12 Sep September / October 2017
OXFORD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH NEWSLETTER
The Pastor’s Pen
Nobody is quite sure where the word jubilee derives from. Some scholars believe it comes from a Hebrew word meaning “ram” as a ram’s horn was used as an instrument that made trumpet blasts. Other scholars believe it comes from a Latin word that means “shout for joy.” Whatever the origins of the word, in English translations of the Bible it refers to the following ordered event that God instructed to Moses on Mount Sinai to announce to the people Israel:
You shall count off seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the period of seven weeks of years gives forty-nine years. Then you shall have the trumpet sounded loud; on the tenth day of the seventh month – on the day of – atonement you shall have the trumpet sounded throughout all your land. And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and you shall proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you: you shall return, every one of you, to your property and every one of you to your family. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, or reap the after-growth, or harvest the unpruned vines. For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you: you shall eat only what the field itself produces. In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. (Leviticus 25:8-13)
As the above passage states, every fifty years a jubilee was proclaimed to everyone and was observed for a whole year. It is nearly impossible for us to imagine what it must have been like to be ordered to celebrate a Sabbath that lasted for 365 days—no one was to work, debts were to be forgiven, slaves were to be set free. It was as if a giant reset button was pushed by God and everyone from first to last in Israelite society began life again with a clean slate.
Our Lord Jesus most certainly had the above scripture in mind when he began his public ministry. The Leviticus passage twice instructed the people to return to their own property, and therefore Jesus “came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up” (Luke 4:16). It is clear that the Lord understood his own advent as a manifestation of the jubilee as he entered a synagogue on the Sabbath and read from the prophet Isaiah:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)
Jesus left us no doubt that the jubilee was underway when he sat down after reading and said, “Today this scripture has been ful?lled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). In short, Jesus was and is the jubilee. The clean slate for people envisaged in the Leviticus passage has come to fruition in the person of Jesus Christ.
This month, Oxford Presbyterian Church begins its 200th year of existence. Even those of us who are challenged by math can easily discern that we are entering our fourth fiftieth year. Can you say jubilee? Now to be sure, we are not called to celebrate like the Israelites were instructed to simply because another fifty years have gone by. Rather, we are called to celebrate because the gospel of Jesus Christ is of such magnitude that our response must be to have the trumpet sounded and to shout for joy! In our Lord’s life, death, and resurrection, the world’s sinful and wounded and needy slate (our very lives) have been wiped clean in God’s great act of judgment, mercy and forgiveness. We celebrate because the jubilee of Jesus Christ does not come and go but is permanent! Liberty has been proclaimed throughout the earth.
This year we will have numerous official events of celebration at our church, culminating with a gala 200th anniversary celebration the weekend of September 18th, 2018. But ask yourself how God might have you celebrate personally throughout the year. Are there acts of kindness and mercy you have imagined doing for others, but have never given yourself permission to actually do them? Is there someone you know informally for whom you could extend full-hearted friendship to? Are you aware of people who could use the familial affection of brothers and sisters in Christ? Is there someone you need to forgive or someone who needs your forgiveness? Have you ever considered that joy is the enduring gift of God and thus you are allowed to cultivate happiness?
Let us all jump into our jubilee with both feet, with all of our hearts and minds. Celebrating is God’s gracious command to you and me in light of the good news of Jesus Christ.
All blessings in Christ,
Alan
News from the Session
July
- Committtee reports were made by each Elder, with each sharing the progress of plans that have been pre-approved and works that have been carried out.
August Approvals
- From Christian Education: Slate of Sunday School teachers; Rally Day on Sept. 10; to begin Christian Book Club; year-long reading of Bible with study guide; email Sunday School curriculum from Adult Class to those interested; Advent Christmas program on Dec. 10.
- From Worship: Choir to perform special Christmas music on Dec. 17.
- From Nominating Committee: slate of Elder nominees for Class of 2020 – Jim Ingram, Paul Shelton and Judy Miller, with election by Called Congregational meeting on Sept. 17.
- From Congregational Care: baptism of Blake Hightower on August 27; annual church picnic—October 1; use of Fellowship Hall on Sept. 29 for bridesmaid luncheon.
Worship
Communion served on August 6 as scheduled and also to shut-ins by Alan. Communion will be served on Sept. 3 at both services.
by Lindsay Miller, chair
Missions
The June missions were successful with a total of $366.00 donated to Area Congregations in Ministry and Families Living Violence Free. There were some toiletry items that were contributed to ACIM.
The donations to the July mission for Backpack Buddies totaled $300.00. These contributions were sent to ACIM to purchase the needed supplies.
We received an early donation to the Church World Service Blankets Fund of $210.00.
Pennies for Hunger in July totaled $32.40 and in August—$37.65
The total August mission donations to World Vision—$45.00 and ACIM—$166.00.
Our September mission will be accepting donations to the Murdoch Center in Butner. They start an early collection of funds so they can make plans for providing Christmas gifts to the residents.
ACIM director, Sue Hinman, asked that the area churches each provide a toiletry item through the month and suggested for OPC—toilet tissue in packs of 4. After seeing how this project works out, she will let us know if a need is to be continued.
Six volunteers will be participating in the Feed the Hunger Pack-a–Thon on Sept. 16. If you wish to participate, please let Ellen Gould know by Sept. 6, so you can be registered.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Service is asking for donations to help with the flooding disaster in Texas. Please make your checks payable to OPC, memo—PDA or CWS.
In October, we will continue our annual mission of receiving donations to UNICEF.
Thank you for all your generosity in giving to our missions!
by Delores Johnson, committee chair
Music Notes
We had a big choir for Clement Yancey’s funeral, including visitors Elizabeth Watts, George Foster and Tara Roberson (from 8:08).
Music means so much at the important transitions of our lives, weddings and funerals.
As always, our choir goal is to show everyone the depths of our faith and to sing to the glory of God without thoughts of self getting in the way.
by Kathy Webb
Nominating Committee Report
The Nominating Committee met 3 times following the 11 o’clock worship hour on July 16, 23 and August 6. Following guidance through prayers, 3 nominees were selected to serve the Class of 2020—Jim Ingram, Paul Shelton and Judy Miller. An election will be held at a called congregational meeting on September 17. The installation will take place during November.
Presbyterian Women
The annual Fall Gathering for our Area 2 will be held at St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Louisburg on September 9. If any of you are interested in attending, please let me know ASAP as the registration is due on the 2nd. I’m sure they will accept names the first part of the week. Lunch will be served at $8.00 per plate if you choose to dine with them.
The OPC-PW Circle will begin their new year on Monday, September 18 at 10 a.m., meeting at the church. This is a new plan with the hope that those who have declined attending the meetings because of having to be out in the dark of night, will be able to attend. The Bible studies will be on the Book of Hebrews -”Cloud of Witnesses”. At each meeting, a volunteer will choose to teach the lesson for the following month. If at any time, a member chooses to host a meeting in their home at the morning hour, that invitation will be accepted. After the first meeting in September, the meeting times will return to the second Monday of each month.
If you have not attended a meeting or not in a long time, please come and join us!
by Delores Johnson, moderator
Please Remember In Your Prayers
Sue Huggins, Dottie Price, Pete Strother, John Newell, Linda Diamond, Fred Heath, Franz Koeneke, Julie Gaydon, Isabella Baird, Hannah Hobgood and others you may know.
Chandler Hobgood had surgery on August 27 for appendicitis, but is at home doing well.
Remember the college students who are back in school—Kellie Price, Mikael Koeneke, Benjamin Parham, and other young people who are starting out in new careers.
Condolences to:
Camilla Elliott and family, whose mother, Ann Boswood, passed away on August 13. Ann lived in Texas for the past 11 years, but she stayed faithful to her membership at OPC and love for the congregation.
Barbara Laurent and son, Julian, whose mother/grandmother, Ruth Kaufmann, passed away on August 19 in Germany.
Congratulations to:
Blake Hightower who was baptized at the 11:00 o’clock worship hour on August 27. Blake is the 7 year old son of Heather Hightower and Kenny McIlleny and grandson of Cathy and George Yancey.
Jessica Boyd Sharon and Elaine Whitfield Milton who are expecting their babies in September.
Sunday School
Rally Day on September 10 beginning at 9:45 in Fellowship Hall to kick off the new year! September begins the new year for Sunday School. The slate of teachers as approved by the Session are:
Adult Class
Lindsay Miller
Delores Johnson
Cathy Yancey
Walter Gould
Youth Class
Walter Gould
Young Marrieds
Alan Koeneke
Elementary Class
Ellen Gould
The Adult Class will continue using the Wired Word Curriculum
Flower Schedule
September
3—Communion
10—Cobb Huggins
17— Tom Parham
24—Miriam MacDowell
October
1—Communion
8—Jane Reeder
15—Retta Powell
22—Kathy Webb
29—Carol Barnes
If you wish to put flowers in the church, but haven’t chosen a time, please contact Carol Barnes as she is putting together a flower schedule for 2018.
To Remember
The Annual Church Picnic will be held on October 1st beginning at 4:30 p.m. at the church. Weather permitting, the tables will be on the grounds, but if unsuitable, the potluck dishes will be in the Fellowship Hall.
Buffet Breakfast served every Sunday morning following the 8:08 contemporary service. Everyone invited!
Men’s Group suppers and meetings will be held on September 6 and October 4.
The Men’s Annual Stew Sale will be held on Saturday, October 21. Be sure to get your orders in early by contacting Dudley Barnes or any of the Men’s Group members.