Oxford Presbyterian Church

May 29, 2020

Dear sisters and brothers,

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts 2:1-4 NRSV)

One of the central outcomes of the pouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost is the people of God’s ability to communicate and interpret and transcend difference. Jerusalem was filled with people of various ethnic and social backgrounds, and the apostles were equipped by the Holy Spirit with the ability to meet these people where they were at, speaking their languages while imparting the good news of Jesus Christ. A diverse people unified by the one Spirit of Jesus Christ is what God’s people have been since day one. And it is this gifting of that Spirit on Pentecost that has enabled this message of good news to go to every corner of the globe to all different sorts of people.

The ability to communicate and interpret difference is critical for us at all times in order for us to be faithful to Jesus Christ, but especially now. There is no cultural or political or economic perch we can sit upon and then truly and effectively make sense of the events we see happening in our world, particularly those of Minneapolis, a place of considerable meaning for my family. The frustrations of the people there (and elsewhere) cannot be made sense of solely through a lens of law and order or through politics the way our culture practices it. The true interpreter of people and events in all places at all times is Jesus Christ, and it is his Holy Spirit alone that enables me to empathize and understand and respond faithfully in a manner consistent with his person.

It would be easy for me to shrug my shoulders and shake my head and move on and forget the suffering and the tragedy present now in the Twin Cities, but then I would be living as if Pentecost never happened. Jesus Christ does not reign in heaven aloof from suffering and injustice. Rather, he has sent his Holy Spirit precisely to the places he is needed. It would be easy for me to see riots and looting as nothing more than short-sighted insults to property rights, but that same Spirit that came down long ago in Jerusalem just might interpret the language of the riots and looting as loud cries for a better world—one where human dignity given by God is recognized and practiced, from those in authority to the populations they oversee. In the calling to be faithful to the one Peter announced as “Lord” on that first Pentecost, may we empathize faithfully with those suffering in Minneapolis and elsewhere so that we may act and communicate faithfully in Oxford.

The work of our ad hoc Committee for Reopening the Church continues on our behalf. They have crafted a letter that I have attached to this email. Please read the letter! It is filled with wisdom and encouragement and lets us know some of the challenges that we are in the midst of confronting in coming back together to worship. Please continue to pray for their work. Thank you.

As Presbyterians, the word “elders” is often understood as “the people who head committees at the church,” which is not untrue. But the word actually refers to those who are entrusted with the Spiritual health and guidance of a congregation. They are shepherds of the flock. And our elders are always exercising their call. If you have need, seen or unseen, let them know so that your burden can be shared by the people you belong to.

Live-streamed worship will again be broadcast 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. Be sure to tune in this Sunday for something a little different!

Look for our Sunday worship bulletin in your mailbox late Saturday evening or early Sunday morning, complete with hymns and sermon so that you may have your own house-church worship. The important thing for all of us these days is not how we are worshiping but rather the fact that we are worshiping. God gift us whenever and wherever we meet with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 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:

Day of Pentecost, May 31, 2020:

Scripture reading:  John 5:1-21

Sermon Title:“The Spirit Is the Truth”

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 emphasis for May is Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. The offerings are used for communities both near and far that have suffered natural disasters. Some of these funds are already being used to help marginalized communities that have been hard hit by COVID-19 outbreak. Online gifts can be made here à https://pma.pcusa.org/donate/make-a-gift/gift-info/DR000148/. Our monthly mission emphasis for June will be the local ministries of Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM) and Families Living Violence Free (FLVF). We will have more information for you on these ministries when June arrives.

Announcements:

• June 4th – 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: Paul Reeder – June 5th; Trey Yancey – June 6th.

O Lord, how manifold are your works!

In wisdom you have made them all;

the earth is full of your creatures.

Yonder is the sea, great and wide,

creeping things innumerable are there,

living things both small and great.

There go the ships,

and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.

These all look to you

to give them their food in due season;

when you give to them, they gather it up;

when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.

When you hide your face, they are dismayed;

when you take away their breath, they die

and return to their dust.

When you send forth your spirit, they are created;

and you renew the face of the ground.

May the glory of the Lord endure forever;

may the Lord rejoice in his works—

who looks on the earth and it trembles,

who touches the mountains and they smoke.

I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;

I will sing praise to my God while I have being.

May my meditation be pleasing to him,

for I rejoice in the Lord. (Psalms 104:24-34 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan

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