Thursday November 12^th,  2020
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
 
To Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
 
Dear Friends,
 
The Covid Committee of First Presbyterian Church, Champaign, met via Zoom on Wednesday November 4, 2020, to discuss the status of ongoing face to face worship in light of rising numbers of coronavirus cases locally and nationwide. The previous joint meeting between the Covid Committee and Session on October 26, 2020 resulted in a 7-4 vote to proceed with face to face worship for the first time since the statewide shut down in March 2020. A worship service was held Sunday November 1 with approximately 6 worshippers and another 6-7 clergy/staff/ushers.
 
As of Friday October 30, 2020, coronavirus cases were increasing such that the Governor of Illinois instituted Tier 1 Mitigation for Region 6, effective Monday November 2,2020. The mitigation measures included limiting the numbers in any group setting to 25 instead of 50, closing indoor service in bars and restaurants, with no service after 11 pm. In light of the rising number of coronavirus cases and these re-imposed more restrictive mitigation measures, the Covid committee met again to re-visit the wisdom of face to face worship. After prayer and discussion and review of the issues and the C-UPHD website, it was agreed by all that we would not hold face to face worship on November 8 nor November 15, and future dates for face to face worship would depend on the status of the pandemic locally and nationally, and that we would follow IDPH guidelines in terms of making decisions going forward as to when it will be safe to consider gathering for face to face worship in the future.
 
Making note that IDPH re-instituted more restrictive guidelines (Tier 1 mitigation) when the 7 day rolling positivity rate was 8% or more for 3 days in a row, we elected to use this metric as well to call off face to face worship. Noting that IDPH would remove the more restrictive mitigation measures when the positivity rate dropped below 6.5% for 3 days in a row, we agreed to resume face to face worship when our county positivity rates were in line with IDPH guidance for same.
 
We recognized that we could still meet for face to face worship even with Tier 1 mitigation measures in place (as long as there were fewer than 25 people total in the sanctuary), but out of an abundance of caution, we elected to recommend that no face to face worship be held when the positivity rate was greater than or equal to 8%. 
 
Recognizing that preventing spread of coronavirus infections requires a period of quarantine of 10-14 days, we elected to cancel face to face worship for 2 Sundays in a row when opting not to meet for face to face worship. After discussion, it was suggested that the Covid Committee make a recommendation to Session, with a motion to cancel face to face worship for Sunday November 8 and 15, and to continue to cancel face to face worship dates until the 7 day rolling positivity rate is less than or equal to 6.5% for 3 days in a row, in alignment with the IDPH and C-UPHD guidelines, which can be accessed at their respective web sites.
 
Respectfully submitted,
Ruth Craddock
 
News
 
SAVE THE DATE: Join me for a PCUSA Poetry Slam! Sunday, November 15^th. 
https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/presbyterian-writers-guild-sponsors-free-poetry-slam-jazz-concert-on-november-15/
 
* * *
 
Humor (Hard times really need godly laughter): 
 
DID NOAH FISH? A Sunday school teacher asked, ‘Johnny, do you think Noah did a lot of fishing when he was on the Ark?’
 
‘No,’ replied Johnny. ‘How could he, with just two worms.’
 
Good Word:
 
Matthew 25:14-30
¹⁴“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 
¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. 
¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. 
¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. 
¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 
²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ 
²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ 
²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. 
²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
(I’ll preach this tough text on Sunday.)
 
LET US PRAY: 
 
All you big things, bless the Lord. 
Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria, 
The Rift Valley and the Serengeti Plain, 
Fat baobabs and shady mango trees, 
All eucalyptus and tamarind trees, 
Bless the Lord. 
Praise and extol Him for ever and ever. 
 
All you tiny things, bless the Lord. 
Busy black ants and hopping fleas, 
Wriggling tadpoles and mosquito larvae, 
Flying locusts and water drops, 
Pollen dust and tsetse flies, 
Millet seeds and dried dagaa, 
Bless the Lord. 
Praise and extol Him for ever and ever. 
(An African Canticle, Traditional)
 
 
Much, much love to you all.
 
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church