Oxford Presbyterian Church

January 19, 2023

Good afternoon!

If you are still pondering your New Year’s resolutions, you may ask yourself why you would choose a particular goal or restriction. Where is your motivation found? What will inspire you to persist? Charles Wesley offers a profound and straightforward reason to resolve in his hymn:

 To serve the present age, My calling to fulfill;

O may it all my powers engage to do my Master’s will.

Our worship opportunities this Sunday are as follows:

 8:08 a.m. in the sanctuary with communion.

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:  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/).

Offerings are now being received by passing the plate at our in- person worship services. 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.

Third Sunday after Epiphany, January 22, 2023

Scripture readings: Isaiah 9:1-4 and Matthew 4:12-23

Sermon title: Getting Caught

Liturgist: Michelle Koeneke

7:30 a.m. – Take out breakfast served until 9:30 a.m.

8:08 a.m. – Worship in sanctuary with communion

9:45 a.m. – Bible Jeopardy! (Adult Sunday School) in the sanctuary

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

12:00 p.m. – Session Meeting and Retreat at church

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

Adult Sunday School – Sunday School continues with our study: Bible Jeopardy! We are studying the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles this year with the hopes of hearing God speak to us while having a lot of fun!

 Mission of the Month Following a years-long-tradition, the Mission of the Month for both January and February is the Blanket Ministry of Church World Service. CWS works to meet the needs of people in crisis around the globe. Among the resources offered are blankets that can be used to provide warmth, shade, privacy and can be used as a container as well. A donation of ten dollars provides a blanket that can meet so many needs of a Child of God. Checks should be made to Oxford Presbyterian Church with the word, “blankets” in the memo.

Announcements:

• 24^th – 7:00 p.m. – Choir Rehearsal in Choir Room
• 25^th – 10:30 a.m. – Book Club meets at The Hub on Main
• 25^th – 12:30 p.m. – Midweek Prayer in Sanctuary
• 26^th – 5:30 p.m. – Book Club meets at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. and via Zoom

Book Club – Will meet this week at their usual times and places. We are reading Soren Kierkegaard’s little classic Fear and Trembling, a fascinating study of the Akedah (the binding of Isaac by Abraham) and its implications for the life of faith.

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

Prayers for: Frank Anderson, the family of Becky Baird , Betty Baynes, Michael Boyd, Cynthia Broaddrick, Linda and Mike Diamond, Randy Downey and family, Julie Gaydon, Marlene Grenier, the Cheyna Haberer family, Millie Hartford, Boyce Harvey, Sylvia Hendrick, Randall Hightower, Hannah Hobgood, Cotina Jones, Franz Koeneke, BK McCloud, Donnie Messer, Laura Messer, Jeanette Owen, Rufus Owen,  Jason Parkin, Greg and Dottie Price, the family of Mike Reavis, Donald Rogers, the family of Betsy Sanders, Kelli Owen Smith, Lynn Stone, Ed Street, Keith Street, Melvin Weaver, Ed Webb, the family of Charles Franklin “Chuck” Wildman, Jr., Alice Evans Woodlief, and Merilyn Wright

Happy Birthday to: Cathy Yancey – 24^th, Lynn Currin – 25^th; Boyd Phillips – 25^th; Sharyl Shelton – 25^th; Tassiah Hester – 26^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:

¹ The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
² When evildoers assail me
to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
it is they who stumble and fall.
³ Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
yet I will be confident.
⁴ One thing have I asked of the LORD,
that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to inquire in his temple.
⁵ For he will hide me in his shelter
in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
⁶ And now my head shall be lifted up
above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
⁷ Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud;
be gracious to me and answer me!
⁸ You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
“Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
⁹ Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
O God of my salvation! (Psalms 27:1-9 NRSV)

Blessings in Christ,

Alan