Oxford Presbyterian Church

June 12, 2020

Dear sisters and brothers,

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” No, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:9-21 NRSV)

During a difficult time for Christians in Rome during the first century, Paul wrote a letter to the church there for the sake of encouraging them in their faith. The apostle had never met the congregation, but he still made the effort to exhort the people in the living out of what they believed. They were residents of the most important city on earth economically and politically, and Paul urged them to conduct that was consistent with the good news of Jesus Christ so their witness would be true. His catalog of exhortations listed above are ones that we ourselves are also called to lay hold of during our difficult times. The world needs to know there is a different power at work in it at all times, and our way of living is the evidence of that power—the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Continue to let me or any of our elders know of any needs you have. We are committed to sharing whatever burdens you may have, whether seen or unseen.

Continue to pray for the work of our Committee on Reopening. Rest assured they will have us prepared to safely congregate when the opportunity presents itself.

Our live-streamed worship will again be broadcast from our sanctuary on Sunday via Facebook Live. Our service 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.

Our Sunday worship bulletin will appear in your email box late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, complete with hymns and sermon so that you may have your own house-church worship. Worship is critical at this time. 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/.

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:

Trinity Sunday, June 14, 2020:

Scripture readings: Genesis 18:1-15; Romans 5:1-11

Sermon Title: “Much. More. Surely.”

10:00 a.m. – Worship via Facebook Live. The stream can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/

Mission of the Month – Our monthly mission emphases for June are Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM), which assists local families with food and other necessities, and Families Living Violence Free (FLVF), which works for lasting prevention of violence within the home. Donations can be made anytime during the month.

Announcements:

• June 18th – 5:30 p.m. – Book Club discussion of Paul: An Apostle’s Journey via Zoom

We have resumed our local book club via the easy-to-use (for the most part!) teleconferencing technology of Zoom. We are reading Douglas Campbell’s short and readable biography of one of the key witnesses in the New Testament, Paul: An Apostle’s Journey. If you wish to join us, please let Alan know.

Prayers for: Becky and Isabella Baird, Betty Baynes, Michael Boyd, Ann Currin, Larry Delfs, Linda and Mike Diamond, Randy Downey, Julie Gaydon, Diane and Fred Heath, Hannah Hobgood, Sue Huggins, Cotina Jones, Barbara Laurent, Carlis Laws, Will Newcomb, Greg and Dottie Price, Lynn Stone, Kathy Webb; Allison Evans Woodlief

Happy Birthday to: Kathy Webb – June 14th; Barbara Laurent – June 20th.

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my supplications.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
The snares of death encompassed me;
the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, I pray, save my life!”
Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
our God is merciful.
The Lord protects the simple;
when I was brought low, he saved me.
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. (Psalms 116:1-7 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan

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