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Meet Some Young Millennials in the OPC

To believe, and to know what you believe, is not the trend among young millennials. A full one-third of Americans aged 18–22 believe in “nothing in particular,” according to the Pew Research Center, and that number is growing at a rapid pace. But some Orthodox Presbyterian young adults are defying these statistics. They not only know what they believe, but are living it out with passion, perseverance, and usually a solid sense of humor. Here are profiles of four such individuals from Orthodox Presbyterian churches across the United States. Nathanael Woldegebriel Trinity OPC in Hatboro, Pa. Nathanael Woldegebriel in Guatemala Nathanael Woldegebriel thought he had it all figured out. After high school, he majored in architecture, studied abroad, travelled Europe, and got his degree from Temple University. But the smooth track stopped there. “I graduated, and I thought, now what?” Woldegebriel remembered. The school loans were starting to kick in, but nobody ... Read more

Beholding the Glory of Christ at Christmas—What Did Simeon See?

I have a favorite hill in my little town of Round Hill, Virginia, which I enjoy ascending at a particular time of morning in the summer months. The light has already dawned by the time I start climbing to the summit. The light helps me on my way up the hill, but I don’t see the full glory of the sun until it comes up over the mount. This is descriptive of Simeon’s place in redemptive history. He was living at the first light of the dawn of the last days. The light had dawned with the coming of Jesus in his incarnation, but Simeon did not behold the beautiful glory of the Son until his mother and father brought him into the temple. Although Simeon had believed God’s promises and had lived righteously in the strength of them, he had yet to behold the glory of God in the face of Jesus as he would. Simeon was a righteous and devout man, full of faith, who eagerly anticipated the fulfillment of God’s promises. He went by the Spirit’s guidance into the temple one morning, and on that special day ... Read more

Pride or Service?

The congregation that I pastor recently enjoyed the privilege of a visit from Short-Term Missions and Disaster Response Coordinator David Nakhla. Knowing that Mr. Nakhla was scheduled to report on opportunities for service in the OPC prompted me to reflect upon obstacles we might encounter to serving the body of Christ. What excuses come to mind personally or corporately, for example, when presented with the opportunity for disaster response or a short-term missions trip? What keeps us as individual Christians or as congregations from “rolling up our sleeves” in service? Some of the excuses that come to your mind may be similar to those that came to mine, such as: lack of time due to your already brimming schedule, lack of “manpower” because you are part of a church plant or “smallish” congregation like the one that I serve, and lack of finances in these troubled economic times. I have no doubt that your own circumstances may bring additional challenges to mind. Although we certainly cannot ... Read more

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