Oxford Presbyterian Church

November 14, 2020

The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. That person must manage his or her own household well, keeping his or her children submissive and respectful in every way— for if someone does not know how to manage one’s own household, how can that person take care of God’s church? He or she must not be a recent convert, or they may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he or she must be well thought of by outsiders, so that they may not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

Our Called Congregational Meeting for the election of elders for class of 2023 that began in worship last Sunday morning will conclude at the end of our service tomorrow. Our candidates standing for a first term are Margaret Harris and Kathy Webb, while Judy Miller is standing for a second term. Several of you have already voted via email (opcpastor@ncrrbiz.com) and by text (919-323-7192) and by telephone (919-693-6816). If you have not yet voted you may up until the beginning of the livestream at 10 a.m. tomorrow. Thank you.

Our live-streamed worship will be broadcast from the sanctuary 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.

Our worship is also being broadcast on WCBQ 1340 on the AM radio dial at 3 p.m. on Sundays, If you are not a computer hound, then 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.

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 always critical, but especially at a time like this. 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/.

Hey kids! The next posting of Faith 4 Five, the five-minute weekly video that is specially produced for you, will be tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. I encouraged each of you to tune in every week and watch. It is five minutes of fun! The video can be viewed on the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/. You do not need to have a Facebook account to watch.

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:

24th Sunday after Pentecost, November 15, 2020:

Scripture readings: 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

Sermon title: “God’s Time”

9:00 a.m. – Faith 4 Five video posted at https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/

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

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

Mission of the Month – Our November mission emphasis continues to be donations to Area Congregations in Mission (ACIM). Both monetary and food donations are welcome.

Announcements:

• 18^th – 10:30 a.m. – Morning Scripture and Prayer on our parking patio behind the church
• 19^th – 5:30 p.m. – Book Club discussion of Paper Angels by Jimmy Wayne via Zoom

On Wednesday mornings, we are gathering for a brief time to read scripture and to pray. If you would like to join your brothers and sisters, we ask that we each bring a chair if possible (if not you can use a folding chair from the church), that we observe our distance (6ft from each other), and that we mask. Please come and take the opportunity to safely fellowship, and to lift up one another and our world to God in prayer.

The book club is meeting Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. via Zoom. We are beginning a new book, Jimmy Wayne’s Paper Angels, a story inspired by his own experience of being gifted by an Angel Tree ministry. Please let Alan know if you are interested in joining the group.

The OPC Missions Committee will sponsor the traditional Angel Tree ministry this December. Because of restraints brought on by Covid-19, the process will be simplified greatly. Those wishing to may support this ministry which provides Christmas gifts and needed items to selected children and senior adults. To facilitate the Angel Tree this year, church family members are asked to make monetary donations through the regular tithes and offerings. Funds will be allocated to purchase Wal-Mart gift cards for the ”Angels.”  If you have questions, please contact Angie Arnold or Ellen Gould.

As customary, we will decorate the chancel with poinsettias for Christmas. If you would like to purchase one in memory or honor of a loved one, please let Carol Barnes know by December 10th. You can text her, call her, email her or leave a message in her box at the church. Her contact information is in the church directory.  The poinsettias will be purchased from Fishing Creek Nursery for $12.00 each. We want to support our small local businesses as much as we can. The flowers will be in church on 12/13 and 12/20. After those Sundays you can pick them up to take home for Christmas.

Volunteer opportunity: ACIM (Area Congregations in Ministry) is in need of volunteers who can unpack boxes of food and place food items on shelves. Times to serve are Tuesday and Thursday at 6PM. Saturday mornings are also a possibility. If you would like to serve, please call ACIM at 919-690-0961.

Happy Birthday to: William Yancey – 19th. Belated Happy Birthday to: Lynn Allred – 13th.

Prayers for: Frank Anderson, Becky and Isabella Baird, Betty Baynes, Michael Boyd, Cynthia Broaddrick, Ann Currin, Larry Delfs, Linda and Mike Diamond, Charlene Dickey, Randy Downey, Julie Gaydon, Marlene Grenier, Fred Heath, Hannah Hobgood, Marie Hobgood, Terry Hobgood, Cotina Jones, Barbara Laurent, Carlis Laws, Sherry West Lanham, Donnie Messer, Ally Milton, Will Newcomb, Jacob Parkin, Greg and Dottie Price, Mike Reavis, Lynn Stone, Kathy Webb, and Alice Evans Woodlief.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19 NRSV

All blessings in Christ,

Alan

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