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Question:  Why do you meet at 4:30 p.m?  

 

 

Pastor Bill responds:   

There’s a number of reasons why:             

First, because we don’t want to interfere with the worship times of other Presbyterian and Reformed churches that are ministering on Long Island.  We want to work in cooperation with, and not in competition with other churches of like faith and practice in our area.            

Second, because the facility of Ascension Lutheran Church is available to us at this time.  And we are deeply grateful to ALC for allowing us to rent from them for our Sunday meetings of  The Haven, OPC.           

Finally, because we think there are a lot of advantages to worship at this time on the Lord’s Day:          

   1.  The Lord’s Day is sometimes called (and rightly called) “The Christian Sabbath.”  While it’s a day set apart as “The Market Day of the Soul”, i.e. as a day in which we turn as much as possible from our regular weekly employment and give attention to eternal concerns, it’s also a day of rest. And busy Long Islanders are in special need of a day of rest. Enjoy a little more time to rest in the morning!            

     2.   With this schedule, you can also use your mornings for reading the Word of God, praying, and listening to or reading other things that feed your soul.  In our rushed Mondays through Saturdays we have little time to stop and give attention to the God in whom we live and move and have your very being. We want your Sundays to be a spiritual haven, so take the added time to fellowship with our Great Haven, Jesus Christ (and also with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit!).          

   3.   Enjoy a relaxed family lunch.  Make your Lord’s Day Sabbath meal time a little haven, too, as you eat with family and friends - remembering that, for Christians, every meal is meant to be a foretaste of our feasts in glory.
Suggestion: Have people come to your home for lunch, and then bring them with you to our 4:30 p.m. service at The Haven, OPC.   Offer others both physical food and spiritual food.          

   4.  For parents with young children, this is an ideal time to gather.  The children are done with their naps, so they’ll be rested for worship and for the instruction they’ll receive with The Haven Young Disciples meeting (AKA: Sunday School or Bible School) from 5:45 - 6:15. Then they enjoy Haven Hearty soups, and you can get home at an early hour - in time for a recap of the day and lights out early for everyone.