Published: November 17, 2025 at 03:55 AM

Tags: gospel, blog, personal, ministry, tabernacle, fellowship, grief

Most Sundays in O’Leary follow a familiar rhythm: get ready, get picked up, head to the hall, and gather with the Lord’s people. This one started the same way. My brother, his wife, and their son pulled into the lane, I climbed in, and off we went to the Gospel Hall like we do most weeks.

But by the end of the day, it had turned into something a little different, part ordinary Sunday, part special ministry, part very personal Gospel meeting.

Morning at the O’Leary Hall

The breaking of bread meeting was good, quiet, worshipful, with plenty of participation. Scott MacLeod was with us and gave a helpful word that tied in well with the hymns and prayers. Nothing dramatic, just solid, Christ–centred truth.

For this particular Lord’s Day we also had a large meal at the hall. Much of the Rosebank assembly came over, along with a few visitors, so the building was buzzing. If you’ve ever eaten at a hall function, you’ll know: you rarely go hungry. Tables full of main dishes, desserts tucked into every spare space.

Time with “Miss Anna” and Baby Hiccup

Between meetings, I did what I often do and drifted toward the younger crowd. I’ve somehow ended up as one of the adults who spends a lot of time talking with the kids, and honestly, I enjoy it.

Anna Hierlihy, or Miss Anna as I usually call her, she came armed with her stuffed horse, “Baby Hiccup”, named after her real horse at home. At some point Baby Hiccup ended up perched on my shoulder for a photo, and that turned into a small photoshoot.

It might not seem like much, but those small, ordinary moments, laughing with a young believer, sharing inside jokes about a stuffed horse, are part of what makes assembly life feel like family.

Two Weeks in the Wilderness (Sort Of)

The real focus of these days, though, is Scott’s ministry on the Tabernacle.

Scott has spent a lot of time building a detailed model of the Tabernacle, along with several of its key items, and a large chart that lays out the camp, the courts, and the holy places. For the next two weeks (with a break on Monday and Saturday nights), he’ll be in O’Leary giving nightly ministry on what all of this points to in Scripture, and especially how it points to Christ.

The first afternoon session was well attended. Chairs filled up quickly, and the room settled into that quiet, attentive mood that tells you people are really listening. Scott walked us through the layout of the camp, the structure of the Tabernacle, and the order of approach to God. There’s something powerful about seeing it laid out visually; curtains, courts, veils, and all; while hearing how each piece foreshadows the Lord Jesus.

If you’re interested in the subject, the audio recordings (and, once I finish sorting them, some photos) are being posted here each night after I edit them:

https://olearygospelhall.ca/2025/11/16/the-teaching-of-the-tabernacle-with-scott-macleod/

It’s shaping up to be a rich couple of weeks. I’m already looking forward to the rest of the series, even if the introvert in me suspects I’ll be a bit socially burnt out by the end.

There were a few hours between the afternoon ministry and the evening Gospel meeting. I’d originally planned to stay at the hall alone, just me, the quiet building, and probably some editing work, but Thomas, one of the younger fellows, decided to stay too. So instead of silence, there were conversations: bits of small talk, a few more serious topics, and that easy kind of company where you don’t feel pressured to fill every pause. It was a good way to bridge the gap between meetings.

Stepping into the Gospel Again

That night, Scott and I were scheduled to share the Gospel meeting together.

I’ll be honest: I still get extremely nervous every time I speak publicly. I’m not a natural preacher. I don’t have the confidence or polish some men seem to carry so easily. I may have looked a bit calmer this time, but my watch kindly informed me that my heart rate had rocketed up as soon as I stood to speak.

Some things you just can’t hide from technology.

My message centred on the comfort that comes from being saved what it means to know you belong to Christ, and how that anchors you when life feels unsteady. That theme wasn’t accidental. The day before marked three years since Emily passed, and I was feeling the weight of that. Standing up to preach the Gospel with all of that running quietly in the background was not easy, but it did feel fitting.

The Lord has been my comfort in the darkest stretches of these last years; it only made sense to point others to that same comfort.

Scott followed with his own message and, as I was heading back to my seat, made a comment that stuck with me. He said something along the lines of:

“Well, you know what – that was a diamond in the rough.”

I’m not writing that to pat myself on the back. Far from it. But to hear those words from someone I respect, someone whose ministry has helped me a lot, meant more than I expected. The “in the rough” part still feels very true, but it was encouraging all the same.

If you’d like to listen to the meeting, the audio is available here:

https://olearygospelhall.ca/2025/11/17/2025-11-16-gospel-meeting-marc-macarthur-scott-macleod/

And if that link ever leads you to poke around the rest of the O’Leary site, there’s plenty of other good, and probably better, preaching posted there as well.

Looking Ahead

By the time the day ended, I was tired in that “good Sunday” sort of way. Full from the meal, full from the ministry, and full from the emotions of preaching the Gospel on a weekend that already carried a lot of personal weight.

This coming week will be busy: nightly Tabernacle meetings, editing audio, posting updates, and figuring out how to pace myself socially. But it also feels like one more reminder that the Lord knows exactly what we need, whether it’s deep teaching about His dwelling place in the wilderness, a stuffed horse named Baby Hiccup on a shoulder, or a timely word of encouragement after a shaky Gospel message.

He’s faithful in all of it.