BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 19, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Come down, O Love Divine, seek thou this soul of mine
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter draw near, within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.
Creator of Love, sweep down among us once again, as you did at Pentecost, that we might inhale your very own breath. Fill our lungs, we pray, with that mysterious essence we cannot name, born of the Spirit world. Somehow when we chant the old verses which cannot be improved upon, our memories burn – the moments when your love first pricked our souls, moments when we knew beyond a doubt that our lives were irrevocably linked with yours, times when we fairly floated, so eager were we to be about your business. We know we can’t return to those rose-colored days, though these memories are hallowed, seared into our life stories. Instead you are ever doing a new thing: “Have you not seen? Have you not heard?” asked the prophet. Touch our eyes and our ears with your own glowing ardor, then we will be strangely warmed, vitally perceptive, and poised to move into your newness.
Love Divine, hear our prayer.
O let Love freely burn, will earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round the while my path illuming.
O Coming Freedom, we are anchored to this earthly life with all its vicissitudes. It’s all we know for now, though Jesus speaks of that other place where God’s will is done, where bondage to earthly ways are broken. Perhaps if we simply cease our grappling for goods, power, and approval we would indeed see your kingdom come, where earth is subsumed in heaven’s glory. For now, we pray for that illumined path — but not for ourselves alone, for the Spirit gives us the mission of sharing your love with the world. Our petitions are many: for peoples existing under the thumbs of tyrants, refugees fleeing for their lives, those whose lives have been shattered because of natural or man-made disasters, families broken by the pandemic. Meet them in those lifeless places, we pray, giving growth to that everlasting ember of hope that lives deep within.
Love Divine, hear our prayer.
Still Spirit, you enfold us in your pure light, and we know your grace is quietly moving in the corners of our private lives. Receive our prayers of thanksgiving for the newness you bring; and also hear us as we name the other needs of our brothers and sisters at Church Street. Gather these, we pray, in your Spirit’s embrace:
- Thankful that shoulder procedure went smoothly, please continue prayers
- Mother sends gratitude for our preschool, as she is able to return to work
- Friend rejoices, having completed long recovery following an accident
- Gratitude for successful rotator cuff surgery on Monday
- Nephew suffering from burns is improving, please continue prayers
- Pray for loved ones isolated in homes & residences, for hope & endurance
- Protection for a friend teaching in-person classes in Mississippi
- Safety for all educators, children & youth as new school term begins
- Two broken families, that God’s healing peace will be at work in each
- Two with lingering cancer, for easing of pain & nausea
- Healing of daughter ‘s increasing anxiety; a depressed daughter-in-law
- Continued healing & lifting of spirits of member with chronic illness
- Three families personally infected with the virus, for healing
- Easing of food shortage (North Korea) to prevent slaughter of family dogs
- Protection for mother & family who presently live in fear & turmoil
- Healing of young granddaughter in Alabama college, healing of virus
- Family coping with death of beloved husband to the virus
- God’s grace to encircle sister recovering from stroke complications
What we cannot do for ourselves, we know the Spirit will do for us.
Love Divine, hear our prayer.
And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
shall far outlast the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.
Accept our breath-praise this day. Truly at times our hearts are full to bursting, but words get in the way and our gratitude is often lost in the telling. But we remember and you remember. Send us out afresh to be ambassadors of Love Divine, to our neighbors, families, coworkers, and all whom we meet along the way. In harmony may we lift the song of the Holy Spirit – unending and ageless:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
All are welcome at Church Street! We believe every person is of sacred worth and created in God’s image. We welcome and celebrate the gifts God has given to all persons without regard to race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. We respect diversity of opinion and expressions of Christian faith. We believe God loves everyone unconditionally! As God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Christ.
Just Be Still …
YouthIt’s Tuesday – in my opinion, the most challenging day of the week. There is nothing wrong with Tuesdays at all. But they often leave me feeling overwhelmed. It’s still early in the week, so the weekend feels far away. And to-do lists often seem impossibly long. But rather than allowing the stress of a Tuesday to win out, I’m learning – slowly, but surely – of the power of silence and stillness.
So, today we reflect on ways to just be still.
I have two resources to share with you today, instead of one. Both are apps.
The first is called the Centering Prayer app. I use this every day as part of my quiet time routine, but it can also be used as a stand alone practice or visited more than once a day. The thing I have really loved about this app is that is provides customizable structure and makes space for silence and stillness. When you open the app, you can adjust it to your needs by choosing prayers, scriptures, sounds, and the length of your stillness (anywhere from 1-99 minutes!). It is based on the teachings of Thomas Keating and has been SUCH a gift to me.
Centering Prayer app
The second is called the Pause app. Jordan uses this app to provide him with a way to pray and reset – especially if anxiety is trying to take hold. This app was developed by author John Eldredge and his team as a way to cultivate a culture of stillness in their lives and in their workplace. This is another customizable option, but is very straightforward. It offers simple statement prayers, quiet pauses, and beautiful images to help calm our weary spirits.
Pause app
It is easy to jump back onto the hamster wheel as school ramps us – regardless of the way you and your family are learning this year. The hope we have in Christ reminds us that we don’t walk through challenges alone. Stillness reminds us of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and provides a space to lay our fears and our worries at the feet of Jesus.
As you might know, Moses is one of my favorite people in the Bible. His story is so remarkable, and he, in so many ways, was so ordinary. He was flawed and made mistakes, but his faith was big (at least most of the time). And God used him in mighty ways.
After the first Passover, Moses leads the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. All seems to be going well until they get to the Red Sea. The Israelites start to fear and complain as Pharaoh and his army approach – they even wish they had stayed slaves and never left Egypt. But Moses says in Exodus 14:14 –
That is a beautiful reminder to me in this season of life. God is for us. He will fight on our behalf. He only asks us to be still.
Whether you use these apps in the morning or at night, while you brush your teeth or walk down the halls, there is an opportunity for us to weave stillness into the fabric of our everyday lives. And I hope it is a gift to you the way it has been for me.
Grace and peace,
Jenny
Prayer for Today – August 20
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 20, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Heart of Heaven, you knew us and blessed us when we rested in our mother’s peaceful womb. Through that soothing regularity of heartbeat, you were early teaching us the language of calm, preparing us for Jesus, who taught that peace is always the road to take. We often pine for that safe and secure womb where we didn’t have to make hard decisions, where violence and bloodshed were unknown to us. So much is happening around us that we do not understand. Help us to be brave enough to ask hard questions, to speak the truth, even in fear, and to be humble enough to listen to your voice speaking through others. Continue to soften the bitter edges of our faith, we pray, until our restless hearts and your heart are beating as one.
Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.
Unlimited God, as we recall all that you continue to do for us, we confess that our concerns are too frequently insular, as we place ourselves at the hub of our daily prayers. Yes, you invited us to cast our cares upon you, but in so doing, we tend to forget that you want to do that new thing, not only in us, but in your beloved people living here or on foreign shores. We cannot limit your concern, Lord, and where you are, we must follow. Gone are the days of isolationism: We are our brother’s keeper! Help us become the catalyst for your love and light, that they will encircle our globe, even glowing in the darkest and most forgotten places. Bless those feet that carry your brightness to unknown lands; bless those hands that reach out in your name to heal and feed the orphan; bless those arms that enfold the war-weary masses who have no home; bless those tongues that boldly speak of Christ to communities with different languages and customs. We cannot even pronounce the names of most far-away stations, but you, who exist without limits, know each village, each name and each burden. And you will not rest until all your children are safely gathered in. Thank you, Lord, for honoring us by making us part of your holy mission.
Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.
God on the Move, we come with hearts full, recognizing the ways you have been working in our lives throughout the past five months: healthy babies have been born, weddings have been celebrated, illnesses have been overcome, your gracious Spirit has embraced grieving families; worship and praise have taken place. Your love has held your church together and has taught us resilience. We realize that without your grace, we could not have come this far. Receive, we pray, our specific prayers of gratitude from your people of Church Street, and also our petitions for your hand of guidance and healing:
Abiding One, every so often we feel we need to apologize for sharing our many trials and challenges with you, but in our heart of hearts, we know there is no one else to whom we can turn. Truly, your capacity to receive our prayers and to lend your mercy is a marvel. Therefore, as you accept our humble utterances today, remember that we offer them with sincerest thanksgiving for the chance to turn to you in the name of our Friend and Brother Jesus, who taught us to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Join us for a Midday Devotion!
Jenny Cross and Katryn Bancroft lead us today at noon on Facebook – join us then!
Prayer for Today – August 19
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 19, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Come down, O Love Divine, seek thou this soul of mine
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter draw near, within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.
Creator of Love, sweep down among us once again, as you did at Pentecost, that we might inhale your very own breath. Fill our lungs, we pray, with that mysterious essence we cannot name, born of the Spirit world. Somehow when we chant the old verses which cannot be improved upon, our memories burn – the moments when your love first pricked our souls, moments when we knew beyond a doubt that our lives were irrevocably linked with yours, times when we fairly floated, so eager were we to be about your business. We know we can’t return to those rose-colored days, though these memories are hallowed, seared into our life stories. Instead you are ever doing a new thing: “Have you not seen? Have you not heard?” asked the prophet. Touch our eyes and our ears with your own glowing ardor, then we will be strangely warmed, vitally perceptive, and poised to move into your newness.
Love Divine, hear our prayer.
O let Love freely burn, will earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let thy glorious light shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round the while my path illuming.
O Coming Freedom, we are anchored to this earthly life with all its vicissitudes. It’s all we know for now, though Jesus speaks of that other place where God’s will is done, where bondage to earthly ways are broken. Perhaps if we simply cease our grappling for goods, power, and approval we would indeed see your kingdom come, where earth is subsumed in heaven’s glory. For now, we pray for that illumined path — but not for ourselves alone, for the Spirit gives us the mission of sharing your love with the world. Our petitions are many: for peoples existing under the thumbs of tyrants, refugees fleeing for their lives, those whose lives have been shattered because of natural or man-made disasters, families broken by the pandemic. Meet them in those lifeless places, we pray, giving growth to that everlasting ember of hope that lives deep within.
Love Divine, hear our prayer.
Still Spirit, you enfold us in your pure light, and we know your grace is quietly moving in the corners of our private lives. Receive our prayers of thanksgiving for the newness you bring; and also hear us as we name the other needs of our brothers and sisters at Church Street. Gather these, we pray, in your Spirit’s embrace:
What we cannot do for ourselves, we know the Spirit will do for us.
Love Divine, hear our prayer.
And so the yearning strong, with which the soul will long,
shall far outlast the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace, till Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.
Accept our breath-praise this day. Truly at times our hearts are full to bursting, but words get in the way and our gratitude is often lost in the telling. But we remember and you remember. Send us out afresh to be ambassadors of Love Divine, to our neighbors, families, coworkers, and all whom we meet along the way. In harmony may we lift the song of the Holy Spirit – unending and ageless:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Prayer for Today – August 18
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 18, 2020
Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
Most of the time you seem so silent, Unknowable One. We sit beneath faint clouds in the sky and speak to you. Our prayers seem to echo out into the valley of nowhere. “Where are you?” we ask. “Are you hearing us?” we want to know. Then we restrain ourselves and empty our prayers of words, speaking only the language of the heart. And while we’re still scouring the horizon ahead for a sign, the wind rouses high in the trees behind us, leaving a chill up the spine. It is your cool reassurance: “I am here,” you say. Why should we be startled? Your joy finds us even when we are occupied elsewhere, even when our trust is wafer thin.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Trusted Deliverer, you know us as a splintered society existing on the edge. We feel that we’re traveling the fringe of a precipice, along a tight, disturbing path. Given our own inner brokenness, our rancor and resentments, we teeter unsteadily, fearing the plunge to dangerous depths below. We have no idea when your rescue teams will arrive, but where there is violence, send your peace; where there is instability, send your calm presence; where there is exhaustion, send your restoration; where there is hatred, send your abundant love; where there is mourning, send your comfort; where there is suspicion, send your wisdom. You have been faithful from generation to generation, always touching us with your astonishing grace. Yes, it’s a fright-filled journey, but you are teaching us that every road is walkable when you travel with us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Much as stones piled high, we name those sins and missteps that have created a wall between us and our brothers and sisters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
We thank you that you are tearing down these barriers, that we might be free to grow more fully in Jesus’ likeness. And receive also our gratitude for the personal ways you have enriched our lives in recent times . . . . . . . . . . .
Your mercies astound us, O Divine One, and we sense your permeating spirit at work in the lives of our people of Church Street:
We confess that we love imperfectly, Lord, and our gestures of faith are sometimes half-hearted. But thankfully, your work within us is not yet finished; and we pray you would refine us to become shining agents of your kingdom. Begin your inner work afresh today, for we make this request, and indeed all our prayers, in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Prayer for Today – August 17
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 17, 2020
Gathering God, we remain the church united, even as we pray from different locations, for we are connected by something more wondrous than the technology we employ. Your Spirit rests over us, filling us with hope and vision even in an era of social distancing. Though apart, we still listen for your voice that teaches us much about your kingdom of kindness and understanding. And as you are walking with us this day, we aim to match our pace with your unhurried steps – measured enough to notice especially those huddled in out-of-the way corners whom we need to acknowledge and bless. Help us stay true to that aim.
Lord of All, hear our prayer.
O Candle of Grace, by your tender mercy you are upholding us throughout this shadowed uncertainty. The ways of the world can be brittle, yet you offer that direction which we so desperately need. Yes, you are our Light who will lead us out of this dark tunnel of troubles. Shine on, we pray, and we ourselves now highlight the particular ways you have upheld us throughout these long months . . . . . . . . . . . . Our hearts well up as we remember the pure radiance of your grace.
Lord of All, hear our prayer.
O Spirit on the Move, the span of your work is wide, multifaceted, and is really a mystery too deep for us to understand; but we know your shining brightness is encircling all our brothers and sisters who are traveling a most somber path: those whose financial fears awaken them in the night, those wondering if their jobs will last, families torn apart by violence and mistrust, those without homes, those whose hearts have been crushed by grief, children and youth who are anxious about this school term beginning, educators and parents who long for safe places to teach and study. Yes, we are unsure of your ways, O Holy One, but we know your beam can never be extinguished.
Lord of All, hear our prayer.
Believing in your enduring mercy, our community also shares its personal concerns with you, as you care so deeply for your people. We trust all to you, asking that you work in your own way to bring healing grace. Receive first our family’s personal thanksgivings for your divine assistance:
Lord of All, hear our prayer.
O Faithful One, thank you for inviting us to lay out our broad blanket of needs and concerns before your throne of mercy. Even in our sometime shadows, you give us hands to hold and star candles to carry along the way. You are our security, Lord, and clinging to you this day, we offer that prayer our Brother Jesus framed for us so long ago:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Join us a for a Midday devotion on Facebook
Click here at noon to join church member Laura Still for a short midday devotion.
Prayer for Today – August 13
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
August 13, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Quiet Friend, we often feel that we fail at prayer, for our words are never adequate, our phrasing clumsy, and our descriptors fall short of what we want to say. Still, you meet us where we are, and it seems you carve out ample time to spend with us, simply listening as the non-judging presence you are. You are that treasure hidden away in the field. Blessed was the day we discovered you!
Lord of Grace, hear our prayer.
O God of Many Dialects and Customs, you are aware of the divisions that separate us from other followers. Could it be that we hold merely one corner of your truth fabric through which we know your grace? Perchance each faith tradition grasps a different remnant that leads to you. If all these diverse pieces were collected, you would arrange them into a beautiful pattern, then sew them together with the sinews of your mercy. Ah, we can just imagine your fashioning this single holy coverlet, stretching far and wide. Once gathered beneath it, the seams of your love would hold all peoples together, and all our differences would melt away. Could you begin this work today, Lord, or are you waiting for us to make the first stitch?
Lord of Grace, hear our prayer.
We freely offer our gratitude, for you ever surprise us with that second chance, that assurance that all is not lost. And, as always, Lord, we lift up those within our own church family who are in sorrow, pain, sickness, or other adversity. On this day, may each feel your light of reassurance. Steel us all with courage, we pray, to carry our burdens and to share the loads of our friends who falter.
Lord of Grace, hear our prayer.
Although we are not worthy, you have made us members of your own family. And as such, we offer all our petitions and prayers in the name of our Friend and Brother Jesus, who taught us to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – August 12
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
August 12, 2020
Pastor Jan
Loving Prompter, we confess we are absent-minded folk who rush past the multi-colored treasures you have hidden here and there among the varied corners of the day. Your tender beauty calls to us from the hush of the dawn to the quiet ebbing of the evening sun. But busy-ness, productivity, and acquisition call out in louder tones, and we focus upon them far too often. Help us take stock of what we have already received, knowing it is more than enough, and that everything comes from the Father who wants the best for his children. May we whistle a tune of gratitude as we tiptoe through this day-long garden of gifts.
Hope of the World, hear our prayer.
O Kind Deliverer, the great hymn names you as God of Grace and God of Glory, and asks you to rid us of our warring madness. Which designer declared violence to be in vogue? How did lawlessness become the newest fashion in this season’s collection? You can create peace and order of your own volition, Lord, but you want us to grow into your peace-loving likeness. Show us how to beat our swords into plowshares, how to spray hope not bullets, how to choose life over fear. Your Son proclaimed, “Blessed are the peacemakers.” May we be counted among them, Lord!
Hope of the World, hear our prayer.
O Voice of the Moment and of Forever, help us not slip past today as we plan for tomorrow. May we spend time considering how your grace has brought us to this hour. Erase the proud idea that we have reached this point on our own. The benefits we enjoy come from your hand and from the largesse of others. Receive our thanksgivings in the solitude of these moments, reminding us that not one was earned, but freely given . . . . . . . Receive also these recognitions of your grace, and the petitions shared by your people at Church Street:
By your open heart that welcomes us, by your attentiveness that comforts us, by healthcare workers who bring your healing to us, by friends who uphold us, and by your mercy that sustains us, we are blessed immeasurably.
Hope of the World, hear our prayer.
O Blessed Sanctuary, we cannot recall a time in our lives when there was an era such as this one, and some say your church will never be the same. That is likely so, but we take it to mean that you are doing that new thing of which the prophets spoke. While our building may be shuttered, you are opening the sanctuary doors of our hearts and inviting in those who previously have feared crossing our marble threshold, those who need fellowship, those who long to know heavenly and human compassion. We stand ready to become that expansive gateway that leads to your eternal kingdom. Lead on, O Lord, in the name of our Redeemer who taught us to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – August 11
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
August 11, 2020
Pastor Jan
Loving One, when we behold this day that you have made, there are simply no words that capture what you entrust to us in the sheer bliss of morning. Especially in the wee hours, your holiness hovers closely above your good earth. But as the hours turn, our messiness soon will stir things up again. The traffic will boom, computers will whir, cellphones wlll ring, and televisions will blare. Amid all that shuffling about, help us remember this gift of a few soundless and sacred moments, offered to us without price. May we tuck this memory into the secret pocket of our souls, and keep it safe until we learn all it has to teach.
God of Grace and God of Glory, hear our prayer.
O Conveyor of Hope, we confess that we find ourselves staggering today under the weight of the worldwide pandemic. This strain that we acknowledge has the faces of friends, family, and acquaintances whom we hold in our prayers: those who are confined in close quarters in apartments; the weakened elderly existing in cubicles in nursing facilities, especially those who are confused when only masked ones answer their calls; the homeless whose emotional needs render them more vulnerable to the disease; those whose mourning continues, having buried their loved ones without a proper memorial; those who grieve dissolution of relationships caused by financial hardship; those who remain faithful to their call to healing, even jeopardizing their own health; and those who persevere in their search for an effective preventive for this mystifying plague. Yes, the burden is massive, but remind us, Good Lord, that you bear the pain of the world, and that we are not alone. You meet us in this darkness, sending angels to strengthen us in our time of trial. “The end will come,” they whisper, “so do not fear.”
God of Grace and God of Glory, hear our prayer.
O Guiding Hand, in scores of ways you present yourself to us, though sometimes we must take a backward glance to see how far we’ve come, by your grace. Your constant care means everything to us, and we acknowledge our total dependence upon you. Thank you for the privilege of lifting our gratitude and of turning over our cares to your keeping:
We praise for your readiness to receive our every prayer. And we praise you for sending those saints among us who are living out your call to love without reserve, buoying our spirits with their witness. Show us also how to take our narrow patterns of living outside our normal path, that others might see your likeness in us. We trust the road ahead to you, for your spirit is our peace and your love is our path.
God of Grace and Glory, hear our prayer.
We bow this day, O Lord, as children of the resurrection, proclaiming with all your people around the world who sing your unending hymn: Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – August 10
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
August 10, 2020
Pastor Jan
God of Our Awakening, a new day comes through your grace, and with it comes your untouched opportunities. May the fresh wind of your Spirit awaken our sluggish hearts, that you might bring to life the joy you long ago rooted there. Direct us to the discovery of that new endeavor you want us to undertake, perhaps that youthful dream we let die, that spark of creativity we never acted upon, the relationship that needs to be revived. Though our endeavors may seem humble, help us remember that whatever you touch becomes sacred.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of Forgiveness, lighten our souls by removing the baggage of our sinful wanderings, we pray. We have grave worries for certain, but much of the time we concentrate on ourselves, forgetting those whose lives are far more fragile than our own. We pray for the residents of Beirut mourning the deaths of 160, injuries to 60,000 in the devastating blast; for the thousands in regions of Africa, India and Thailand whose homes and livelihoods are being destroyed in the raging flooding of their villages; hundreds of children kidnapped from their families in Myanmar, Afghanistan, Iraq and South Sudan to become child soldiers, human shields and slaves; for the hundreds of healthcare workers across the globe who have died in the service of others suffering from Covid-19. Save us from our indifference and complacency, Forgiving God, knowing, that, as you care for us, your own heart breaks when your vulnerable ones everywhere are in distress.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Christ our Healer, we see signs of your continuing search for the least and the lost everywhere; and gratitude wells up within us when we recall the distinct ways you are attending us. We are thankful for these current blessings made manifest in the lives of Church Streeters, and we also name our deepest needs, knowing that you are always working on our behalf:
Help us to keep our gaze fixed upon you, O Lord, and guide our steps, as we trust that you will not let us fall.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
This week, when we are tempted to dwell only on our own loneliness, help us reach out to others, being the community we long to have. Thank you for showing us new ways to be the church, the church alive and vibrant, witnessing to the risen Christ in times such as these.
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Join us for a midday devotion!
Join us on our Facebook page at noon for a short devotion with Rev. Catherine Clark Nance!
Prayer for Today – August 6
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
August 6, 2020
Pastor Jan
Elusive Creator, our origins are in you, and we have long yearned to glimpse your face. Is your skin a lustrous ebony, pink as a mimosa blossom, or of a yellow tint? Are your eyes multi-colored, black as coal, or green as newly mown grass? Even the great masters tried to capture your essence, though their renderings were generally as lifeless and uninspiring as our own musings. We know you are beyond description and your ways inscrutable, for the psalmist long ago declared you to be unsearchable. Still, you did create us with this curiosity. And it just may be that curiosity leads to hope, hope leads to truth, truth leads to trust, and trust leads to faith. Good Lord, faith is what we need!
God of a Thousand Faces, because you are beyond us, we will never be able to know you completely – your radiance is more than we could bear. Rather, you choose to come as a gift, as an unexpected visitor who goes by another name: the grocer who answers a complaint with understanding; the brave nurse who takes our virus sample; the pharmacist who exhibits patience, though weariness is in her eyes; the child who blows a kiss through the window, leaving his fingerprints on the glass. Help us to be ready to receive you, Lord, opening our eyes to behold you in unknown faces. May we become as the Benedictines, who, in observing the stranger, always ask: “Is that you, Jesus? Please tarry awhile!”
Thank you for opening our hearts to the ways in which you are healing us and drawing us closer together as a family of faith. Our celebrations and our worries we freely share with you, Our Constant Hope, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ, for your grace permeates all situations:
Yes, you are veiled in mystery, O God, but we cling to our memories of Jesus, the Eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us. We remember how he understood our everyday questions and problems, how he identified with the meek and shabby, and how he himself elevated the common, routine life to something sacred. Such memories are really all we need to hold us steady, so accept, we pray, all our prayers this day in the name of Christ:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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