In This Issue:
  • May 3 Worship Service
  • Virtual Communion
  • Weekly Devotional
  • Assistance from Church
  • Sympathy & Prayers
  • Managing Caregiver Stress
  • Missionary John Etheredge
  • OBPC on Facebook
  • Online Giving
  • Anniversaries and Birthdays
  • Click the button above to watch worship services live streamed on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. or watch any past services on demand.
May 3rd Worship Service

            The theme of the worship service will be how the Lord cares for us as the shepherd who tends to his flock’s every need. Jesus tells us that he is our Good Shepherd; he was willing to lay down his life for us as his sheep. Our Scripture passages will be John 10:1-15 and Psalm 23. We will also be celebrating the sacrament of Holy Communion virtually.

            The flowers for the May 3rd service are given by Rosalyn Pugh in memory of Charles Pugh and all the saints that have gone before him.
Virtual Communion on May 3rd

            In the midst of this pandemic, the Presbyterian Church (USA) has allowed congregations to celebrate the sacrament of Holy Communion in their virtual worship services. We are planning to have the Sacrament of Communion during our worship service that will be live streamed on Sunday May 3rd. At his Last Supper with his disciples, 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 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. 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. You are invited to participate in virtual Communion whether you participate in the live stream or end up watching the service at a later time.  
Devotional From Rev. Dr. Jody Moore

           One of my favorite Scripture passages is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7, where he turned the conventional wisdom of the world on its head. In that sermon, Jesus taught us to do some surprising things including loving our enemies and focusing on addressing our own shortcomings instead of judging others’ sins. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus also gave us the Beatitudes, which are unexpected blessings from God. Jesus taught that in times of sadness, grief, and suffering, we are actually being blessed by God. 

Scripture: Matthew 5:3, 4, 6, 7, and 10 :
  • Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
  • Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

Some New Beatitudes : Written by Bishop Steven Charleston
  • Blessed are those with COVID-19, for they are the focus of all our prayers. 
  • Blessed are their families, for they carry a heavy burden.
  • Blessed are the doctors who treat them, for they are making critical decisions.
  • Blessed are the nurses, for they have enormous courage. 
  • Blessed are the hospital staff, for they work around the clock.
  • Blessed are the medical researchers, for they shall find a vaccine.
  • Blessed are the delivery drivers, for they are heroes of this struggle.
  • Blessed are people from the Asian community, for they face persecution.
  • Blessed are the supply chain workers, for they keep the nation alive. 
  • Blessed are those who have lost their jobs, for they are paying a terrible price.

Jody’s Reflections :
             This week, I was moved to hear the story of an emergency room doctor who had been caring for COVID-19 patients in New York. She contracted the virus through her work at the hospital. After she had recovered from the virus, this doctor still was battling emotional scars from all that she had seen and ended up taking her own life. I was deeply saddened hearing her story, which led me to reflect on the physical, emotional, and spiritual toll that this virus has taken on so many. How can we be a blessing to those who are carrying a heavy burden? What would it look like for us as individuals, as a community, and as a nation to seek to be a blessing to all of the groups that Bishop Charleston has included above? How can we be a source of encouragement, offering God’s blessings to one another in these challenging times? The answer is different for each of us, but the truth is that we can all be part of the solution. 
           I have hope because the same Lord we worship is the same one who came to earth to redeem us and share God’s grace with us. Jesus willingly suffered and was persecuted for our redemption. He gave his life so that we might experience the blessings of God’s love and forgiveness. So may we always remember that the Messiah who suffered for our sake offers us his abundant blessings. 
             The Beatitudes tell us that in those moments when we feel most alone, that God is right there by our side, helping to carry us, like the one set of footprints in the sand in that famous poem. When we are weak, God is strong. Saint Augustine has said, “God is more anxious to bestow God’s blessings upon us than we are to receive them.”  May we be receptive to receiving God’s rich blessings with open arms and may our words and actions be a reflection of God's blessings for all. Thanks be to God for the unexpected blessings we experience when we recognize that we are poor in spirit and are dependent on the Lord day by day. 

Prayer :
           Christ, we thank you for bestowing your many blessings upon us. We pray for your blessings on all who have been impacted by the COVID-19 virus. We pray for those who mourn; may they know the comfort of your abiding presence. We pray for those who hunger and thirst for righteousness; may they be filled with goodness. We pray for the peacemakers; may they be recognized as your children and not become disillusioned in our war-weary world. We rejoice this day and give thanks for the many blessings of this life and for the gift of heaven, which is ours through Christ. Amen.  
 
Grace and peace,
 
Jody Moore 
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-four 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.
Sympathy & Prayers

We had two deaths of church members on Wednesday, April 22nd: Howard Miller and Judy Dempsey. Then, shortly before sending out the E-news, we received word that Marge Bennett passed away today. Please keep the families of all three of these members of our congregation in your prayers.

Marge Bennett
Marge was living near her daughter in Pennsylvania and had suffered a stroke recently. We will have more information about Marge in the next E-news.

Judy Dempsey
Judy Dempsey was living in Arizona with her daughter. Her death was fairly sudden--she had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday and the family was expecting her to recover. Judy was very involved at our church: she was a member of the choir for many years, tended to the Bible Garden, and was one of our church's Stephen Ministers. Judy's family also wants to have some kind of service here on the Outer Banks once things open up this summer and hope to place Judy's ashes in our Bible garden.

Howard Miller
Howard Miller died after a recent bout with bladder cancer. He had moved to South Carolina about a year ago to live closer to his son Scott. Howard served as an elder on the OBPC Session. The family would like to have a Service of Witness to the Resurrection for Howard here on the Outer Banks after things open back up---maybe in late June or early July.  Click here to read Howard's obituary.
Managing Caregiver Stress During Isolation

The Albemarle Commission Area Agency on Aging’s Family Caregiver Support Program is excited to offer a FREE web-based workshop for caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed and stressed while caring for their loved ones during COVID-19. The webinar is scheduled for Friday, May 1, 2020, from 1-2 pm.

This webinar will reinforce that even though many things are beyond our control, we can still control our thoughts and emotions. Guest Speaker Heather Brewer, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Author, will provide ideas for coping skills and activities that may help us to manage our day to day routine as we seek to find a new normal. This will be a live, interactive webinar with time for questions and answers!

OBPC Supports Missionary John Etheredge

At it's February 2020 meeting, the Session of OBPC agreed to designate its annual $1,200 of missionary support to  John Etheredge, an elder from Rocky Mount who is currently in Ghana. Click here to see a photo of John and a brief description of his mission.

In an April letter from John, he writes: What a blessing it is to be able to communicate with you from Ghana. I have been here for five months and have had so many wonderful experiences. I thought I was coming to help people and found that I am the one being helped! They have shown me how to improve my prayer life, and they have shown me another way to approach God. The people here are so accommodating. They want to please me and see that I am comfortable. Children I don’t even know will come to me and ask to carry my backpack. This is what the children are taught to do at an early age. They are taught to respect anyone older than they are. To read the rest of John's letter click here .
Do you have a Facebook account? If so, we invite you to join OBPC on Facebook. Just Click on the button at the left, log on to your Facebook account, and select "join" on the OBPC group page. Some things you will find there include:
  • 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.
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 Give Now button 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
Chris & Kim Braswell, May 6
Lyman & Kim Futrell, May 6

Birthdays this Week
Jack Abernethy, May 1
Tom Carrico, May 1

Outer Banks Presbyterian Church
907 S. Croatan Highway, Milepost 8.5
PO Box 2199
Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948

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