Oxford Presbyterian Church

November 27, 2021

Good morning, everyone. A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of the year for the church calendar with the First Sunday of Advent. We invite you to participate in one or more of the following worship opportunities:

At 8:08 a.m. on Sundays, we have our early worship service that now meets in the sanctuary. If you want to come and remain in your automobile, you may park on Gilliam Street and turn your FM radio dial to 89.50 and you will be able to listen to the worship service.

At 11:00 a.m. we gather together in our sanctuary for our Service for the Lord’s Day.

 Our 11:00 a.m. service is also be broadcast via Facebook Live if you are unable to join us. 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.

At 3:00 p.m., our worship is also broadcast on WCBQ 1340 on the AM radio dial. 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. Please note that as we have returned to in-person congregational worship, the radio broadcast of each service is aired the following Sunday.

The Sunday worship bulletin for those who are unable to join us 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. 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/. Sermons are posted the Tuesday following the Sunday they were preached.

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/).

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.

First Sunday of Advent, November 28, 2021:

Scripture reading: Luke 21:25-36

Sermon title: “Beginning at the End”

Liturgist: Earron Couch

Thanks to Carolyn Steger, Walter and Ellen Gould, and Kathy Webb for leading our music.

7:00 a.m. – Faith 4 Five available for viewing on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Oxford-Presbyterian-Church-152011345379561/

8:08 a.m. – Worship in sanctuary with shortrange broadcast on 89.50 FM

11:00 a.m. – Worship in sanctuary also broadcast 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 – This month, our mission emphasis is the collection of donations and foodstuffs for Area Congregations in Ministry (ACIM). Our December mission emphasis will be the annual Christmas Joy Offering that supports retired Presbyterian ministers here and current Presbyterian ministers abroad. For more information go here à https://specialofferings.pcusa.org/offering/christmas-joy/.

Announcements:

• 30^th – 7:00  p.m. – Choir meets in Sanctuary
• 1^st – 10:30  a.m. – Book club meets at Strong Arm Baking Company to discuss The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford
• 1^st – 12:30  p.m. – Midday Prayer meets in the sanctuary
• 2^nd – 5:30  p.m. – Book club meets at Tobacco Wood Brewing Co. and via Zoom to discuss The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford

Hey Kids! Advent is here! Don’t you want to know “Who is on the way?” There is an Advent Activity Packet made just for you. You can learn about some symbols of Advent and have a little fun along the way. Some activities are on paper and some will show up each Sunday morning on Facebook Live’s Faith 4 Five! Request your Advent Activity Packet by calling or emailing Ellen Gould. Copies will also be available for pick up at the church. Activities are appropriate for school-age kids and all former kids. Don’t miss out on the Advent fun!

Book Club – Resumes meeting Wednesday and Thursday at our normal times and places. We are reading The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford. This is the story of how a debt-ridden Charles Dickens wrote a little novella for Christmas one year in hopes of making a little money, only to discover that no one wanted to publish it! Scrooges and sentimentalist alike are both invited to join us.

Midday Prayer – Resumes meeting this week in the Sanctuary.

Congregational meeting – We will have a meeting that will run through both worship services for the sake of electing our elders for the class of 2024. Cathy Yancey will be standing for election. Nominations from the floor are also permitted, but please let someone know ahead of time if you are going to be nominating them!

Poinsettias – Poinsettias will once again grace our chancel on December 12^th and 19^th. If you would like to purchase one or more in memory or honor of a loved one, please complete the green insert in your bulletin and return it to Carol Barnes with check payable to Carol on or before December 5^th. The poinsettias cost $12 each.

Prayers for: Frank Anderson, Becky and Isabella Baird, Betty Baynes, Michael Boyd, Cynthia Broaddrick, Linda and Mike Diamond, Randy Downey, Julie Gaydon, Marlene Grenier, Hannah Hobgood, Cotina Jones, Barbara Laurent, Wiley Leonard, BK McCloud, Donnie Messer, Laura Messer, Jeanette Owen, Jason Parkin, Greg and Dottie Price, Mike Reavis, Kelly Ann Sterner, Lynn Stone, Melvin Weaver, and Alice Evans Woodlief.

Happy Birthday to: Zachary Downey-Camp – 2^nd

Remember to utilize our website! – www.oxfordpres.org.

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¹ To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
² O my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be put to shame;
do not let my enemies exult over me.
³ Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
⁴ Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long.
⁶ Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!
⁸ Good and upright is the Lord;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
⁹ He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
¹⁰ All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. (Psalms 25 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan