Quick Notes:

—Reconnecting Series begins April 10 with reopening our sanctuary and an all-church brunch (Chris Cakes)! Mark your calendar for this Palm Sunday celebration.

–Mission Trip Payment #2 due April 1; next team meeting is Sunday, April 3 at 11:30 am. We have an upcoming fundraiser set for April 10; plan to be at church at 8:45 am that day!

Hello!

Have you chatted with God today? In the busy-ness of our lives, it can be easy to push off prayer. When you think about it, though, spending intentional time with God sets the rest of our days up well. Just like with exercise or eating nutrient-dense foods, centering prayer time with God blankets our entire 24-hour days with purpose and perspective on what is most important in this life.

Here are a few simple, short ways to add time with God to your day:

• Labyrinth – we handed out small Prayer Labyrinth decals in church last Sunday. These 3″X3″ images can be placed on a prominent location, such as the top of your laptop or device, on the back of a calendar or notebook or even on the bathroom mirror. This small, ancient Christian practice allows us to focus by moving our finger through the maze and talking to God. You can play a song while you pray, read a poem or repeat a mantra over and over as you go through the labyrinth (“God, you are love…God, you are love…”). If you’d like your own tiny labyrinth decal, pick one up at Holmeswood (or email me and I’ll mail one to you).

• Prayer Beads – this is a fun craft (if you like crafts) or just another simple way to focus on prayer for a few minutes. Using a bracelet or even a cup of pens on your desk, count out how many beads are on the bracelet or how many pens are in the cup. Let’s say you have 12. Next, think of…

• 12 ways you feel grateful today?
  • names of 12 people you care about?
  • models of 12 sports cars you admire?
  • 12 countries in God’s Creation?
  • Other categories to help us focus on God and God’s Creation. Try it!

• De-stressing – what is your biggest stresser right now? Even if it feels like a lot of things, use one hand and count off the top 5 things/people/situations that are causing you stress. Share these with God and acknowledge God’s presence in the midst of your life, and I promise you will gain perspective and be able to take away the hold that stress has on each of us.

By the way, any of these 3 prayer practices are appropriate for most ages, including children who are pre-readers. And simple prayers are sometimes the most valuable – try not to overcomplicate your time with God.

I hope this is helpful. May you continue to seek Christ’s loving presence and lean into justice this lenten season.

~Laurel

A few verses on Prayer:

–Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. ─ Colossians 4:2

–Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ─ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

–Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ─ Mark 1:35

–One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. ─ Luke 6:12