Oxford Presbyterian Church

June 19, 2020

Dear sisters and brothers,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:3-7 NRSV)

For two-thousand years, the above words of the Apostle Peter have been encouragement for the faithful during times of difficulty, whether personal or communal. Like gold is tested by fire to assure its genuineness, so too is faith tested by life’s circumstances to see if it truly rests upon the living hope of Jesus Christ resurrected. Testing is never a happy occasion, but it is nevertheless the occasion when we are able to honestly ask, “How am I at believing this message? How am I at trusting this God instead of other gods?” Some of the most remarkable growth and transformation takes place in our lives both personally and collectively when life is not easy and when we are under pressure. And our current pandemic and social unrest are providing plenty of pressure. Peter wanted his readers (and us as well) to live lives characterized by hope instead of lives characterized by fear. After all, they had nothing to be afraid of—Jesus Christ lives and an imperishable inheritance awaited them. Thus, Peter’s readers were free to truly be faithful to the calling their Lord had given them. And you and I are free as well. Let us ask ourselves amid our current testing if we are trusting in that freedom.

Our church building remains closed, but the church is forever open. Our worship and our ministry with one another and in our community never stop. They just have taken on different forms. But the love of God remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. If you have needs or concerns about anything, please share them with me or with your elders. We continue to lift you all up in prayer and we are here to share your burdens.

Continue to pray for the work of our Committee on Reopening. They hold you all in their hearts as they discern what our Lord would have us to do under our current circumstances. So far they have advised that we maintain our status quo regarding our building and our not publicly gathering as that is “what has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” Rest assured they continue to seek the Spirit’s wisdom and guidance in leading us.

Once again, our live-streamed worship will be broadcast from our sanctuary on Sunday 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.

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 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:

The Third Sunday after Pentecost, June 21, 2020:

Scripture readings: Genesis 21:1-21; Romans 6:1-11

Sermon Title: “Under Grace”

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. ACIM is currently in need of soup, pasta and sauce, macaroni and cheese, canned fruit and canned peas. We have a bin at the top of the ramp behind the church should you desire to donate any of those items at this time, and we will make sure they get to ACIM.

Announcements:

June 24th – 6:30 p.m. – Session Meets via Zoom
June 28th – 5:30 p.m. – Book Club discussion of Paul: An Apostle’s Journey via Zoom

We are continuing 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:

Louise Simpson – June 22nd; Cindy Deporter – June 24th; Greg Price – June 26th; Marion Clement – June 26th; Angie Arnold – June 27th.

I will praise the name of God with a song;

I will magnify him with thanksgiving.

This will please the Lord more than an ox

or a bull with horns and hoofs.

Let the oppressed see it and be glad;

you who seek God, let your hearts revive.

For the Lord hears the needy,

and does not despise his own that are in bonds.

Let heaven and earth praise him,

the seas and everything that moves in them.

For God will save Zion

and rebuild the cities of Judah;

and his servants shall live there and possess it;

the children of his servants shall inherit it,

and those who love his name shall live in it. (Psalms 69:30-36 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan

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