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Outer Banks
Presbyterian Church
News & Notes
April 8, 2020
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In This Issue:
- Live Streaming Announcement
- Weekly Devotional
- Holy Week Services
- Assistance from Church
- Beach Food Pantry
- OBPC on Facebook
- Online Giving
- Anniversaries and Birthdays
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- Click the button above to go to the section of our website where worship services and concerts are posted.
- If you have a Smart TV, you may watch services via YouTube on your TV. Just search "Outer Banks Presbyterian Church" in the YouTube app.
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Live Streaming Announcement
Thank you to all those who have watched our worship services on the church’s website or its Facebook page the last three Sundays. We have had some technical problems and have determined that we need a new live streaming device, which has been purchased and is on its way to our church. Pastor Jody
especially
thanks Jason Evans for his extra effort in making sure that the Palm Sunday worship service was available for people to watch on the church's website.
We will be pre-recording services and posting them on our website until we get the new live streaming device. If you would like to watch any of our recent worship services, including the April 5
th
Palm Sunday service, you may now view it on the church’s website by
clicking here.
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Devotional From Rev. Dr. Jody Moore
Holy Week Reflections:
While we continue to struggle with the rising numbers of confirmed cases and deaths due to the COVID-19 virus, let us turn to the teachings of our faith about what Jesus endured for our sake. Holy Week began on Sunday April 5
th
with Palm Sunday. Holy Week was the most eventful week in the life of Jesus Christ during his time with us on this earth. What are some of the highlights of Holy Week? It began with Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem and involved his overturning the money changers' tables in the temple. Jesus taught some of his most important lessons during Holy Week, including his call for us to feed the hungry and provide a drink to the least of these our brothers and sisters from Matthew 25. During this week, Jesus held his Last Supper with the 12 disciples and the week culminated in his arrest by the Jewish authorities. Jesus was tried by the Jewish high court and then sent to Pilate, the Roman governor who had the authority to sentence Jesus to death. Jesus was mocked, spat upon, and beaten on his way to the cross. He died an agonizing death for our sake on Good Friday. Jesus descended to the place of death and was separated from his Heavenly Father. Then two days later on Easter Sunday, the most amazing thing happened: God resurrected his only Son from the grave. Jesus came to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary at the tomb and then appeared to his disciples. On Easter, we celebrate that Jesus lives and reigns eternally as the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. What an eventful and foundational week to our faith!
You are receiving this email on Wednesday, April 8
th
. I invite us in preparation for Easter, to read through the events of Holy Week together as a congregation for the next five days until Easter morning. During Lent, we have mostly been working our way through John’s Gospel in worship, so the Scripture passages that I have selected primarily come from John’s Gospel. If you aren’t able to read all of the suggested passages one day, don’t give up on reading these texts---you can always catch up the next day! Here are the Scripture readings I suggest for us to read as a congregation through the rest of Holy Week.
Suggested Scripture Readings for Holy Week 2020:
Wednesday April 8: John 14:1-15:17 and 16:16-33
—Jesus teaches his disciples about his kingdom, promises them the gift of the Holy Spirit, and offers to turn their sorrow into joy.
Maundy Thursday April 9: John 13:1-38 and Luke 22:14-30
—Jesus shares the Last Supper with his disciples, instructs his followers to continue the meal in Jesus’ name, and washes his disciples’ feet as an example of his sacrificial love.
Good Friday April 10: John 18:1-19:30
—Jesus is arrested and put on trial while Simon Peter denies him. Jesus is nailed to the cross in order to redeem us.
Saturday April 11: John 19:31-42
—Preparations are made for the burial of Jesus’ body.
Easter Sunday April 12: John 20:1-23
---Jesus has been raised from the dead! Hallelujah! He appears to Mary Magdalene and to the disciples. We rejoice that not even the grave could keep Jesus captive.
Worship Opportunities:
In addition to reading about the events of Holy Week, I hope that you will join us for our two virtual worship services. The Maundy Thursday service, which will also deal with many of the themes of Good Friday, will be available on our church’s website by 5:00 pm on Thursday April 9
th
. The Easter Sunday worship service will be available on our OBPC website on Easter morning, April 12
th
.
Prayer:
O Lord, we continue to pray for healing for all those with COVID-19 and pray that our efforts at social distancing will help limit its spread. We pray for all those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. As our attention turns to Holy Week, we thank you for your great love for us God. We have seen that love demonstrated in Jesus’ actions. He turned his face to Jerusalem even though he knew that suffering and death awaited him. He washed the feet of Judas and Peter even though they were going to betray or deny him in the next few hours. He forgave those who were crucifying him while he was hanging from the cross. We thank you for the redemption and new life that Christ offers to us. In his holy name, we pray, Amen.
Grace and Peace,
Jody Moore
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Upcoming Holy Week Worship Services at OBPC
We will have two worship services on our website this week for Holy Week. There will be a Maundy Thursday Service that will include a number of themes from Good Friday available on Thursday, April 9
th
, and an Easter worship service available the morning of Easter Sunday, April 12
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.
April 9: Maundy Thursday
:
The Service will be on the church website by 5:00 pm on April 9
th
.
The Sacrament of Holy Communion will be served. More details about virtual communion are included below. The service will focus on Jesus’ Seven Last Words (Phrases) that he spoke while he was on the cross. The seven final statements that Jesus made from the cross may be found in Luke 23:34, Luke 23:43, John 19:26-27, Matthew 27:46, John 19:28, John 19:29-30, and Luke 23:46. We will also read the Scripture lesson about the Last Supper from John 13:1-5 and 31-35.
April 12: Easter Sunday
: The Scripture lesson will be John 20:1-18. We will celebrate Jesus’ resurrection and decisive victory over sin, death, and the power of evil.
Maundy Thursday Virtual Communion on April 9th
:
In the midst of this pandemic, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has allowed congregations to celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion in its virtual worship services. We are planning to have the sacrament of communion during our worship service that will be available on our website on Thursday April 9
th
. Maundy Thursday is an important time for us to share in the sacrament of communion together because it is the day that Jesus shared his Last Supper with his disciples. At that meal, Jesus instituted the sacrament and instructed us to continue celebrating this special meal of Communion as a way to gather in Christ’s presence. During the Maundy Thursday worship service, our pastor, Rev. Dr. Jody Moore, will bless the elements in the sanctuary and you are able to participate in communion from your homes. Plan to prepare in advance a piece of bread and either some grape juice or wine for those watching from home. The Session has authorized this opportunity for us to participate in virtual communion as a visible reminder that Christ’s presence and love are with us even as we are not able to gather together as we normally do.
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Easter Weekend (April 11 & 12):
At the front door of our church will be our traditional wire cross that we have every Easter. Please drive by and help adorn our wire cross with flowers from your garden. Though we may not be together in person on Easter Sunday our cross will be a testament to new life and our Resurrected Lord.
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Assistance from Your Church Family
Two important resources to remember during this time are our Prayer Team and our Assistance Coordinator.
- If you have any request that you would like the prayer team to lift up, please share it with the prayer coordinators. Our prayer coordinators are: Jean Basnight and Rosalyn Pugh and you may share a request with them by phone at 252-480-1028 (Home) or 252-619- 7661 (Cell).
- Elder Barbara Nock is coordinating services and requests by members and friends who need any type of assistance. Twenty-two people have volunteered to help. If you or someone you know needs assistance with groceries, pharmacy pick-up, or anything else, please contact Barbara at 252-255-5979 or nocktwice@embarqmail.com.
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Help the Beach Food Pantry
Outer Banks Presbyterian Church has been supporting the Beach Food Pantry through donations and volunteers for many years. With many people in our community unemployed because of Covid-19, the Food Pantry is serving more people than ever--many people who have never needed their services before. The Session of OBPC has decided to make a $300 donation at this time and encourages those who are able and feel called to do so, to also make donations to the Food Pantry. The Food Pantry has said that the most useful donations at this time are monetary. You may make a donation by credit card online by
clicking here
. Or, you may mail a check to: Beach Food Pantry, PO Box 468, Kitty Hawk, NC 27949.
Volunteers are needed
. Our church is scheduled to work at the Food Pantry the week of April 27th. We have a group of volunteers who work at the Food Pantry whenever it is our week, but because many of them are in the high-risk group for Covid-19 only 7 of our regular volunteers are able to work the week of April 27th. We need 4 volunteers for each of the 5 days. The Food Pantry has put in place new procedures to reduce the risk of exposure for volunteers and clients. If you would like to volunteer, please contact our coordinator, Dot Landis by phone at 919-645-8064 or by email at
landisdorothy2@gmail.com
. Thank you for considering this important opportunity.
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Do you have a Facebook account? If so, we invite you to join OBPC on Facebook. Click on the button at the right. Some things you will find there include:
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- Information from Tom Carrico about the Adult Sunday School Class that is discussing Reza Aslan's book Beyond Fundamentalism: Confronting Religious Extremism in the Age of Globalization.
- Updates from Hollie Writtenberry about Children's Church.
- Comments from members of the congregation.
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Online Giving
There are two ways to give to the church during this temporary closure. You may mail pledges and donations to the office at PO Box 2199, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948. Or, you may give online. Just click on the button at the left to go to our website, then click the button on the home page and follow the directions for online donations.
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Anniversaries this Week
- Charles & Barbara Hardy, April 14
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Birthdays this Week
- Melanie Cahoon, April 13
- Claudette Forney, April 14
- Karen McIver, April 15
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Outer Banks Presbyterian Church
907 S. Croatan Highway, Milepost 8.5
PO Box 2199
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948
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During this time of irregular office hours,
you may reach Pastor Jody or administrative staff
by calling the office at 252-441-5897 and leaving a message or by sending an email to
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