BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 10, 2020
Pastor Jan
“Lord whose love through humble service bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross forsaken offered mercy’s perfect deed.”
We are truly humbled by your great love, O Lord! Its depth is beyond our imagining. What might love such as yours cost us, we ask, if we also cry out for things to change, for justice, for better lives for those who wither away in want and poverty? Give us courage, in spite of our fear, to take the risk of stepping out of our safe zone and speaking up for truth and equity.
“Still your children wander homeless, still the hungry cry for bread,
Still the captive long for freedom, still in grief we mourn our dead.”
We pray for all whose souls yearn for something better: for a place to call home, for the table filled with fresh food; for the imprisoned, especially those innocent ones whose lives are devoid of mercy; for those mourning dreams long dead and the good health that has eluded them; for loved ones whose days ended before a proper goodbye could be uttered. Give us hope enough to lift up the forlorn, time enough to sit with those who grieve, grace enough to share our bread.
“Called by worship to your service, forth in your dear name we go
To the child, the youth, the aged, love in living deed to show.”
Forgive us, Lord, when we neglect even the smallest gesture that might mean the world to another. Remind us to stop and make time for little ones, as did Jesus, who called the children blessed. Help us encourage our youth who struggle on so many fronts in our complex society, yet who accomplish so much, and who also long for a word of gratitude, of encouragement. We also seek your blessing upon each of these we now name, that your hand would be at work in their lives:
- Celebration: daughter returns from China after a long work assignment
- Thankful that a wife’s hysterectomy went smoothly today
- Gratitude: hospital, health workers & first responders taking great risks to serve others
- Grateful for prayers: a grandfather died peacefully last night
- Easing of pain for member following extensive oral surgery
- Successful heart surgery today for a young son (Blount Co Family Promise) at Vanderbilt; courage & safety for his family who travel with him
- Prayers for a wife with a 2 cm mass on brain, awaiting more tests
- Two members seeking relief from depression
- Healing: Close friend with leukemia that is not responsive to treatment
- Healing prayers for a frightened nephew (nurse in KY) with Covid-19 & protection for other family members who are currently being tested
- Four families mourning the recent deaths of loved ones
- Physician nephew in 9th day of isolation; his wife & 3 sons all well
- Two families in custody proceedings, grace to uphold children involved
“Hope and health, good will and comfort, counsel, aid, and peace we give,
That your servants, Lord, in freedom, may your mercy know and live.”
Dearest Friend, fix our eyes upon the present moment, not upon the final outcome of our service. Piece by piece you will ultimately gather all our efforts and fold them into your own restoration. For now, we need only remember that when we love your created world with all its intricacies and mysteries, we are loving you. And when we are serving others, we are serving you.
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.
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.
Prayer for Today – July 20
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 20, 2020
Pastor Jan
Generous are you, O God, for you overlook our scattered thoughts and those wanderings of our minds that keep us from centering on you. In these moments, may we be still in this morning’s light to simply breathe in your holy calm and breathe out our anxieties. May we breathe in your love and breath out that same love to our hurting world … Stir the air with the breath of heaven that all might feel the gentle breeze of your love at some instant of this day.
Sacred One, hear our prayer.
In the daylight we find hope, and in the late hours we find renewal as you keep watch over us. For you, O Holy One, never sleep and are always ready to wait with those whom sleep eludes. Comfort, we pray, those who cannot rest because of illness, pain, or fear; for those whose eyes will not close as they worry about finances, joblessness, straying family members; for those caregivers who cannot sleep, lest they miss the call of the loved one in need. Be with each of these, O Lord, for we know your presence can help lift all burdens. And also, hear these joys and sorrows that are brought by your children at Church Street:
We place our trust in you, Faithful One, knowing you accept even the smallest prayer offered in humility. We also acknowledge that all we are, all that we have, all that we know, and all we hope to be comes from your constant care.
Sacred One, hear our prayer.
Receive all our prayers offered on this day that you have given us, O Lord, and also hear again those precious words that were taught us long ago by your Favored Son:
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.
Devotion at Noon Today!
Join us on Facebook at noon today for a devotion with Rev. Catherine Clark Nance!
Prayer for Today – July 17
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 17, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Wind that Moves over Mighty Mountain and Flowing Stream, you remain a hidden mystery. But how is it then that we behold you in everything we see and touch, from the arc of the rainbow to the narrow green gorge of the walking trail, from the swoop of the starling to the creeping snail, from the finite seams of the boulder to the nectar-thirsty bumble bee, from the soft purring of the kitten to the torrential downpour? You litter the landscape with such glimmers of your glory. Keep your mighty winds blowing in our direction, Lord, and move among us to keep our drowsiness at bay; we dare not miss any of those precious gems you create for us through your divine imagination.
Dearest Lord, receive our prayer.
Forgiving God, help us relinquish our penchant for controlling every circumstance and our attempts to manage everyone around us. How foolish you must think us when you see us setting ourselves up as directors upon the stage of life. Give us instead the power of self-restraint and that non-judgmental presence. May your compassion make its home in our hearts; fill us with the understanding that others are generally doing the best they can. And remind us that, through your grace, you are transforming others, just as you are transforming us.
Dearest Lord, receive our prayer.
O One Who Hears, we spill out our prayers to you so freely and wonder if you ever tire of hearing our “wants.” But the truth is, who would listen, if not for you? So as the apostle taught, we try to be constant in our conversation with you. Hear our prayers for ourselves, our private yearnings, and secret hopes . . . And receive these longings and gratitudes from the hearts of our brothers and sisters within our church family:
We pray for your healing grace, but should that not come, we know you will give us instead that sustaining grace that will enable us to bear all things through Christ Jesus our Lord, 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 – July 16
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 16, 2020
Pastor Jan
Generous God, you offer this day to us, a day full of possibilities. Whatever we do with it is up to us. How will we use the gifts you delight in offering us? How will we respond to the challenges, the responsibilities, the interruptions that this day may present? How will we make those most of those moments of inspiration that unfold? Be with us, we pray, as we seek the sacred in our unwrapping of these waiting hours, for wherever we find ourselves, we also find you.
Hear us, Good Lord.
O Wounded One, in this interlude, we remember how your Son suffered emotional and physical abuse. Today we also carry in our hearts all those close to us who suffer in body, mind, and spirit . . . These we commend to your loving care, assured that no one is forgotten. We also ask that you would watch over all those who take our own safety to heart. Bless those who continue your holy work of healing in surgeries, hospitals, hospices, counseling rooms, and around kitchen tables; who serve in public places to retain order and protection. As Jesus laid hands on those who needed help, restoration, or blessing, place your strong hands upon all who express their sentiments to you this day:
You work through all your disciples, so bless the hands that bring your healing touch, hearts that offer support, and heads that bow in prayer.
Hear us, Good Lord.
Merciful One, you have loved us, forgiven us, birthed us into new life, and you have set us free. May we reach out in Jesus’ name to offer others what you have given us, for it is in his name we 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.
Join us for a midday devotion today
Click here to join us on Facebook at noon for a midday devotion with CSUMC member Trent Nichols.
Prayer for Today – July 15
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 15, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Sacred One, you have drawn closer to us during this period of pandemic, or maybe it is the other way around. At any rate, we have keenly felt your presence throughout these dangerous days and what a comfort you have remained. We have learned that we are not invincible nor as controlled as we pretended to be. And we have realized to the core how immense is our need for one another. We are not separate beings, but our lives are forever intertwined. How blessed we have been by friends and acquaintances who remember us, who offer solace in our isolation, who pen notes of encouragement, who pray for us, who tell us that their own lives would be empty without our own. How brilliantly you have used misfortune to bring about hope.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Great Physician, we thank you for calling special ones and ordaining them to be about your healing work in the world. We pray your blessings upon the hands and hearts of all who labor in our hospitals and medical facilities, those persons who stand ready to answer the emergency call, often risking their own health as they make decisions to protect the lives of strangers. Grant that we might never again take them for granted.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
As you touch each of these healing servants, we pray you also would touch each of these individuals who lift up their souls to you this day:
O Restorer of Peace, despite your steady call for peace, we confess we have not always been harbingers of harmony ourselves. Too often we have allowed willful emotions to rule the day. And when the spirit of unrest has entered our hearts, we lash out in swift retaliation. How frequently our egos trip us up as we try to walk beside your Son. Plant your peace deep within the soil of our hearts and steady our steps that we may again be known as ones who indeed travel the same road as the Prince of Peace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gather up all our prayers this day, O Lord, and we shall be grateful. Meanwhile, we shall be patient as you do your divine work in us and through us:
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 – July 14
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 14, 2020
Pastor Jan
We know you, Universal Love, as one who traverses the galaxies and skips among the stars. You rule the orbit of the planets coursing the golden glow of the sun. How could one such as you be mindful of us mere humans? Yet as the psalmist declares, you have made us a little lower than the angels. We bow in obeisance at such a holy mystery.
O Divine One, hear our prayer.
O God Who Never Turns Away, as we ponder our majestic earth you created, we realize how small the spaces which we inhabit – our confined communities, the routine commutes that define our days. Of course, we hear of life in other regions and even see unfolding tragedies regularly experienced by others. Forgive us, Merciful Lord, for living such insular lives, for not taking the plight of others to heart, for forgetting our brothers and sisters around the globe who are chained by fear, poverty, oppression. Purge us of this neglect, we pray, and also of these other private sins we now lay before you . . . Through your grace you have marked us as your very own, so give us that power from beyond that will enable us to live as the Christians we profess to be.
O Divine One, hear our prayer.
God Over All, as you have blessed us, so bountifully, we lift up your other children whose names we do not know, who live upon shores unfrequented by us. But they are your people and their wounds are our wounds: the people of Hong King who are denied free speech due to the recent passage of the Chinese Security Law; thousands of female health workers in Africa who risk their own lives to travel to remote villages to teach families how to protect themselves against Covid-19; the 40,000 persons in Somalia, Kenya & Ethiopia who are displaced because of drought, famine, and violence.
To these, we add our own prayers of thanksgiving and our pleas for help:
O Divine One, hear our prayer.
We turn over our prayers this day to your abiding presence in the redeeming 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 request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.
Prayer for Today – July 13
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 13, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Weaver of Goodness, on even murky days, you lace bright strands of blue and yellow within the hours to show us all is not lost. You embroider translucence here and there in the most shadowed moments to tell us we are loved. You choose greens and golds to remind us that you are nurturing our resilience. Your needlework is unsurpassed! May we hold this day tenderly, realizing your exquisite artistry is ever at work, weaving assurance, hope, and joy into our lives.
God of Love, hear our prayer.
O Love that Encircles us, we have accepted your call to discipleship and we honor your invitation to pray. Help us to follow that quiet pattern of prayer set for us by Jesus himself. The Spirit will help us in our weakness, for we rarely know how to express what is going on in our hearts. We keep returning to the same old sins, even though we had every intention of doing better. We are deeply troubled by the pain in our nation and in our world. We feel impotent in helping loved ones who bear such great burdens. Listen now, Good Lord, as we once again turn our struggles over to you . . . And attend also to these friends in our Church Street family who call out to you this day:
God of Love, hear our prayer.
We are aware, O Wise One, that you are not impressed by fancy words or well-turned phrases. Perchance you even shiver when we offer another flowery stanza of praise. Still you bear with us, knowing that we do try to please you. And in truth, our words are of little consequence, for it is our earnest attention you desire. Humble our hearts, we pray, that we might always come to you as we are, without flourish or pretense, as we offer that perfect prayer that Jesus taught:
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
Head to Facebook at noon today for a devotion with Rev. Tim Best!
Prayer for Today – July 10
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 10, 2020
Pastor Jan
“Lord whose love through humble service bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross forsaken offered mercy’s perfect deed.”
We are truly humbled by your great love, O Lord! Its depth is beyond our imagining. What might love such as yours cost us, we ask, if we also cry out for things to change, for justice, for better lives for those who wither away in want and poverty? Give us courage, in spite of our fear, to take the risk of stepping out of our safe zone and speaking up for truth and equity.
“Still your children wander homeless, still the hungry cry for bread,
Still the captive long for freedom, still in grief we mourn our dead.”
We pray for all whose souls yearn for something better: for a place to call home, for the table filled with fresh food; for the imprisoned, especially those innocent ones whose lives are devoid of mercy; for those mourning dreams long dead and the good health that has eluded them; for loved ones whose days ended before a proper goodbye could be uttered. Give us hope enough to lift up the forlorn, time enough to sit with those who grieve, grace enough to share our bread.
“Called by worship to your service, forth in your dear name we go
To the child, the youth, the aged, love in living deed to show.”
Forgive us, Lord, when we neglect even the smallest gesture that might mean the world to another. Remind us to stop and make time for little ones, as did Jesus, who called the children blessed. Help us encourage our youth who struggle on so many fronts in our complex society, yet who accomplish so much, and who also long for a word of gratitude, of encouragement. We also seek your blessing upon each of these we now name, that your hand would be at work in their lives:
“Hope and health, good will and comfort, counsel, aid, and peace we give,
That your servants, Lord, in freedom, may your mercy know and live.”
Dearest Friend, fix our eyes upon the present moment, not upon the final outcome of our service. Piece by piece you will ultimately gather all our efforts and fold them into your own restoration. For now, we need only remember that when we love your created world with all its intricacies and mysteries, we are loving you. And when we are serving others, we are serving you.
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.
Welcoming Our New Clergy – Rev. Tim Best
Featured, From the PulpitChurch Street is pleased to welcome Rev. Catherine Clark Nance, Senior Pastor, and Rev. Tim Best, Senior Associate Pastor, to our clergy leadership team. They join Rev. Palmer Cantler, Associate Pastor, Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade, Minister of Spiritual Enrichment, as well as our Visitation Pastors, Rev. Pat Clendenen and Rev. Andy Ferguson. Enjoy this introductory letter from Senior Associate Pastor Tim Best:
Dear Church Family,
Greetings to each of you! As I begin my ministry here with you all, I find the simple words of Paul from Ephesians 1:15-17 to be a powerful prayer.
“I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him.”
I share these words from St. Paul’s letter for several reasons. First, they are good words for the time in which we find ourselves. Except for a small handful of folks that I had met before Covid and before I was projected to be one of your pastors, I have not met you. I have, however, heard of your faith. I have known many of your former pastors; I have met candidates for ministry from Church Street; I have been a part of Holston Conference for over a decade and have seen much of the fruit of your ministry beyond Knoxville. I have been praying intentionally for you, for all of the clergy and staff, and for our shared ministry since this spring when I was informed I would be serving with this storied community of faith. I have prayed that we can gather safely. I have prayed for the countless ministries and projects that have been postponed, cancelled, or reimagined.
Paul gives us a cue for our faith, even in the midst of crisis. Paul unites his prayers with his thanksgivings. Even as I pray for our transition, our return to worship, our longing for some sense of “normal,” I give thanks. Last week I joined a meeting to discuss the Summer Lecture Series. I was blown away by the effort that had been expended to reformat this annual program. I have already begun to connect with Sunday school classes that are meeting over zoom. My heart is full with thanksgiving for such commitment to the gospel and one to another. As Christians we are Easter people, a people of hope, even when our Easter celebrations, our farewells, and our welcomes are a stunted version of what we would like. Nonetheless, these things have happened. Our doors have been shut, but ministry hasn’t stopped. I have heard from some of our members that the shutdown and online meetings have drawn them closer to one another. The Nave is empty on Sunday mornings, but worship carries on. The beauty of our choir has even found a way to shine in this moment by gathering virtually and revisiting recordings. There is much for which to be thankful here at Church Street!
The climax of Paul’s greeting is about Jesus. I haven’t included the whole paragraph, but Paul quickly turns his focus on the God revealed in Jesus. I am encouraged that our shared focus is on Jesus, too. The challenges we face and the work we have ahead are all manageable in the light of Jesus’ love and grace. Though the times are strange I am overwhelmed with hope because of Jesus. This past Sunday I ended my pastoral prayer with the words of the children’s hymn: “Jesus loves me.” Many years ago now, a well-known pastor and theologian, Karl Barth, was asked at the end of his life what had been the most important thing he had learned while teaching and in writing his 38 volumes on theology. Barth reportedly responded with a smile as he began to sing “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.” My prayer is that as we grow and serve together, our hearts may be transformed by Jesus as we come to know him ever more fully and faithfully.
Peace,
Rev. Timothy J. Best
Prayer for Today – July 9
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 9, 2020
Pastor Jan
O God of the Day, we come before you this morning in all our varied states. Some us come with peace, others with strife in their hearts. Some of us arrive with hope, others with desolation. Some of us carry a basket of dreams, others hold out empty hands. Still, whether buoyant or heavy-hearted, we enter, knowing that you will offer some nugget from your storehouse of wisdom to lead us through this day. And not only that, you will walk beside us every hour to come. Thanks be to God!
Most Holy Lord, hear our prayer.
O Guardian of the Weak, you rescued Israel from slavery and called her your own. By the frailty of your Son, you rescued humanity from slavery to sin and death. Throughout the eras you have continued to hear the cries of your people and have been faithful to rebuild the ruins of our lives. We trust you now, O Steadfast One, to continue your work of renewal throughout our wounded world. Heal those places where slavery still exists; break the bonds of those who are held hostage to greed, discrimination, illness and poverty. Strengthen us to pry open the rusty locks of oppression, we pray, that we might then fling wide the gates of freedom for those who suffer everywhere. And as one unified people, we shall celebrate our God!
Most Holy Lord, hear our prayer.
And as we work in your name for a better world, we ask that you also remember these particular ones close to home, our Church Street friends who offer their petitions today:
May our dream be as yours, Loving God: that one day peoples everywhere will be set free to live their lives creatively and vibrantly in your name.
Most Holy Lord, hear our prayer.
Faithful One, may our hearts be filled with gratitude these coming hours, as we absorb the soft rain of divine gifts you sprinkle throughout our days. From birdsong to quiet brook, from colored pebble to fragrant flower, from humming bee to gliding cloud, you bless us. We kneel in awe and humility, but also in confidence that nothing in all creation can separate us from your love through Christ Jesus our Lord, 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.
Join us for a midday devotion
Head to Facebook at noon today for a devotion with Rev. Catherine Clark Nance!
Prayer for Today – July 8
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
July 8, 2020
Pastor Jan
You woo us, O God, Sleuth that you are. We would find it annoying if we did not know that you seek us because you care so deeply for us. Truly, the psalmist says that there is nowhere we might flee, but you are there already. Perchance underneath our façade, we want to be known as we really are, without our makeup. And the astonishing reality is that you seem to delight in us more earnestly when we remove our masks, share our doubts, our imperfections and failures freely. Such an impenetrable moving mystery you are. Ah, but such a friend!
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Summer rains refresh us, Lord, and we are grateful for them. But the clouded canopy overhead also carries unease. Our minds wander to times past when we were happier, when our closest companions were part of our everyday lives. Suddenly it seems that we have lost so many to death that few are left who understand us anymore. Gone are their impromptu calls just to see how we were faring, the small jokes we shared, their sensitivity to our own trials. We are on the edge of emptiness, and we often wonder why we ourselves are still here. Maybe our aloneness is to teach us how Jesus felt when his closest friends deserted him, just when he needed them most. Wash us with that summer rain, Lord, and give us courage to walk with assurance and resolve until our own time of departure comes.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
There have been rays of hope these past weeks, O Pillar of Strength, as we wait for the end of the pandemic. And we are thankful that some are able to return to work and enjoy more flexibility. The specter still haunts us, however, and we dare not let down our guard. Give us prudence, we pray, to shield our brothers and sisters who are most vulnerable to the virus, to adhere to guidelines set out by health officials, to demonstrate concern and compassion. You have seen us through other dark eras and you will see us through this time as well. We now remember these particular friends at Church Street who request our prayers of intercession. Attend to each, Good Lord, and walk with them as you work within each situation:
In celebration and in suffering, may we continue to reach out to one another, as you, O Christ, reach out to hold us fast.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Abide in our hearts this day, we pray, for we need your nearness every hour:
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.