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News
 
Our Annual Meeting is THIS Sunday February 14^th at 10 AM. Join us for a quick report. We’ll also vote on the pastors’ terms of call. Thanks for joining us. Visit https://firstpres.church/meeting for more information and the link. 
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Hard copies of the Annual Report will be available in the plastic holders on the wall just outside the alley entry of the Education Building on Friday. If you want a hard copy, you will find hard copies there. Also, PDF copies will be available on our website later today.

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Join us tonight at 7 PM for our mid-week gathering.  Tonight’s theme is Missions.
Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.

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ESL “Café” is this Thursday, February 11, at 10 AM. It helps our immigrants to have conversation partners, so join us for a conversation. Our director, Jeanette Pyne, will lead us and, last time, she had a funny game we played. This would be a great time for you to get to know some of our students and tutors. If you’ve ever wondered what the ESL program is like, this is a great place to find out. We will be split into small groups so that we can talk with each other. Bring your favorite hot drink and a snack to our Zoom Café Time.
 
Email esl@firstpres.church for the link.
 
If you have any questions, please email the ESL Director, Jeanette Pyne, at jeanette@firstpres.church.
 
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Everyone is welcomed to a “drive-by” imposition of ashes from noon to 1:00 p.m. on Ash Wednesday, February 17^th. Those who feel safe driving through the alley will receive ashes imposed upon their foreheads leaned through open car windows. Matt will be double-masked and will sanitize a gloved hand between congregants. While everyone is warmly invited to drive by, if you are at-risk or otherwise feel unsafe, please stay at home. Come at your own risk. We’ll be as safe as is humanly possible. Why ashes? They remind us who and whose we are. We will gather for a live Zoom service that evening at 7 p.m. led by Eric Corbin.
 
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In-person Worship begins on February 21^st at 10:15.  After careful discussion and prayerful deliberation, the COVID-19 team and the Session have recommended that we resume limited in-person weekly worship on the First Sunday of Lent, February 21^st at 10:15 a.m.  
 
For those of you who feel safe to attend, please pre-register by calling the church office at 217.356.7238. Registration will run from Monday morning to Thursday noon the week before each service. (We are preregistering not only as a means of contact-tracing, but also to keep attendance at or under fifty [50] people, including worship leaders and ushers. That is the limit prescribed by state public health guidelines.) 
 
Remember, your Session is doing everything it can to keep everyone safe during this season of pandemic. While the end may be in sight with local and statewide numbers trending downward, not everyone is vaccinated yet and Covid-19 is still deadly. Some experts guess our nationwide death toll due to Covid may total over 600,000 by later this Spring.
 
The best way to safeguard against getting Covid is to limit one’s exposure to it and to get vaccinated; while we have prepared as safe a worship environment as possible, and all participants will be required to check in, wear masks at all times, and sit at a distance of six feet from other families, we cannot guarantee that somebody won’t get sick. Those who come to worship come at their own risk.
 
These in-person services will be, essentially, services of welcome, scripture, prayer, and preaching. These brief—40-minutes, or less—services will include no spoken liturgy, no congregational singing, and no choir. The preacher will speak from behind a plexiglass barrier. There will be no indoor fellowship, and no coffee or food service before or after the service.
 
This may not sound like a very welcoming or, even, friendly invitation, does it? You know what I mean. So, make wise decisions for you and your family, stay away if you are high risk or don’t feel well, and know that I look forward to “seeing” some of you online at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday (FirstPres.Live), and others of you face to face at 10:15 a.m. 
 
God is good.
 
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Humor (Hard times really need godly laughter): 
 
Bill Gamble was on our church campus recently and reports that he saw a small group of dyslexic Agnostics sitting around discussing the existence of Dog.
 
He shares this joke:
 
In the Pope’s office, there was a gold phone, that had not rung in a 
long time.  Today it rang.

Pope:  Hello

Answer:  Good morning, this is God.  I have some good news and some bad 
news.  The good news is that I am going unite all of the religions in 
the world.

Pope: That is very good news.

God:  The bad news is that I am calling from Salt Lake City.
 
Good Word: 
 
The 23^rd Psalm                      
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
 
LET US PRAY

O GOD, THEY SAY EACH FLAKE OF SNOW IS WHOLLY UNIQUE. WE’VE BEEN TOLD HUMANS RESEMBLE FLAKES OF SNOW IN THAT WAY. WE DON’T KNOW HOW YOU KEEP US STRAIGHT, BUT WE’VE BEEN TAUGHT YOU KNOW EACH OF US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES. YOUR WAYS ARE A MYSTERY TO US. WE DON’T KNOW HOW YOU DO IT, BUT WE ARE GLAD YOU DO. 
 
Help us to love others as you so uniquely love us.
 
AMEN.
 
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Much, much love to you all.
 
 
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church