects, or of the action that’s happening in your picture?

Plenty of movement going on in this pic from the 2012 Good Friday service in the PCO (Protestant Church in Oman)-from the flag waving, to the dancing ministry in the front and dozens of people jumping around and singing! 

                                           For some people, the word “movement” conveys scenes of people or objects in motion.  For me, I like to think of the deeper spiritual application in seeing what we Christians sometimes refer to as “a movement of God” (or revival) seen through the actions of the church and dynamic preaching of God’s Word.  I love trying to capture the movement of our 3 beloved pastors as they passionately convey God’s heart to the people week after week.

PCO Pastor, Michael Peppin, during his sermon, “Today in Paradise“.

Reverend Peppin trying to get the message across in his sermon “That Wonderful Plan of God“.

The current lead pastor (one year rotation), Pastor Barry Dawson (RCA) during his sermon “Another Word for Love” (which was found to be “self-giving” or “sacrifice”)

Pastor Barry getting deep into the message during his Epiphany sermon titled “Going into the Future on a Road Less Traveled“.  The movement of his hands is so fast, it looks like he’s got about 10 fingers on that one hand!  🙂

The newest addition to the pastoral staff at the PCO, Pastor Chris Howitz, in action during his sermon “A Cross Shaped Dwelling“.

This last pic was taken during one of the closing songs.  I don’t normally take photos of lyrics on slides but I thought it nicely captures the pinnacle of “the movement of God in human history”.

This hymn is known as the love song of the 1904 Welsh “Revival” (or movement of God).                                                        “Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” (Plato)

All is Well with the Protestant Church in Oman! (PCO)

Last week we had the AGM (Annual General Meeting) at the PCO and it was good to look back on a year of blessings.

There are plenty of worship opportunities throughout the week at the PCO.  For more info, you can always contact the office at www.churchinoman.com

Some highlights of the past year include:

• outreach to the less fortunate through Christmas Joy 2011 and many other outreach programs and gifts through the giving committee.
• “Special services of Good Friday, Easter, Christmas, New Year, Day of Pentecost and the International Day were celebrations of our unity in the midst of our diversity.” (with Christians from more than 45 nations)
• Youth Pastor, Rev. Andre Botha, installed in May, 2011.
• Children’s Pastor, Rev. Diana Willemse, appointed in Nov, 2011.
• Rev. Dr. Barry Dawson-the RCA Minister, (and wife, Shelly) joined us in Sep, 2011.
• Rev. Chris Howitz-Anglican Minister, (and wife Nicole and son Joshua) joined us in Feb, 2012.
• (“We are still waiting for the Lord to guide on the appointment of the Arabic Pastor in due course.”) 
• A total of 63 congregations have used our facilities each week.
• Ground-breaking service for the Ruwi Building Project on June 22, 2011.

It is the hope of the PCO that the new church building in Ruwi will be completed within 9 months.  “The total estimated cost for the project is OMR 800,000.  We have 50% of the funds needed for the entire project.  It is here that we value your prayers and your commitment to make a pledge towards this project…We know God’s work, done in God’s way will not lack God’s provision”.

As you can see, it has been a fruitful year for the PCO and there is much to look forward to in the coming year as well.  Soli Deo Gloria!