Tiniest church crowd yet. Several reasons suggested, and pianist offered thoughts on some families that might be traveling, but that's not it. It's just that even though " an object in motion tends to stay in motion ", eventually it will slow. And now the response to the SS halving is truly settling in. People without a reason to go out at 9:30 eventually stay home at 10:30, too, or find that they are welcome somewhere else for SS and just stay there.
As usual the same report from the pews afterward, that our song leading in some way didn't match the written words before them. It's just constant. We practiced carefully this time until all agreed we were confident, even making one last-minute tune change during rehearsal to be as clear and helpful as we could. Yet during the service while already singing the song we were faced with a nearly impossible change from 5 to only 3 verses (that's a trick, there, let me tell you), and even so, lost the congregation completely anyway, since the fellow with the projected lyrics had been given 3 different verses than the first 3 so we were already singing the wrong ones. Ta.....da. So if you can imagine a super small group on an unfamiliar song with no idea which lyrics to sing....
Back home, there was an email about dfirstmil. Practical nurse came to the house in early morning and helped her rest better with a better side-sleeping posture, but all still in agreement that this is the end. I forwarded that to my in-law children's mail, since I think they always get the info last and may be the very ones who need to know. For instance, ddil is working today and this touches base with her.