A generous God

Greetings Methodists of Park County and beyond!

Thank you to everyone who helped with the dinner at Loaves and Fishes last Sunday. About 40 dinners were served! I spiked a fever Saturday which continued Sunday, so I wasn’t able to participate. I rested, took lots of naps, and gratefully had a negative COVID test on Monday. If you don’t know, locally Free COVID test kits are available at the Park County Health Department. And they still do testing daily at the Fairgrounds. Psalm 138 is in our lectionary scriptures this Sunday. (Lectionary is a scripture reading plan that lists 4 scriptures each Sunday in a 3-year cycle. The intention is to take readers through the bible across 3 years. Each week there is an Old Testament reading, a psalm, a New Testament reading, and a gospel lesson.) Psalm 138:3 says, “As soon as I pray, you answer me; you strengthen my soul.” That is a great reminder that we have resources beyond ourselves.

Our God is a generous God, responsive to the needs of our hearts. In those moments when you feel depleted, I encourage you to stop and pray to the Lord. As you breathe in, remind yourself that the Spirit of the living God is in our breath. This psalm leads us in offering thanks and praise. When we stop and turn to the Lord, God breaks into our lives and gives us strength. Praise be to God!

Worship Corner
Feb. 6th, 13th, 20th worship at 8:00-Grace, 9:30-Pine Creek and Zoom, 11:00-Holbrook. Patti will be preaching the 6th and 20th. Tom Shellenberg will be preaching the 13th.
Feb. 27th will be a “Shrove Tuesday” Pancake Breakfast at Grace. More details to come.
Lectionary texts for Feb. 6th are Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 138, Luke 4:21-30, I Corinthians 15:1-11.
 
Mountain Sky Conference News
If you would like to be more connected to our conference, you can click on this link and subscribe to a weekly email that shares news and events that you can participate in.
https://rmcumc-email.brtapp.com/subscribe
 
Mission U Study: “Climate Justice: A Call to Hope and Action”
·  Sunday Afternoons – Feb. 6, 13, 20, 27, 2022, 2:00-4:30 p.m. via Zoom
·  Register at www.mtnskyumw.org/events/mission-u
·  Study Leader: The Rev. Waveland King, the United Methodist pastor serving the Mineral County United Methodist Parish in western Montana.
·  Mission u is a transformative adult education program, based on biblically grounded curricula. Curricula are intended to motivate, inform, and enrich our commitment to be in ministry for a more just and equitable world, locally and globally.
·  Please plan to participate in these no-cost adult virtual Mission u studies in 2022! They are hosted by the Mountain Sky Conference United Methodist Women and the Conference Mission & Justice Team.
·  Men and women are encouraged to participate! People do not have to be members of The United Methodist Church to participate. Please direct questions about these studies to Belinda Alkula at [email protected].
 
Current Small Group opportunities:
· Men’s Group All are welcome to join this lively gathering of men who discuss books and topics of the day. Join on Wednesdays at noon at Grace UMC.

· Hymns and Prayers I am restarting Hymns and Prayers on the 2nd Thursdays each month at 7 pm on Zoom. We connect to God and one another through scripture, hymns, and prayers. As we draw close to God, God draws close to us, even though our screens. Here is the Zoom info: Meeting ID# 889 9872 6182 Passcode: Join our mailing list to get the password! Join us this week on Feb. 10th at 7 pm
 
May the Lord Bless you and Keep you!
Pastor Patti