Thursday Announcements for October 29, 2020

FATHER MARK’S ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Lots of great ideas came out of last night’s vestry meeting, including this one – next week I will begin offering a “Zoom Coffee Break” Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:15 – 9:45 A.M. The idea is simple – grab a cup of coffee and log in through zoom to just talk for a few minutes with me and whoever else shows up that day. No agenda and no stress, just a cup of coffee and the chance to see one another online and chat. Thirty minutes, twice a week, no expectations. Here is the link which you should copy and paste somewhere as we will use the same one every time. Hope to (literally) see you next week! Topic: Zoom Bible Study Time: This is a recurring meeting Meet anytime Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89987808959?pwd=SXVxY2hyREtqQ093RW9nWG03STBmZz09 Meeting ID: 899 8780 8959 Passcode: 794681 
2. Yesterday I received a letter from Potter’s Wheel Ministries, with the news that they are struggling financially at this time and asking for financial donations to make it through this rough spot. I know I donate lots of stuff to Potter’s Wheel, but mostly that’s them helping me get rid of things I don’t need anymore. Frequently I will refer someone there for food assistance or work out a deal to help pay for someone’s needed items with my Discretionary Fund. It really does serve a need in this community. If you would like to help with a financial contribution, you can contact Pastor Craig at First United Methodist in Scottsbluff, or you can drop a check off at St. Francis and I will make sure it gets to them.  
3. This Sunday is the Feast of All Saints – a major feast in the church where we recall and celebrate the lives of the saints we have known and lost. In years past we have invited the congregation to come forward and light candles for their loved ones, but this year we will light the candles prior to the start of the service, and then Mo. Karen, Fr. Bob, and I will read the names aloud as we begin our online worship. This will take a few minutes. I hope you will pray reverently with us as we express our gratitude to God for giving us these saints to lead us into love. 
4. Local COVID cases are still rising and our health system is being stretched. Please pray for all of our front-line workers, and take extra precautions in your daily life. Several people in our congregation work in healthcare, and I am astounded and humbled when I see the dedication they have to the people of this community. We should all do something nice for a healthcare worker this week. 
5. It looks like we will be online only for many weeks. I pray that we can gather in person for Christmas Eve services, but am planning for both possibilities. If we are still livestreaming only for Christmas Eve, we are working on ways that it can still be a special season and a special night for our church family.​​

GINA’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Happy Birthday!!
Walker Anderson   October 29
 
Prayer Requests: The prayer request sheet is still just outside the office
in the church and is updated weekly. Anyone may still email your prayer
requests to me at stfrancis@allophone.com. If you do not have email, just
call the church and leave a message. Since, I am back in the office, the
requests must be received on by Wednesday at the latest, for them to be
included in the Sunday Bulletin for that week. If the request is received
 after Wednesday, they will be added to the next Sunday Bulletin. We will
follow the same process and keep the names on for two weeks. Once the
prayer request is received, it is added to the prayer list and then I email
the names to have them added to the Prayer Chain and to the Daughters
of the King.
 
***Daily Devotion for Thursday October 29, 2020***
Don’t Be Led Astray
The 5 Steps – Pause * Listen * Think * Pray * Go
Pause
God’s words challenge you to live a life worthy of imitation.
Step into the challenge of these words today and be reminded that you
are called to shine light into darkness, and the light you shine points back
to the love of God.
Listen
Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples, “The legal experts and
the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore, you must take care to do
everything they say. But don’t do what they do. For they tie together heavy
packs that are impossible to carry. They put them on the shoulders of
others, but are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.”
Matthew 23:1-4
Think
Most parents have had moments where they think to themselves (while
speaking to their kids), “Do as I say, not as I do.” It is one thing to know all
the right things to do, and it is entirely something else to do them – and do
them for the right reasons.
Rules are one of those things that can lead you astray. When you become
too committed to following all the rules or checking the boxes, you are on
autopilot, perhaps not even thinking about why something is right or
wrong, faithful or not.
The Pharisees created rule upon rule to keep the Jews from breaking any
of the laws, as the Pharisees interpreted them. They became caught up in
following rules, so much so that they became a burden, even a weight of
expectation and control on others.
Jesus rejected this, even pointing out the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
Maybe all the rules weigh you down as well. If so, it may be time to
examine whether any of them are making it impossible for you to live into
Christ’s teaching.
Brian Foreman
Pray
God, what is mine to carry in order to be faithful to you? Teach me to live
and love in ways that point to you, not to a handbook of rules. May I
always lead with the love of Christ.
Amen.
Go
You are the light of your community.
You are the salt of the neighborhood.
You carry God’s truth to the places you go.
Be confident that imitating Christ is your call, even imperfectly.
Be bold in lifting others up in a world that seeks to put them down.
Remember your brothers and sisters, and pray for them this day.
Amen.
 
***For those of you that would like to access these devotionals daily, you can go on this website: www.d365.org


 
I thought everyone could use a laugh, so I included some funny memes.