Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of December 6, 2023
Rev. Catherine Nance
Tonight’s prayer is adapted from one I found written by Christine Sine on the Godspace website. I like the refrain, “Come down, come in, and, come among us.” That could be a simple and inviting breath prayer to offer during these hectic days. God bless you this evening!
-Pastor Catherine
Into our troubles and weaknesses,
Into the barren places of our souls, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the war torn and the refugee,
Into those who live in conflict, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the homeless and the unemployed,
Into those who feel abandoned, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the sick and the disabled,
Into those with AIDS, dementia, cancer, and depression, Come, Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the poor and the starving,
Into those who are oppressed or abused, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the lives of loved ones,
Into those from whom we are estranged, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into our joys and celebrations,
Into our work and our achievements, Come, Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Thank you, O God of Advent, for having come, for coming now, and for coming again! May we open ourselves to your presence as you turn towards us.
Thank you for all of the activities and programs and missions of this church. In all of the movement, may we sense your spirit guiding us. May those who enter for special worship services or for a hot meal tomorrow at Soup Kitchen know that they are loved by you.
We lift up the prayers of our church family …..
We pray for …
- A couple in the church who both have covid
- A member’s brother in the hospital who is battling infection
- A mother who has started dialysis; prayers for daughter who is primary caregiver
- A husband who is in hospital with blood clots in legs and lungs due to stage 4 cancer; prayers that surgery this afternoon will be beneficial; prayers for his wife
- A neighbor’s family and the strife they are experiencing
- For caregivers who are watching their spouse or parent or loved one struggle with dementia, Parkinsons, or other chronic illnesses
- Friends who are going through difficult times
- For those who are struggling as the holidays approach
- For a beloved aunt who is nearing her final days; and for the cousin who has cared so lovingly for her
- For a wife’s medical testing; also for grandson’s daycare situation
- A brother who has pneumonia and elevated liver enzymes
- A member who is in the active stages of dying; thanksgiving for her church friends who bring her comfort
- A daughter in the death of her father; prayers of thanksgiving for peace of mind and spirit
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …
- Those who are recovering after surgery
- A couple getting married; blessings on their new life together!
- One who was able to go home from hospital
- All those angel tree gifts! Prayers for the parents.
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.
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.
Pleased to Dwell
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, December 7
By Jenny Cross, Director of Youth Ministries
Pleased to Dwell
Read: Colossians 1:15-20
There is a familiarity to the Christmas story that often distracts me from the magnitude of it all. The poor mother and father traveling to the small town. The farm animals surrounding the tiny baby. The heavenly host singing to the shepherds. The wise foreigners seeking something special in the stars. I know all about it. But do I know it?
We remind ourselves regularly in the youth department, “There is a difference between knowing about God and knowing God.” And I think that must be true for the season of Advent and me. I know about Advent. But am I actually making room for it deep in my soul? Has the miracle of the Incarnation taken root in my life?
As I read this passage from Colossians, a line stuck out to me like never before. “For in Him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” It doesn’t say he was obligated to dwell or expected to dwell or assigned to dwell. The fullness of God in Jesus was pleased to dwell. Jesus was pleased to walk on the Earth. Was pleased to be a light to the nations. Was pleased to make a way for you and for me. And that changes Advent. Because it goes from a story I know about to something I know deep down. Jesus didn’t just come because it was his job. He came because he wanted to. He wanted us to know him – as our redeemer and our friend.
Advent isn’t a season of obligation. It is a season of anticipation – holding fast to the knowledge that Jesus came for us all. And it pleased him to do it.
Prayer
Holy Lord, thank you for coming to earth – for loving us enough to leave the heavens and walk among your people here. Give us hearts that yearn to know you more fully. Help us to experience the joy that comes from knowing that you came for us because you wanted to. We love you, Lord. Show us how to share that love with the world. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – December 6, 2023
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of December 6, 2023
Rev. Catherine Nance
Tonight’s prayer is adapted from one I found written by Christine Sine on the Godspace website. I like the refrain, “Come down, come in, and, come among us.” That could be a simple and inviting breath prayer to offer during these hectic days. God bless you this evening!
-Pastor Catherine
Into our troubles and weaknesses,
Into the barren places of our souls, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the war torn and the refugee,
Into those who live in conflict, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the homeless and the unemployed,
Into those who feel abandoned, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the sick and the disabled,
Into those with AIDS, dementia, cancer, and depression, Come, Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the poor and the starving,
Into those who are oppressed or abused, Come Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into the lives of loved ones,
Into those from whom we are estranged, Come Lord,
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Into our joys and celebrations,
Into our work and our achievements, Come, Lord;
Come down, come in, come among us and make us whole.
Thank you, O God of Advent, for having come, for coming now, and for coming again! May we open ourselves to your presence as you turn towards us.
Thank you for all of the activities and programs and missions of this church. In all of the movement, may we sense your spirit guiding us. May those who enter for special worship services or for a hot meal tomorrow at Soup Kitchen know that they are loved by you.
We lift up the prayers of our church family …..
We pray for …
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …
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.
The Miracle of Transformation
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, December 6
By Dona Bunch
The Miracle of Transformation
Read: Ezekiel 36:26 & 2 Corinthians 5:17
At this fall’s 50th anniversary meeting of the Holston Conference United Women in Faith, the newly elected General Secretary spoke of “transformation” in the Methodist Church and in the United Women in Faith organization.
The word caught my attention and stuck with me in the weeks following. While watching an interview with Jeff Bezos, I recalled that word as the billionaire creator of Amazon talked about his travel to the edge of space on his own rocket. Likewise, Elon Musk dreamed of space travel and formed his company, SpaceX, for that purpose. He orchestrated his own trip into space and offered the experience to others for $55 million dollars per person.
The recent tragic loss of several people in a small diving craft was another example, sadly tragic, of the willingness to take huge risks for a transformational experience in the unexplored depths of the sea.
Extraordinary experiences are the new “thing.” I suppose you could argue that an experience that amazing is well worth the extravagant price. Everyone who has participated in space travel has returned to describe it as “once-in-a-lifetime,” life altering, in other words, transformational.
Yet when Christians think of the most transformational experience in history, we think, not of a gleaming rocket trembling on a launch pad, but a tired man and women with a donkey, traveling across the dusty rocky roads toward the town of Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph’s “voyage” to Bethlehem was more transformational than any in history. At the time, though, as they headed toward a run-down stable on a dark night, chances are they could hardly grasp the magnitude of their “trip of a lifetime.”
Yet they knew they were on a special mission, even if they couldn’t imagine how it would all turn out. A young girl and her husband, a long journey, a baby in a manger, hardly seemed miraculous on the surface. But it would later become obvious that nothing could compare to the transforming power of Jesus’ birth.
As we enter the Advent season, we celebrate the miracle that Jesus brought, the salvation he offered, and the triumph over death itself that he delivered to the world. And it was free of charge to us all.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, may we be transformed by your greatest gift to us, the miracle of Jesus on earth and the salvation his life and death gave to all of us. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
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Behold, Your God!
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, December 5
By Rev. Jim Bailes, Retired Associate Pastor
Behold, Our God!
Read: Isaiah 40:9
“The way we conceive of the future sculpts the present, gives contour and tone to nearly every action and through the day. If our sense of future is weak, we live listlessly. Much emotional and mental illness and most suicides occur among men and women who feel that they have no future.” – Eugene Peterson, The Message, Introduction to 1 and 2 Thessalonians
We just may know the profound truth of Eugene Peterson’s life observation. From scripture, reason, tradition, and especially our personal life experience, we just may know the connection between despair of the future and pain in the present. Looking ahead and anticipating conflicts, sufferings, injustice, death, whatever, may stifle if not thwart any possibility of present peace and joy. Moreover, at times it may seem near impossible to anticipate the future with anything but fear, anxiety, and despair. Personal, family, societal, political, global, and environmental fears seem to be racing into our present.
The Biblical people consistently had life reasons to have a weak sense of a positive future, obviously so in the prophetic book of Isaiah. Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophetic books are written in the context of exile. God’s covenant people have again been invaded, defeated, with many of them taken into exile by the Babylonians. Historian John Bright says, “At this point darkness descended upon the people of Israel.”
Then God speaks through the prophet Isaiah in chapter 40. “Comfort, comfort, my people, says your God! Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.” (40:1-2). God later says, “get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear; say to the cities of Judah, BEHOLD YOUR GOD!” (40:9).
God invites God’s people to look out into the future, to view what lies before them. God proclaims they will behold, they will experience God!
Advent means coming, specifically God’s coming. Something is about to happen! Someone is about to come! God! Ours is an Adventist faith. That is, we not only remember God’s activity in the past, we not only experience God in the present, we also faithfully anticipate God’s coming in the future! In the Christ-child! In the Kingdom of God! In each and every future moment through God’s Holy Spirit!
Eugene Peterson continues his introduction, “The Christian faith has always been characterized by a strong and focused sense of future.” Indeed! May God in Christ grant us “a strong and focused sense of future.” May we go forth in Advent expectation, anticipation, and hope. May we look into our future and proclaim, “Behold! God!”
Prayer
Gracious God, grant us the faith to accept, to believe, and to live in Your promises of Your Advent. Enable us to anticipate joyfully your Advent in the Christ child, in the Kingdom of God, in the very next months. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
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What Are We Waiting For?
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Monday, December 4
By Steve Richardson
What Are We Waiting For?
Read: Mark 1:1-4
… As it is written in the prophet Isaiah … “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.”
Waiting. It’s one of those things encountered by every human being. Waiting is not only frequent and unavoidable throughout our lives, sometimes it’s not desirable. Maybe one of the things in heaven that will be different than Earth will be the nonexistence of waiting. Even better: Because heaven is an eternal realm, waiting won’t really matter!
Some waits can be expected. Those can be easier to deal with, compared to waits that are unforeseen or seemingly unnecessary. When waits are expected or predictable, we can plan for them. We arrange other things on the schedule around the waiting, and we line up other things to make good use of the time while waiting. (A good example: When waiting to see a doctor, I worked on this devotion). For such times, you might say we actively wait.
There’s also the notion of expectant waiting. After all, waiting implies that something else is going to come or happen. Like a shadow, the future attaches itself to waiting. Waiting and a future expectation are inseparable.
The season of Advent can be energized and enriched when we make it a time of active and expectant waiting, especially when our activities and expectations are keyed to the blessing of God coming to dwell among us. As Mother Teresa advised: “At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern.”
There’s no shortage of ways to love and serve others. Even prayer and/or meditation can be active and productive. There’s no need to wait to get started. May our days of Advent be blessed by acts to further build God’s kingdom on Earth as it is in heaven.
Prayer
God of grace, even during our idle times, lead our minds and hearts to ways of glorifying you through prayers, presence, service, gifts and witness to others. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
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Christmas! Umm, No, Wait
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, December 3, Evening
By Rev. Andy Ferguson, Retired Senior Pastor
Christmas! Umm, No, Wait
Read: Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God… to a maiden engaged to a man whose name was Joseph. The maiden’s name was Mary.
When Celia told me, years ago, that we might be having a baby, my mind began to race. Will this be a boy or girl? What name will we give the child? Do parents have a right to impose a name on a child? (Yes, I actually wondered.)
Our two children were born before the gender was easily discovered during prenatal check-ups. The women, of course, had ways of predicting whether boy or girl; mainly their guesses were just to pass the time. We could not know until delivery. Gabriel told Mary that day that her child would be a boy – the first gender-reveal party in history.
Gabriel further told Mary, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High …” He assured Mary that the world will be changed by her child. But on the day Gabriel appeared to Mary with this wonderful news, all the promises of greatness were just that: promises. In the meantime … For the coming nine months …” For years and even lifetimes to come … the world will look pretty much the same. Problems, bills, pandemics and worries will roll over her (and us) until the child is born. After that, she will wait until he steps onto the world stage.
We begin Advent today. It is a season of such promise! But, umm, no, wait. Wait for Christmas Day. Wait for the Cross. Wait for Christ to return in fullness. This is the season of waiting. God’s promise has been given, and hope was conceived that day. Now, we wait for the fullness. We wait busy with hopeful patience.
Prayer
Lord, your great promise has been given by the angel. Wait with us until we see the promise of Christ in all its fullness. We wait impatiently to sing with the angels, “Joy to the world; the Lord is come!”
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Magic Word
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, December 3
By Rev. Catherine Nance
Magic Word
Read: Isaiah 64:1
O that you would tear open the heavens and come down, so that the mountains would quake at your presence!
My mind goes back to early 70’s Saturday morning TV. For us pre-teens and early teens, there was a ‘real people show,’ – not a cartoon. Billy Batson was the main character, a teenager, who was granted powers from the ‘immortals.’ Whenever there was a crisis at hand or some wrong that needed to be set right, Billy would hop out of the RV that was being driven by his mentor, run to an open space, look up to the heavens, close his eyes, and yell, SHAZAM!
Claps of thunder! Lightning flash! SHAZAM! Billy was transformed into Captain Marvel! And all was right with the world. Well, at least in the community where Billy was.
It is hard to put away childhood fantasies, especially this time of year. We want flashy miracles and quick resolutions to problems. I imagine the prophet, Isaiah, looking up to the heavens with arms outstretched, fists clenched perhaps, and yelling, “Just come down here!! TEAR OPEN THE HEAVENS!”
Isaiah accuses God of hiding from the people because of how we have sinned; God must be angry with us and is staying away. On this first day of Advent, I trust in a God who is not hiding. I trust in a God who has already forgiven and redeemed us. I trust in a God who desires to be with us.
God did in fact tear open the heavens, but there was no lightning! Only moonlight. No sounds of thunder. Only a baby’s cry and the lowing of animals. I look forward to our Advent journey together as we stay alert and watch for how God is already at work. The word of power is Immanuel. God with us!
Prayer
O God who continues to reveal yourself to us, open our eyes that we might see you ways that the world does not expect. Thank you, for always seeking us. May we be ready! In Jesus’s name, Amen!
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Weekly Prayer – November 29, 2023
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 29, 2023
Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
Holy and Elusive God, we enter your presence in these moments because we desire to know your truth. We seek to comprehend the whole of you, often trying to define you with names and attributes. Yet our spiritual impulses never quite reach their goal, for you are always the “otherness” beyond our comprehension. You, O Lord, cannot be contained. Still, when we gather as one body in the quiet of your sacred space, we sense your loving presence. And somehow, it is enough. Cloak us with that same loving presence this night, we pray. We may be scattered, but ever remain one body, fixed by Christ himself.
Holy and Unwavering God, in this mire of mixed messages, we often feel overwhelmed. At times we barely find our own voice amid the clamor of each day’s discouraging news. Help us, we pray, in this time of war and unrelenting troubles, to pay attention. Help us notice which words and images are forming us and our families. Help us use our ears to hear words that uplift, never disparage. Help us gain courage to challenge falsehood, to distinguish honesty from hypocrisy. Help us live as those who carry the handprint of Christ upon their hearts.
Holy and Astonishing God, whether we perceive it or not, truly you are hidden in the pockets of our everyday lives, ever offering your benevolence. We praise you for that closeness that does not disappoint. And so we bow before you in gratitude now, acknowledging the ways in which you stir our hearts:
Accept also these petitions from our congregation who have asked to be remembered:
We pray for ….
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …
Holy and Timeless God, gather up all the prayers of our hearts, and use them to bind us securely to you. Remembering the call of your prophets, the commitment of our ancestors, and our very own promises of loyalty to you alone, we re–dedicate ourselves to you in this hour, offering all our prayers in the name of Jesus, the Ever-Present One, 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.
December Update
YouthSunday Schedule:
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)
At a glance…
Christmas Eve Greeters
We are looking for greeters to serve for our Christmas Eve services and golf cart drivers for the later services.
This is a wonderful way for our families to serve those who are worshipping with us on Christmas Eve! If you would like to offer hospitality in this way, please sign-up below!
Greeter Sign-Ups
Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!
Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org
Weekly Prayer – November 22, 2023
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 22, 2023
Rev. Catherine Nance
God is great; God is good. Let us thank God for our food. Amen.
We learned this prayer at an early age, O God. Eyes closed, head bowed, hands folded. We were not even sure who ‘God’ was, but we knew we were supposed to say this before we ate.
We thank you for children’s prayer books and Sunday School teachers who later explained that it was you, O God, who made corn to grow and who gave the farmers strength to harvest the land. As we have grown in years and wisdom (hopefully) we understand that you are the Source of Life. We also know you care for each person who has a hand in preparing our Thanksgiving meal this weekend … farmers, migrant workers, truck drivers, warehouse employees, scientists, nutritionists, restaurant owners and workers, chefs, grocery store owners and workers and stockers ….
Thank you, God who knows each name, for inviting each of us into your love. When we pause to say God is great, may our gratitude open our hearts even more to receive your love and your vision for your world.
We pray fervently for peace; we pray for those leaders who are negotiating a break in the fighting for release of hostages. We pray fervently for those who have opportunity to gather in conversation and find ways to live alongside one another. We pray with tearful hearts for children, babies, that they might know safety and comfort. God is great, God is good. O Lord, we do believe that! May your spirit move in the hearts of angry and bitter leaders so that they might bring healing to their communities.
God is great; God is good. We know so many who are praying for healing. We pray that they would know your peace first of all. We pray that they would trust that you desire wholeness for them and are working in and with others. We thank you for doctors and health care professionals who take the time to listen to us and hear about what ails us.
God is great; God is good. Even for folks who are grieving this holiday, may they trust even in grief they know that love does not end. We hurt so much when a loved one dies; thank you for understanding that hurt and not asking us to pretend otherwise.
God is great; God is good. We are grateful for opportunities to feed others in our community. We pray for all who are worried about food this season. Forgive us when we assume that ‘there is plenty of food,’ also means that distribution is possible. Help our agencies and ministries work together to ensure that all have enough to eat.
God is great; God is good. Thank you for the relationships we hold dear.
We pray for ….
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …
Thank you for this church and for all the saints who join us in praying, Our Father, who art in heaven …
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.