February 6, 2021

As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. (Colossians 3:12-16 NRSV)

From time immemorial, politicians and governments have sought to underwrite their authority with heavenly endorsement. To ordain thyself with “chosen” status has always been political strategy in all places in every age. It gives permission to govern as one so desires. But in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, “chosen” status is understood as the permission to be faithful to the calling of Jesus Christ. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, thankfulness—these constitute the political order of the lordship of Jesus Christ and his kingdom. And as God’s chosen, you and I are exhorted to witness to his authority by these means. A world of brass-knuckles politics is always in need of being saved, and our beloved America is no exception. May we all be strengthened and encouraged to trust in the power of the way of our Lord.

Our live-streamed Sunday worship will once again be broadcast via Facebook Live. Worship begins at 10:00 a.m. 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. If you have prayer requests or announcements, please email them to me (opcpastor@ncrrbiz.com) or text them to me (919-323-7192) and they will be included in the worship.

In our livestream, communion will be included in the liturgy. You will need to furnish your own elements of bread and cup and then at the appointed time in the liturgy, partake in the elements you have. For the sake of continuity it is recommended that you have bread and wine (or grape juice). If you find yourself without those elements simply use a reasonable substitute. The liturgy for communion will also be sent out with the bulletin later today.

Please note, in certain web browsers sometimes our livestream does not appear due to bugs on the Facebook side (meaning they have to make repairs). So far, we have found Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari to be the most reliable browsers for our livestream (more than Microsoft Edge or Microsoft Internet Explorer). If our livestream does not appear on Sunday morning, try a different browser and see if that makes the difference. Thanks.

Our worship is also broadcast on WCBQ 1340 on the AM radio dial at 3 p.m. on Sundays, If you are not a computer hound, then 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.

As always, the Sunday worship bulletin 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. Worship is always critical, but especially at a time like this. Our faithful witness in this difficult time and world is nourished by lifting our hearts to the Lord. As always, you can listen to sermons through our website right here à https://oxfordpres.org/media/#sermons, and at The Oxford Exchange, found here à http://theoxfordexchange.blubrry.net/.

Hey kids! Another Faith 4 Five is on the way. The video will be posted Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. Continue to tune in every week and watch for five minutes of fun and learning about God’s love. The video can be viewed on the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/. You do not need to have a Facebook account to watch.

Our website, www.oxfordpres.org, has calendars, newsletters, the OPC WEEKLY, sermons, and even ways to give your offerings (right here à https://oxfordpres.org/give/). It is a great resource in times like these.

Oxford Presbyterian Church also has 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.

Here is our schedule for the week:

5^th Sunday after Epiphany, February 7, 2021:

Scripture readings: Isaiah 40:21-31 and Mark 1:29-39
Sermon title: “What I came out to do”
Thanks once again to Lindsay and Judy Miller and Kathy Webb for providing our music.

9:00 a.m. – Faith 4 Five video posted at https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/
10:00 a.m. – Worship 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 February mission emphasis is our annual blanket drive with Church World Service. These blankets are sent to populations and communities that have suffered natural disasters, and the need for them has not abated during our pandemic. Each blanket is $10. Just earmark your check to OPC and earmark it Blanket Drive. More information on this critical ministry can be found here: https://cwsblankets.org/.

Announcements:

• 10^th – 10:30 a.m. – Morning Scripture and Prayer (and coffee!) on our parking patio behind the church
• 11^th – 5:30 p.m. – Book Club meets via Zoom. We are discussing Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory

Our Book Club has reconvened and is reading Graham Greene’s The Power and the Glory, a story of a not-so-pious drunk priest during a difficult political era in Mexico. If you need a copy you can get it from the big behemoth here: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Glory-Penguin-Classics/dp/0143107550/ref=sr_1_1?crid=326WCX4Q3MLH6&dchild=1&keywords=the+power+and+the+glory+graham+greene&qid=1611239108&s=books&sprefix=the+power+and%2Caps%2C175&sr=1-1. If you are interested in joining us, please let Alan know so you can receive the link.

 Volunteer opportunity: ACIM (Area congregations in ministry) is in need of volunteers who can unpack boxes of food and place food items on shelves. Times to serve are Tuesday and Thursday at 6PM. Saturday mornings are also a possibility. If you would like to serve, please call ACIM at 919-690-0961.

Prayers for: Frank Anderson, Becky and Isabella Baird, Betty Baynes, Michael Boyd, Cynthia Broaddrick, Linda and Mike Diamond, Randy Downey, Julie Gaydon, Marlene Grenier, Fred Heath, Hannah Hobgood, Marie Hobgood, Terry Hobgood, Cotina Jones, Barbara Laurent, Donnie Messer, Ally Milton, Ade Omokunde, Sowande Omokunde, Jason Parkin, Greg and Dottie Price, Mike Reavis, Lynn Stone, and Alice Evans Woodlief.

Our dear friend and sister, Angie Arnold, lost her brother-in-law, David Reavis, to COVID this past week. Please be praying for David’s widow Deelane Reavis, Angie, and their whole family as they mourn his passing.

Happy Birthday to: Rett Jackson – 7^th; Adalyn Bowen – 8^th; Kellie Price – 10^th

¹ Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God;
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
³ He heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
⁴ He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.
⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.
⁶ The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
⁷ Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
⁸ He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He gives to the animals their food,
and to the young ravens when they cry.
¹⁰ His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
¹¹ but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love. (Psalms 147:1-11 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan

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