Weekday Email to Members and Friends – 2021-06-16
Wednesday June 16th 2021
A daily e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
To Members and Friends of
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
Dear Friends,
HERE IS AN IMPORTANT LETTER from Ruth Craddock, written last Thursday, on the eve of Illinois entering “Stage Five.”
The state of Illinois [resumed, June 11th] ‘normal’ operations, after 15 months of ‘altered’ operations related to the Coronavirus pandemic. Your Covid Committee met periodically throughout this pandemic with the intent of keeping our congregation safe. We are a committee of people from various walks of life—scientists, clergy, clerical, construction trades, physicians, lawyers. Our goal was to stay informed about the pandemic using knowledge and data available to us from news outlets, scientific journals, and our public health departments, both local and national. With this information we discussed operational details that would help keep our congregation safe as we all tried to navigate the ever-changing landscape. We made recommendations to Session, who acted on those recommendations as they deemed appropriate.
Masks, social distancing, hand washing—all ‘tools in the toolbox’ to help stem the tide of the virus. I never liked the term ‘social distancing’; while we needed to be physically distanced, we needed to stay socially connected. I would like to thank our clergy and staff who worked hard to keep us all connected, even though we were apart. They continued to address our needs, physical and spiritual, large and small, with creative and technical solutions. I would also like to thank all the Covid Committee members who gave of their time and expertise to keep us all safe.
Masks, social distancing, hand washing—it’s now clear that the vaccines have made the biggest difference in allowing us to return to ’normal’. We encourage anyone who can to get vaccinated. The vaccines are safe and incredibly effective at preventing severe disease and death from Covid 19. It’s possible that vaccines will be made available to children as young as 5 by this fall, and studies are ongoing looking at safety and efficacy and appropriate dosing for children as young as 6 months.
We are set to resume ’normal’ worship! Unvaccinated people will need to continue to mask up, to both protect themselves from getting infected as well as to minimize their ability to shed virus through aerosolized particles and infect others. Vaccinated people are highly unlikely to either get sick from Covid 19 or to spread it. In an effort to support our kids, who have yet to be vaccinated, and any immunosuppressed people who might be in our sanctuary, it is always acceptable to continue wearing a mask indoors.
I look forward to seeing everyone in church again!
* * *
NEWS:
There will be a Congregational Meeting this Sunday, June 20, immediately following the 9 am service to act on Eric Corbin’s request to dissolve his relationship with the church.
* * *
Humor:
Q: What do you get when you cross a pig and a centipede?
A: Bacon and legs.
Q: What do you call a bear standing in the rain?
A: A drizzly bear.
* * *
Good Word:
Romans 12:9-21
Let love be genuine;
hate what is evil,
hold fast to what is good;
love one another with mutual affection;
outdo one another in showing honor.
Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit,
serve the Lord.
Rejoice in hope,
be patient in suffering,
persevere in prayer.
Contribute to the needs of the saints;
extend hospitality to strangers.
Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse them.
Rejoice with those who rejoice,
weep with those who weep.
Live in harmony with one another;
do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly;
do not claim to be wiser than you are.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought
for what is noble in the sight of all.
If it is possible, so far as it depends on you,
live peaceably with all.
Never avenge yourselves, but leave room
for the wrath of God;
If your enemies are hungry, feed them;
if they are thirsty, give them something to drink;
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome
evil with good.
Let us pray:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever.
Amen.
PEACE,
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church
