Second Sunday in Lent, March 8, 2020

“Love Carved in Stone”

 Exodus 20:1-21 (NRSV) (The Message)

• 8:08 a.m. – Contemporary Worship
• 9:00 a.m. – Breakfast served
• 9:45 a.m. – Sunday School
• 11:00 a.m. – Traditional Worship
  • Liturgist – Carol Barnes
  • Ushers – June Howell and B.K. McCloud
  • Congregational Reception

Sunday, March 8th will be Presbyterian Women’s Sunday at OPC. Come and worship while celebrating and receiving the gifts of the women that God blesses our community with! And please stay for their reception following 11 a.m. worship.

Mission of the Month – Our monthly mission emphasis for March is the Children’s Hope Alliance. The Alliance is the ministry of the Barium Springs Home for Children and the Grandfather Home for Children, two residences that provide hope and healing for at-risk and hurting children and families.

Announcements:

• 10th – 7:00 p.m. – Choir Practice. New people always welcome!
• 11th
  • – 10:30 a.m. – The Real Witness: Paul: An Apostle’s Journey by Douglas Campbell at Uptown 101 Bistro
  • – No Midweek Prayer
  • – 5:30 p.m. – Potluck Supper followed by our Annual Lenten Bible Study—Soft Hearts in a Hard World: a Study of 1 Thessalonians
• 12th – 5:30 p.m. – The Real Witness: Paul: An Apostle’s Journey by Douglas Campbell at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co.
• 14th – 8:00 a.m. – Men’s Community Prayer Breakfast
• 15th – 6:00 p.m. – “Lord of the Dance” choir cantata at Butner Presbyterian Church

Our local book begins reading Paul: An Apostle’s Journey, a biography of the man who authored more than one-quarter of the New Testament and a key witness to Jesus Christ resurrected. Come join old friends and make new ones all while indulging your reading pleasure. Please let Alan know if you are interested in attending.

On Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. our Annual Lenten Bible Study continues. We will begin with a simple potluck supper followed by our class and discussion—Soft Hearts in a Hard World: A Study of 1 Thessalonians.

On Sunday, March 15th, there will be a Lenten season cantata, “Lord of the Dance,” performed by several local choirs including our wonderful OPC choir. The performance will be at Butner Presbyterian Church

Calling all kids to Sunday School! This winter and spring we will be learning the church’s oldest and simplest confession: The Apostles’ Creed. It promises to be fun and exciting and utterly true. Come at 9:45am this Sunday!

Prayers for: Becky and Isabella Baird, Michael Boyd, Ann Currin, Linda and Mike Diamond, Randy Downey, Julie Gaydon, Diane and Fred Heath, Hannah Hobgood, Sue Huggins, Barbara Laurent, Will Newcomb,  Greg and Kellie Price,  Kathy Webb

Happy Birthday to: Honesty Chavis – 9th; Becky Baird – 11th; Frances Tarry – 11th; Cynthia Yancey – 12th; Tristan McFee – 13th; Herb Morton – 13th; Terry Hobgood – 14th

As a community, we want to both vigilant and caring in our response to the Coronavirus 2019 outbreak that is currently happening around the globe. As a church, we naturally are a community that shows affection for one another, and handshakes and hugs are both normal and appropriate expressions of what we believe about the love of God. But now is a season when our affections for one another need to take on other forms of expression: restraint from touching and hygiene. For the sake of one another and ourselves we need to wash our hands more frequently, preferably with soap and water but alcohol-based sanitizer when soap and water are not available. We need to also be sure to cover our mouths when we cough and sneeze, and to immediately throw away Kleenexes and then wash our hands if we do cough and/or sneeze. If we feel sick, then we need to stay home. These and other recommendations can be read about on the Center for Disease Control’s webpage on the prevention and treatment of Coronavirus 2019. We also need to be looking out for one another, being sure to call and keep tabs on each other. Most assuredly, we need to be praying for the health and welfare of people around the world, especially those most vulnerable, as well as for doctors and nurses and researcher—everyone who is dedicated to tackle this public health head-on. In Jesus Christ, we have been given caring hearts, so let us continue to practice what we preach as we endure this microscopic menace.

“The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is pure,
enduring forever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
and drippings of the honeycomb.” (Psalm 19:7-10 NRSV)

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