Zoom Link: http:// https://us04web.zoom.us/j/499545065?pwd=aXd4M3EwcmdOWTh0SC80TVNGeW44dz09 
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/firstlutheransmtx/
 

More full instructions are on the website. Additionally, if you cannot access from the usual links, check the website because Zoom often implements updates on the weekend.  The website can be changed in minutes if needed to update links or passwords. You can find all the information at https://flcsm.org/onlineworship/ and more complete instructions at https://flcsm.org/worshipaccess/

The worship book is posted at https://flcsm.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Oct-4-WEB.pdf

Our readings this week are different from the lectionary.  We will be marking the Feast of St. Francis. Some years this has included a pet blessing either at the church or in the community. We are not doing that this year, but will focus on both the gift of pets but also care for creation. This has changed our Old Testament and Gospel readings.  

• FIRST READING: Genesis 1: 20-31
  Creation of animals
• Psalm 80:7-15
  Look down from heaven, O God; behold and tend this vine. (Ps. 80:14, 15)
• Philippians 3:4b-14
  Nothing surpasses the value of knowing Christ
• Matthew 11:25-30
  Come to me all who are weary

Our hymns are: 

Gathering Song A Mighty Fortress Is Our God  (ELW 504)
Hymn of the Day Lord, Whose Love in Humble Service (ELW 712)
Communion hymn: Bread of Life from Heaven, (ELW 474, chorus only, repeated)
Sending Song Let Us Talents and Tongues Employ (ELW 674)

The worship book now has a permanent address so you can find it easily and there will be fewer chances for errors. It will be at http:// http://flcsm.org/next-sunday-worship-book/ . You might find a placeholder file there during the week. It will be posted by Saturday at the latest.  (There may be changes in prayers and other small items, but the link should remain the same. If there are any major changes, which we do not anticipate, we would send another email on Sunday.)

IF YOU GO there on Saturday and Sunday and find last weeks file you need to fully refresh your browser because your computer is reading its cached version. 
If that does not work try getting the file from the specific date link on the worship page. 

Livestream will continue permanently for those who are not ready to be back.  

This is not a “return to normal”.  There are several reasons that is not feasible or advisable. Thus  described as a “live studio audience”.  No singing, no moving around the sanctuary (communion in pews, offering received beforehand, other modifications) and still our amended liturgy adapted for online.

Basic rules are that masks must be worn the entire time you are in the building. Only our worship leaders will sing, others may hum to themselves but are asked not to project as that is a danger for spreading aerosols. Full details are available at https://flcsm.org/in-person/ . PLEASE read and understand those if you plan to join us. 

It is also contingent on maintaining a low or steadily declining number based on Hays County Health Department statistics as well as information from the wider area that impacts us. If that ceases to be the case we will return to our practices from the past 6 months. 

If you are coming, we ask you to RSVP to the church office so we can have worship materials ready. firstlutheran@grandecom.net is still the one to use, though if you reply directly to this email (info@flcsm.org) it will also get here.  If you have not RSVPed come on anyway... having the list is mostly for our records and preparation, but we do not anticipate having too many to safely fit. 
  

This email is coming from the new address. 
There is also a second coming later today to make sure people are seeing this one, with instructions about how to keep from going to junk mail. 
We have changed some settings that hopefully will keep that from happening. 

If you receive this one, you can disregard the one this evening. 
 

We have had several issues with our phone and internet service from Grande and are looking at better options. One change that will be necessary to to get better service (and hopefully pricing) will be our email address. The current one is tied to Grande and will not work once we make potential changes. A new general email for the church will be info@flcsm.org . This change means we are no longer stuck to Grande. 

The old email address is still active for the moment but may go away soon. Please update your address books!  

This email will begin coming from that address in the next weeks. If you do not see it, check your spam folder. A good way to get your spam folder to not stop these emails will be to send an email to info@flcsm.org yourself so the system knows it is someone you want to hear from! 

The answering machine is occaionally cutting messages short. If you get it and want to make sure the message gets through, be double sure with email!  firstlutheran@grandecom.net is still working at this time! 

In addition to hymn suggestions (which we are now running short on) we also want to hear other ideas for worship. Some have offered ideas from other services they have beeen witching online. Others have asked for changes to the worship book to make it easier to follow. The good side of worship this way is it is very flexible in format and open for experimentation. If you have sugestions or critiques, Pastor Tim wants to hear them. Not everything may be possible, but we can try!  

Along with suggestions for worship ideas, if you want to submit a favorite hymn, email it to pastortim@flcsm.org . You don't need to put down a number but it does need to be in the ELW hymnal. We will draw weekly starting soon.