Oxford Presbyterian Church

November 28, 2020

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. (Isaiah 60:1-3 NRSV)

Many of us are busy this weekend getting a tree and trimming it, while others are doing their online Christmas shopping for people they love, and others are busy making Christmas goodies to eat. These are the same activities we’ve done our whole lives this time of year. But we all know these activities are taking place amid extraordinary circumstances, circumstances that necessitate absence and cause alienation. This is a different year and it will be a different Christmas.

Advent is perhaps the most misunderstood season in the church calendar because it takes place amid the season of the secular Christmas rush. Advent is so often perceived as merely some sort of preface to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ on December 25^th.  Nothing could be further from the truth. Advent is the season when the church endeavors to see and empathize with a world exactly as it is—lost and in darkness. Advent is the season when we cry for the Lord’s return from heaven because this life has tired us out. “How long?” and “Marana-tha! (Come, Lord!)” have long been the prayers of the faithful during this time of year. And we have prayed them not only for ourselves but for a world in travail. The feelings we have all felt over the last several months of waiting and powerless to speed time up are what Advent honors. The sharp relief between the hopeful words of Isaiah above and a lost, hurting, wayward world is no accident. The glory of the Lord illuminates a dark world and gracefully shows how utterly needy it is.

At first blush this glory might be shaming or insulting or both. Isn’t neediness for losers? The temptation is to go through the motions during Advent while continuing to make sure that we ourselves are not losers—that we save ourselves by our hard work and by our piety and by amassing and trusting in a pile of security. But to pray as if everything depended upon God and then live as if everything depended upon us is simply a witness as to how clever and how complete the darkness is. The glory of the Lord which is Jesus Christ overcomes the world and its darkness. To deny the neediness is to deny the light. We need God, and Advent is here as a gift to help us confess the obvious.

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! There is a special Advent series of Faith 4 Five that is being produced for you. As always, the video will be posted tomorrow morning at 9:00 a.m. Continue to tune in every week and watch for five minutes of fun and learning about God’s love. 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:

The First Sunday of Advent, November 29, 2020:

Scripture readings: Isaiah 64:1-9 and Mark 13:24-37

Sermon title: “Hope? Hope for what?”

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. Our December offering 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:

• 2^nd – 10:30 a.m. – Morning Scripture and Prayer (and coffee!) on our parking patio behind the church
• 3^rd – 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.

Last Monday, November 23^rd, around 1:15 p.m., Savannah and David Barnes welcomed Jackson Waverly Barnes into the world, an arrival about five weeks early. Rumor has it that little Jackson wanted to know what the big deal about the year 2020 was, and so he decided to find out! Jackson weighed 5 lbs., 3 oz., and was 18 inches in length. There will be a rose visible in the Livestream on Sunday morning in honor of Jackson.

Thanks to the usual suspects that have decorated our church with greenery for the Advent season, and thanks to any new partners in blessing that joined them in their loving ways.

The OPC Missions Committee will again 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 the 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 10^th. 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, a local business that we are able to support. The flowers will be in church on December 13^th and December 20^th. After worship on the 20^th 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:  Zachary Camp – 2nd.

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, Donnie Messer, Ally Milton, Jacob Parkin, Greg and Dottie Price, Mike Reavis, Lynn Stone, Kathy Webb, and Alice Evans Woodlief.

Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (Psalms 80:3 NRSV)

All blessings in Christ,

Alan

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