April 2020

Great is Thy Faithfulness Great is Thy Faithfulness...  in all times and places, we affirm these words.  In times of great change, we put our trust in the message of this cherished hymn and the truth of scripture:   The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.  (Lamentations 3:22-23)  After much prayerful discernment, the church office is currently closed due to the precautions in place for COVID-19. Our faith teaches us we are connected to one another beyond social distancing and safe physical boundaries. Please continue reaching out to any of our staff members through a phone call - 513.523.6364 or email.

A SPECIAL FEATURE FROM PASTOR LAWRENCE AND PASTOR MARC "Honestly hadn’t planned on giving up quite this much for Lent.” That was a recent tweet by theologian Andy Crouch on March 13th.  It’s a pretty funny joke (as tweets go), but like many great jokes there’s a kernel of truth underneath it.  This is not the Lent that we had imagined.  Over the past few weeks, we’ve been asking a lot of questions about this “new normal” in the time of Coronavirus.  How long will this last?  How long do we have to “quarantine?”  Where can I find toilet paper?  What’s going to happen with that family trip we had planned?  With that wedding?  With Easter?   Many of the questions seem to be variations of a deeper question underneath them all:  “What does this all mean?” We don’t think any of us can really know for sure what the answers to all of those questions are.  Life in the time of Coronavirus is a wilderness time.  The season of Lent, in many ways, is symbolic of the wilderness. As we move together through this forty day liturgical season, we are reminded of the forty days that Jesus spent in the wilderness.  During this time he was cut off.  Isolated from friends and family.  Limited access to food (if any).  Maybe even a little bit tempted by the devil. READ MORE

UPCOMING EVENTS Since things are changing daily, even hourly, for the latest information on upcoming ministry events, please check  The Church Calendar   oxfordpresbychurch.org/calendar/ Visit Our Facebook Page facebook.com/ OxfordPresbyterianChurch   Contact The Church Office.

FROM THE WORSHIP AND MUSIC TEAM In light of the fact that the Coronavirus epidemic shows no signs of abating, we will continue to live-stream our Sunday worship services as long as the current emergency persists.     This means that we will be observing Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday in very nontraditional ways.     Watch for future communications regarding special activities aimed at helping you with your personal and family worship practices during these holy days.      We plan to hold a traditional, celebratory Easter worship service later in the year when it is safe for us to gather to do so.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Greetings from CE Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Lenten Series is cancelled. If you have the Lenten Series book, “Beatitudes from the Back Side - A Different Take on What it Means to be Blessed”, we encourage you to continue reading it on your own.  This year’s Lenten devotional  Becoming a Beloved Community: A Matthew 25 journey to the cross is a great way to stay connected to this Lenten season at home. The devotionals can be picked up from the bench in the portico. We are still planning on hosting the 3rd Grade Bible Breakfast on Sunday, April 26 9:00AM. Any 4th or 5th grader who has not yet received their bible will also be invited to this event. The status of this event will be shared in early April with families.   Families with children ~ We are thinking of you during this time of seclusion! We invite each of our families with children who are Pre-K through 6th grade to pick up a Lenten lessons and activity book and a  Christ is Risen! lollipop located on the bench in the portico (located by the front glass entrance way).  Families with youth 7th-12th graders ~ We are thinking of you too! Check out the youth news shared in this newsletter.  Many thanks to Debbie DeGennaro for teaching the 3rd-5th grade Sunday school class in January and February and to Amy Bartel for teaching the first Sundays in March.   During this time of pause of our Sunday school program, we also want to take this opportunity to thank the teachers to teach every Sunday - Rhonda Krehbiel (Pre-K), Sarah Miller and Deb Sayers (K-2nd), and Prue Dana 6th-8th).  Our Christian educators dedicate a tremendous amount of time and energy to teachings and we will have an opportunity to recognize them during service in May.  Thinking and praying for everyone during this time. Jenn Walter

YOUTH NEWS Youth Group Online! Beginning Sunday, March 29th, Youth Group will be meeting digitally over Google Hangouts on Sunday nights at 6:30 P.M. for a time a of conversation, checking in, and discussion led by Elliott. If you would like to participate, please add your e-mail address to the Google Sign-Up sheet at https://tinyurl.com/OPCYouthGoupHangoutSignUP. If you don't have a Google account, please contact Pastor Marc, and he will work with you to get something set up for you to participate. We will continue to keep you updated over the coming days and weeks via e-mail and social media. Please take care of yourselves. Stay safe, and stay healthy! Pastor Marc

CCNS NEWS   We have great news to share! Priority enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year opened on February 2nd. We are very excited to announce that within the first 24 hours, Sarah had enough applications to fill both classes for the upcoming year.  The 2020-2021 school year will begin after Labor Day on September 8th. We will have 15 children in the Monday, Wednesday and Friday class and 13 children in the Tuesday and Thursday class. Sarah Lake has been upgrading our educational materials for the classroom- new STEM toys, classroom furniture, dollhouse, sensory bins and more.  Currently, the CCNS 2019- 2020 children are working hard to prepare for kindergarten and our preschool graduation. Everyone is invited to join the ceremony on May 18th at 6:00 p.m. Stay tuned for any changes due to the Cornavirus.  Thank you to everyone who continues to support our preschool! We are very excited to see what the future holds.  Sarah Lake

THE THREE HARDEST TASKS in the world are neither physical feats nor intellectual achievements, but moral acts: to return love for hate, to include the excluded, and to say, "I was wrong.”—Sydney J. Harris                                 Thanks to Sue Wilson for sharing.

CHURCH SERVICES AT THE KNOLLS The corona virus means Becky will not be showing OPC services at the Knolls, but she will be thinking of you all.  Take care. (Answer to the Question of the Month: S O N.  The sequence is the first letter of the months of the year. September, October November are the next in order.)

OXFORD PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN Tuesday Afternoon Circle Will not meet in April. Homework Assignments: Please review lessons 6 and 7 in the book Love Carved in Stone.  Lesson 6 is on the 7 th  Word- “You shall not commit adultery”. “The wound addressed by this Word is pain caused by superficial and exploitive relationships”. Lesson 7 is on the 8 th  Word- “You shall not steal”. “The wound addressed in this Word is taking the easy way to get what we want at the expense of others”. Please pray the Mizpah blessing we say at the end of each of our gatherings in your homes. “May the Lord watch between me and thee while we are absent one from the other”. Amen!                   Lynn Cronk Tuesday Evening Circle Will not meet in April.

RUMMAGE SALE Due to all of the uncertainties resulting from the virus shutdowns the springrummage sale has been canceled. This will reduce the OPW treasury and affect the OPW support of our worthy missions.   If you feel so moved please consider contributing directly to OPW in lieu of working at the now canceled rummage sale. You can write a check to OPW and send it to the church in care of our Treasurer, Debbie Davidson.   Thank You! Blessings, Sue Wilson and the Rummage Team

JAMIESON AWARD OPW is accepting applications for the annual Jamieson Award for high school seniors. Please contact Nancy Parkinson for more information. The required application is available on the church website:  http://oxfordpresbychurch.org/ . Please return application to Nancy Parkinson at  [email protected] by April 20, 2020 at 5:00pm.

CARES, CONCERNS, JOYS AND THANK YOUs IN OUR PRAYERS :  Keep these friends in your prayers : Betty Barnhart, Jim Baird, John Curry, Bob Douglass, Nancy Gates, Genee Hesse, Chris & Hank Krueger, Ruth Miller, Jan Reinhart, Becky Rudolph, Sarah Soika, Joan Teckman, Stacey Winn, John & Jean Woodruff.  JOY Leanne Staley and David Woods are engaged!!!  CONGRATULATIONS! MORE JOY WE ARE NEW GRANDPARENTS! Elias Steven Schilling was born to Ben & Amanda Schilling on Feb 27, 2020. They live in Colorado Springs but Ben grew up in the church. Thanks.  Sherry & Bill Schilling

SOME THOUGHTS ON GRATITUDE And Filling A Little Space (needed in the paper edition) Give yourself a gift of five minutes of contemplation in awe of everything you see around you. Go outside and turn your attention to the many miracles around you. This five-minute-a-day regimen of appreciation and gratitude will help you to focus your life in awe. Wayne Dyer Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions. The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more likely you will have even more to express gratitude for. Zig Ziglar Today, I choose to live with gratitude for the love that fills my heart, the peace that rests within my spirit, and the voice of hope that says all things are possible.”— Anonymous Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity...it makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.  Melody Beattie

MARCH SESSION MEETING Session did not meet in March due to COVID-19.  But we can still report some highlights. A general note for all . Over the last several months the use of our church facilities has increased by both the congregation as well as community organizations. The occurrence of finding the buildings unlocked has also increased.  For the safety and security of our staff, members, as well as physical facilities – it is imperative that every entity using either facility after office hours ensures that every door is securely locked upon exiting the building. Everyone utilizing the Memorial Church or Seminary Church is responsible for ensuring you are leaving the building safe and secure.

COMMITTEES OF SESSION Highlights   WORSHIP AND MUSIC The committee has carefully planned for Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday dinner and worship service and of course Easter Sunday, with flowers and an Easter egg hunt.  Sadly, it doesn’t look like we can all be together for these joyous events. STEWARDSHIP AND FINANCE Special prayers of thanks were made for Greg, Peggy and Alex Hughes as Alex’s neurosurgery at the Mayo Clinic was successful and he begins the healing process.  February Take Five:  Nick Fears has done an incredible job of taking on the Financial Secretary duties while we work to fill this position permanently. He has taken on this responsibility just in time to take care of the year end financial reporting, the giving statements, and setting up QuickBooks for 2020 on top of all of the other usual finance tasks - while still holding his regular full time position outside of this church – and clearing our sidewalks and all of the other volunteer tasks that Nick does for us. Thank you! March Take Five : Brent Bader and Greg Hughes have represented S&F on the Journey Outward Team. It was decided to dedicate $6,000 per year from the Brill account towards future mission trips to include both adults and youth. The Intergenerational Journey Outward Mission Fund (IJOM Fund) has been created for this funding. The Mission and Outreach and the Christian Education committees will oversee this fund. Additional contributions from the church family are joyfully accepted! MISSION AND OUTREACH Take Five: Prue gave an excellent presentation of Habitat, of the past,present and a possible future. Updated on Journey Outward Team’s focus, particularly on more youth participation. Matthew 25 Congregation discussion reflected active collaboration between Mission and Outreach and Called to Life leaders.  TRUSTEES   Chester of North Shore will replace the new Seminary back door and kitchen door as soon as they arrive, and will install the recently obtained railing in the Memorial corridor outside Pastor Marc’s office.

DEACONS Deacon Lenten Food Drive: Our traditional Lenten Food Drive  would have taken place  through Palm Sunday, April 5. The following items are needed and much appreciated: peanut butter, spaghetti, tuna and personal items customers are not able to purchase with SNAP benefits such as, body wash (no bar soap, please), shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, laundry detergent and toilet paper. Please consider dropping off items directly at the Food Pantry, 400 W. Withrow St.,hours: Monday and Thursday 5-7pm, Saturday 2-4. Monetary donations are welcome too.  Best idea: give a call before you go:    (513) 523-3851 Do you know someone who needs a Prayer Shawl? Shawls are given for comfort in times of illness or grief, as well as for celebration in times of joy. If you have a friend or relative to whom you would like to give a Prayer Shawl, please contact Cornelia Browne, 513-524-7716.

COOK, EAT AND READ Several years ago I compiled a book of  What To Do When The Grandchildren Come  of recipes coordinated with book selections.  I found my copy of the book and thought I would send in these recipes for our kids and parents of young children.  Lynn Cronk      Resurrection Buns Roll a piece of thawed bread dough until it is flat. Wrap each flattened ball around a large marshmallow, making sure to seal all openings. Dip the ball in melted butter, then in a cinnamon sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon). Place on a greased baking pan. Let rise until doubled. Bake at 375 for 18 to 20 minutes. (Place on tin foil to bake or grease the cookie sheet well). (Crescent rolls could be used- no need to let rise).   Bunny Rabbit Salad 1 pear for the head 2 triangles of cheese for ears 1 cherry for the nose 4 pieces of black licorice for whiskers Two raisins for the eyes. Read: Hopper Hops for Spring   or Peter Cottontail     Butterflies Cut celery stalk in to 4 inch pieces. Fill (Continued…on page 10) with peanut butter. Place a large twist-type pretzel on either side of celery to form butterfly wings. You may press peanut butter into pretzel. Use chowmein noodles for antennae. Add raisins to make eyes or body decorations. Read:   The Very Hungry Caterpillar     Easter Treats Raisins, chocolate chips, cheerios, a few jellybeans. Mix together and divide into cupcake liners. Use pastel m and m’s and pastel jellybeans.   Read:   In My Easter Bonnet

WE ARE CALLED! AND—MAY JOIN IN A RACIAL IMMERSION SEMINAR! OPC is now a Matthew 25 Congregation, with the following areas of focus: 1.   Eradicating systemic poverty. 2.   Dismantling structural racism. 3.   Building congregational vitality. Currently our primary focus is Eradicating Systemic Poverty. However, the issue of Dismantling Structural Racism is ever present in the world in which we live and relates directly to the issue of poverty. As part of OPC’s Journey Outward, those who are interested in learning more about racism through experiences may want to consider the following learning trip, titled HIGHER GROUND JOURNEY TO ALABAMA. This is a five day/four night journey, stopping at significant civil right locations in Birmingham, Montgomery, and Selma. The itinerary will include visits to locations such as Birmingham’s Civil Rights Institute and 16 th Church Baptist Church, Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge, and the National Voting Rights Museum and Institute. Also included will be Montgomery’s National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legency Museum. Participants will meet Caroline McKinstry, author and survivor of the bombing of the 16 th Baptist Church and view Mike Wiley’s production of Dar He; The Lynching of Emmett Till. READ MORE

MEL “DUTCH” AND JEAN DERICKSON, 2650 Oxford-Millville Rd. 523-8481, # 9

Mel and Jean were married by Edwin Fairman in the Seminary Church in 1952. They have been married 67 years. Mel grew up on a farm, working with his father managing a herd of dairy cattle. As such he was given a deferment during the early years of WWII. But by 1945 he was drafted into the service and sent to Oakland, California for basic training. After he finished basic training, he was given a leave to come home before being shipped out. The war with Japan ended while he was home visiting his parents. READ MORE

MISSION AND OUTREACH Spotlight on: Our Sister Church in Russia For a week in late February, Oxford Presbyterian Church was blessed by a visit with Bishop Igor Maksakov as a representative from our sister church in Zlatoust, Russia. During the 2019 Russia Mission Partnership journey, five members from Oxford Presbyterian Church learned of an outreach our sister church in Zlatoust has with those in their community who live with cognitive and developmental disabilities. We also learned that the churches around Chelyabinsk seek to faithfully respond in their region to the global challenge of drug & alcohol addiction.  READ MORE

Bishop Igor may have been speechless, but his smile says it all! Our relationship with our sister church is indeed a blessing.

Feature Heading The Rose Window SAFE! Photo by Pastor Marc

Oxford Presbyterian Church Staff web page:  www.oxfordpresbychurch.org Office Hours: 8:30-4:30, M-F Telephone: 513-523-6364 Fax: 513-523-8215 Seminary Building: 513-523-7411

Pastor: Lawrence Bartel Associate Pastor: Marc van Bulck Music Director: Kent Peterson Organist: Lynn Jacobs Pastor Emeritus: Dr. Joseph R. Hookey Parish Associate: Rev. Diane Ziegler Clerk: Julia R. Fisher Administrative Assistant:           Bridgite Dickerson:          [email protected] Financial Secretary: Nick Fears   [email protected] Youth Director: Currently Seeking Director/Teacher C.C.N.S.:  Sarah Lake:                                                          ccnsoxfordpreschool@gmail .com     Newsletter Editor:  Nancy Moeckel,     [email protected] Custodian: Priscilla Parks Sexton: Currently Seeking CLICK Here to see list of Elders, Deacons and Trustees

APRIL BIRTHDAYS 2         Chris Poetter 3         Austin Lake 3         Nathan Pacey 5         Deb Sayers 7         Pat Gifford 7         Steve James 7         Jane Kelly 8         John Woodruff 9         Mary Jane Brower 9         Emily Platt 9         Samuel Poetter 11       Branden Butterfield 11       Dick Nelson 11       Ginny Scott 12       Dick Keebler 12       Bo Stephenson 13       Nicholas Payne 15       Elizabeth Johnson 15       Jan Krebs 17       Thomas Payne 21       Alex Hughes 23       Jean Woodruff 24       Marietta Bowlby 24       Kathy Hardy 25       Ruth Miller 27       Richard Quay 28       Bill Scott 29       Jenny Hunter (Missionary) 29       Susan Maxfield 30       Rodger Cromer 30       Cora Murray APRIL ANTIVIRALS April 22 is the 50 th anniversary of Earth Day. I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by. Stock market news: Elevators rose Mining equipment hit rock bottom The market for raisins dried up Balloon prices were inflated Helium was up Never refuse homemade brownies. Count your blessings. Call your mother. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than standing in a garage makes you a car. Tattoos done while you wait. After his claims that he could "remember when rock was young", geologists havenow estimated Elton John to be over 4 billion years old . QUESTION OF THE MONTH What are the next three letters in this sequence?  J F M A M J J A _ _ _ Find the answer hidden somewhere in the newsletter.

We welcome your feedback on the newsletter. We CRAVE your feedback like Velma craves a lap. What is missing from the newsletter that you would like to see? Is there anything you like about it ? Let me know. [email protected] Now here is your bonus for reading this section. The wedding was so emotional that even the cake was in tiers.