Practicing Our Faith

Dear Friends,
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I listened to a talk by Father Greg Boyle today. He talked of the importance and challenge of practicing our faith. It is one thing to believe in Jesus. It is another to live in the way of Jesus. We have great intentions, but many days, by noon, we fall short of our intentions. Living in the way of Jesus is hard. Father Boyle talks about not making daily decisions to be faithful, but moment by moment choices. And so, he creates mantras, or breath prayers, that remind him throughout the day of his intention. For example, one is, “Listen, listen, listen. Love, love, love.” He repeats “listen” as he breathes in, and “love” as he breathes out. Here are some other suggestions: “cherish the person in front of me,” “Your grace is enough,” “Come, Lord Jesus,” “Be still and know,” “Be strong and courageous,” “Do not be afraid,” “I am a beloved child of God.” The possibilities are endless. Such breath prayers can be a source of encouragement, strength, and determination. Try one for a day and see what difference it makes.

WORSHIP and SERMONS
This season of Lent we are exploring what happens when divine love meets humanity. This coming Sunday we will dig into Matthew 9:14-17 and what happens when Jesus is questioned. Here’s the link to last week’s sermon, What Happens When Jesus Meets Us in the Storms?,  https://www.methodistsontheyellowstone.org

GARDEN MISSION DONATIONS
We are creating a new mission project to help feed families through gardening! We need donations of seeds (bush beans, bush cucumber, carrots, zucchini, buttercup squash, beets, radishes, lettuce). We also could use cash or gift cards to help people get soil. Just designate on your check Garden Corner. Bring donations to your local church, or place in the box to the left of Grace UMC’s front door.
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We will be hosting a series of workshops on the 3rd Saturday of each month to help people plant, grow, and harvest. May 15th will be the first workshop helping people get a garden started. If you want to join our planning team, our next meeting is Tuesday, March 23rdth at 4. If you have ideas, contact one of our current team members: Carol Beadle, Stacy Jovick, Carol Kron, DeeAnn Durgan, Susan Payne, and Luan Peterson.

UMCOR
United Committee On Relief offers aid to those suffering due to natural disaster, war or poverty both in the United States and worldwide. This Sunday is UMCOR Sunday. We are collecting donations to help pay for the costs of running UMCOR so that throughout the year, all designated giving goes 100% to the specific cause. To learn more about UMCOR or make an online donation, go to https://umcmission.org/umcor

UPCOMING EVENTS
· Time Change this weekend! Spring ahead on Saturday March 13th or you will be an hour late for worship and miss it.
·  Upper Room Retreat Join us on Saturday, March 27th at 10:00 am on Zoom to discuss the Upper Room devotions and enjoy fellowship with one another. Subscribe to our weekly email for Zoom Meeting ID and Password

WEEKLY OPPORTUNITIES (Subscribe to our weekly email for Zoom Meeting ID and Password)
Meaningful Conversations on Zoom Wednesdays at 11 am we gather on Zoom. 
Men’s Group on Wednesdays at noon meets at Grace UMC. Their current book is The Rock, The Road and The Rabbi. All are welcome!
Hymns and Prayers on Thursday evenings at 7 on Zoom. Join us for deeper connection. It refreshes our souls and lifts us up each week. 
Sunday Morning Digital Worship on Zoom at 9 am! 
In-person Worship at Holbrook on Sundays at 11 am. Masks and social distancing observed.

May the Lord Bless You and Keep You,
Pastor Patti