Oxford Presbyterian Church

December 31, 2021

Good evening everyone.

At midnight, we all will say farewell to the year 2021 and welcome in the year 2022. For the most part, nothing much will change in my daily routine from today to tomorrow. But I will again be tempted by the making of resolutions and promises and vows in the hopes of becoming a better me. The New Year’s resolution habit has been around since Roman times, and thus the idea of a new year making possible a new person is deeply ingrained in us. But, truth be told, the reality is that we are who God has made us, “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life” (Ephesians 2:10). I am so much more than the aims of my resolutions and the lagging energy that I bring to try and accomplish them. We really have nothing to resolve but to believe and be who God made us in his Son Jesus Christ. Our own resolve and energy are so far less than the salvation that has been bestowed upon us in our Lord. In short, resolutions wear us out and fall short of the glory of God, whereas life in Christ lifts us up to live freely in love for one another and our neighbor and our enemy. May 2022 be a year where we truly believe the words of Jesus: “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

We have had a couple of members who have come down with COVID-19 (these infections being independent of one another). Their symptoms so far have been mild and they are currently isolating while recovering. Everyone who may have been in contact with them in church-related activities have already been notified. Let us continue to have loving vigilance with regards to masking and distancing when we gather together. Thanks.

Sunday is the Second Sunday of Christmas, and we invite you to participate in one or more of the following worship opportunities:

8:08 a.m. in the sanctuary with communion. If you want to come and remain in your automobile, you may park on Gilliam Street and turn your FM radio dial to 89.50 and you will be able to listen to the worship service.

11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary with communion. This service is also broadcast via Facebook Live if you are unable to join us. If you have a computer or tablet or smartphone with an internet connection, you should be able to receive the stream. You do not need to have a Facebook account to participate. Our stream appears on the church’s Facebook page which is here à  https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/. If you miss the broadcast, the service will remain on our Facebook page for the next several days.

3:00 p.m. our worship is also broadcast on WCBQ 1340 on the AM radio dial. The radio broadcast of our worship is an easy way to listen in and participate. If you know of someone in our community that does not do computers or finds them frustrating to use, please let them know of this alternative. Please note that as we have returned to in-person congregational worship, the radio broadcast of each service is aired the following Sunday.

The Sunday worship bulletin for those who are unable to join us will appear in your emailbox late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, complete with hymns and sermon so that you may have your own house-church worship. As always, you can listen to sermons through our website right here: https://oxfordpres.org/media/#sermons, and at The Oxford Exchange, found here: http://theoxfordexchange.blubrry.net/. Sermons are posted the Tuesday following the Sunday they were preached.

Our website, www.oxfordpres.org, has calendars, newsletters, the OPC WEEKLY, sermons, and even ways to give your offerings (right here: https://oxfordpres.org/give/).

We also have an offerings drop-box situated next to the door on the back side of the church at the top of the ramp if you want to drop off an offering. Or, you can mail offerings to Oxford Presbyterian Church, P.O. Box 652, Oxford, NC 27565. They will be collected and deposited.

Second Sunday of Christmas, January 2, 2022:

Scripture readings: Jeremiah 31:7-14 and John 1:1-18

Sermon title: Gladness for Sorrow

Liturgist: Vivian Oney

Thanks to Carolyn Steger, Judy and Lindsay Miller, and Kathy Webb for leading our music.

8:08 a.m. – Worship in sanctuary with shortrange broadcast on 89.50 FM

11:00 a.m. – Worship in sanctuary also broadcast via Facebook Live. The stream can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/

3:00 p.m. – Worship broadcast on WCBQ 1340 AM

Mission of the Month – Our January and February mission emphasis will be our annual blanket drive with Church World Service. More information on this critical ministry can be found here: https://cwsblankets.org/.

Announcements:

• 4^th – 7:00  p.m. – Choir meets in sanctuary
• 5^th – 10:30 a.m. – Book Club meets at Strong Arm Baking Company
• 5^th – 12:30 p.m. – Midweek Prayer in Sanctuary
• 6^th – 7:00  p.m. – Book Club meets at Tobacco Wood Brewing Company and via Zoom.

Book Club – Resumes meeting this week on Wednesday at Strong Arm Baking Company and Thursday at Tobacco Wood Brewing Company and via Zoom. Come join us as we will jump into a new book!

Midday Prayer – Resumes Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. in the sanctuary.

Prayers for: Frank Anderson, Becky and Isabella Baird, Betty Baynes, Michael Boyd, Cynthia Broaddrick, Earron Couch, Linda and Mike Diamond, Randy Downey, Julie Gaydon, Marlene Grenier, Millie Hartford, Heather Hightower, Randall Hightower, Hannah Hobgood, Cotina Jones, Barbara Laurent, Wiley Leonard, BK McCloud, Donnie Messer, Laura Messer, Jeanette Owen, Rufus Owen, Jason Parkin, Greg and Dottie Price, Mike Reavis, Kelly Ann Sterner, Lynn Stone, Melvin Weaver, and Alice Evans Woodlief.

Happy Birthday to: Peggy Phillips – 2^nd; Nikki Yancey – 3^rd; Robin MacDowell – 4^th; Gray Yancey – 5^th; Mike Diamond – 5^th

Remember to utilize our website! – www.oxfordpres.org.

Also, if you are on Facebook, please friend us here:

And if you are on Twitter, please follow us here:

¹² Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
¹³ For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
¹⁴ He grants peace within your borders;
he fills you with the finest of wheat.
¹⁵ He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
¹⁶ He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.
¹⁷ He hurls down hail like crumbs—
who can stand before his cold?
¹⁸ He sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
¹⁹ He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
²⁰ He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his ordinances.
Praise the Lord! (Psalms 147:12-20 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan