Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of November 11, 2023

Rev. Tim Best

Gracious Lord,

Thank you for the overwhelming abundance of your love. In your love we discover that we need not try to save ourselves. We hear the voices of the world around us speaking doubt and fear. It is so tempting to place our trust in ourselves alone. We hear words like “self-reliance” and some of us brim with pride thinking of all that we have accomplished. We can list our strengths with speed skill. Others hear those words and are overwhelmed by shame and defeat. Those who have required more help, more support, and more effort feel less than a full self, because they have had to rely on others.

Help us all discover, with a sense of great joy, the gift that is your support and care. We have been created for community, for relationship, and for belonging found in you. You have Created us, and sustained us through the trials and difficulties that we have encountered. Through Christ you have delivered us from the power of Sin and Death. Where our efforts ended in no way, you in your mercy made a way and brought us into abundant life. Where we see others struggling, alone, and suffering, use this church family and its members as witnesses to your salvation.

We pray for our community. We pray for those that are ill, suffering, or alone. Be with all those who feel helpless or desperate. Reveal in each of us, now matter how strong

we might feel, our need for you. We pray for those who grieve and mourn. We pray for those who do not have enough to eat, and for those who may have plenty to eat, but have no one with whom to share it all. We pray for those who look towards Thanksgiving with pain and anxiety in their hearts. We pray for those who will long to be with loved ones, but cannot, and for those who are worried up gathering with those they are not sure really love them. Grant each of these your peace.

We pray for our world. Our hearts break and our heads hurt as we wrestle with the ongoing violence and suffering in our world. We turn to your son, the prince of Peace and the Lord of Life, and wait for that day when he will end all war and death. Be at work in the hearts of every leader of every nation. The only peace we can trust is the peace promised through Christ’s kingdom. Deliver us from our slavery to war and violence, and initiate your reign of peace.

As you delivered your people from Egypt and sustained them in the wilderness, deliver and sustain us. Grant that we would wait with faithful expectation for the day when we shall be led out of the wilderness. Until that day, nurture and protect us.

We pray for ….

• A wife in hospital out of town; praying for recovery from emergency surgery; prayers she can return to Knoxville soon!
• Friends who are going through difficult times
• All of the victims of war; praying for peace
• For a neighbor in Vestal whose daughter died
• For those who are struggling as the holidays approach
• For a brother in Alabama having a heart procedure
• For one who is in rehab and looking for assisted living options

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …

• The birth of a second child!
• A successful knee replacement surgery
• All who are helping with Thanksgiving boxes
• One who is undergoing cancer treatment but still able to come to church

We pray all this in the name of Jesus Christ, 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.

Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of November 1, 2023

Rev. Catherine Nance

O God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob …. 

We often begin our prayers recalling our spiritual roots began before the birth of Jesus 

O God, Creator of the Universe … 

We often begin our prayers recalling your love and desire for humans began before there were any names to call. 

O God, Revealed to us in Jesus Christ … 

We often begin our prayers acknowledging that You and the Savior are One. 

O God, whose Holy Spirit hovers over us and in us …. 

We often begin our prayers acknowledging the mystery of your omnipresence 

 

But now, O God, we will just leave it at that: O God. 

O God, who understand the limits of our language. And the complexities. And the tyranny. 

If we say God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob … some will hear we are making a political statement about Israel;  

If we say God of the Universe, some will hear that we do not believe you are involved in our daily living; 

If we say God who is in Jesus, some will think we are excluding prayers for those who do not call on the name of Jesus. 

O God … how did even prayer become so weighted and measured and suspect? 

How about …. O God, who knows the name of every child. 

Surely that is a way we can all begin our prayer. O God ….  

You know the name the name of every child who has died in war or from illness or violence or hunger. 

You know the name of every child who is afraid. 

You know the name of every child who is struggling at school 

You know the name of every child who has experienced joy this day. 

O God, who knows our name, we pray for the children whose names we do not know. 

O God, who knows their names, we pray for the children who are close to us. 

O God, who welcomes the least of these, hear our prayers. 

We pray for all children everywhere and for these requests from our church family …. 

We pray for ….

• Friends who are going through difficult times
• A member recovering from surgery
• A husband who is now under hospice care; prayers for wife and friends
• A family grieving the death of husband/father after a long illness
• Continued healing and strength for a husband/father as he recovers from procedures and treatments
• A couple praying and hoping for a baby
• Those who are caring for aging parents and the struggles in relationships that occur
• A member recovering from emergency surgery out of town; may she regain her strength!
• The violence to stop in our world! We pray for peace in all the world. Dear God, please take the hate out of people’s hearts!
• A couple managing  the ups and downs of living with dementia and adjusting to new medications.

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …

• A college student who is having a good semester and has come such a long way; thankful for parents and support group
• Scientists who do research that brings healing to our bodies and hope for our world
• My Sunday School class
• Granddaughter is recovering from surgery
• That a young father/husband is back home with family

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.

Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of October 18, 2023

Rev. Rick Isbell

O good and gracious God in whom we move and have our being, we come before you this morning with great thanksgiving for all your blessings in our lives. We give thanks for the love of our family and friends. We give thanks for the wonder and beauty of your creation with its richness of colors in this fall season. We give thanks for the ministry and witness of this congregation within and beyond its walls to those who need to hear, feel and see the love God in their lives. Thank you God for the many ways you come to us in the busyness of our lives. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

But most of all we give thanks for the gift of your Son and our Savior, Jesus Christ who came into the world to show us how to live, what’s most important, and how we should treat our neighbor. And he died on a cross to save all humanity from their sins. But he did not stay on the cross and he did not stay in the grave. For He rose to conquer sin, death and darkness forever. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

O, triune God, we humbly ask that your Holy Spirit stir our lives in a way that will enable us to share your love in new and creative ways. Tune our hearts that we might do your will even when it is difficult and inconvenient. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

O, God of all nations, this morning we see the horror and feel the pain of the Israeli and Palestinian people. In a time of war, we pray for families who have lost loved ones tragically. We see the mass destruction and loss of human lives and cannot imagine what persons are going through in the Middle East. As we sit in our pews we pray for justice, peace, healing, and reconciliation in a time of great unrest. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer. 

As we pray for those at war, we also pray for our own nation and community. We pray for understanding, honesty, justice and love between those who differ with one another. Help us to be unselfish in our own desires in order to hear and understand the hearts of our sisters and brothers. We pray for those in our own congregation who are going through difficult times in their health, relationships or jobs.

We offer prayers for ….

• A father’s member who is in ICU far away from family and friends
• A member’s husband whose cancer has returned
• The innocent and frightened people in Gaza and all over the world who live with violence
• President Biden and Prime Minister Netanyahu; for safety of world leaders as they meet; for Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.
• A young woman who has lost her job and is seeking employment
• Members who are undergoing tests and facing new regimens of medications
• A sister who is caregiver for her husband and who is also looking for a job
• Families who are attending funerals and graveside services this week.
• A woman who is feeling threatened at work
• A grandmother having knee replacement surgery
• Third graders who learned of a classmate’s death over fall break
• Older elementary students who are facing complex issues at school
• A college student who is struggling under a heavy load; financial concerns
• A grandchild who is with family out of the country and is ill.
• A friend waiting on test results
• A member adjusting to new home at an independent living facility

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for ….

• A church member who feels well enough travel after cancer treatments
• Friends who were traveling in Europe who have arrived home safely.
• The group from First Baptist Church (Knoxville) who has returned from trip to Holy Land
• God’s Holy Spirit and grace who relieves us from guilt
• Living near the Smoky Mountains and how beautiful they are! Thanks be to God!
• Congregational Care volunteers who visit in nursing homes

As One who knows our thoughts and desires before we speak them, we lift these our prayers and petitions in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen 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.

Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of October 4, 2023

Steve Richardson*

*Italicized excerpts are from “God of Grace and God of Glory,” hymn #577, written by Harry Emerson Fosdick

God of grace and God of glory … free our hearts to work and praise. Grant us wisdom, grant us courage, for the living of these days.

Holy God, thank you for these moments to focus our minds on your unconditional love, blessings and guidance; and on awareness of needs of others.

We come to you humbly. You remain steadfast in welcoming and embracing us in our relationship with you. But we, in turn, haven’t reciprocated very well.  We find it too easy to let distractions of our culture and society divert our attention from your calls to love and serve one another. Instead, we find ourselves drawn to other callings often rooted in self-interest. And then there are those times we simply shrug our shoulders and turn away in apathy. Forgive us, Lord. God of grace…shame our wanton, selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul. Grant us wisdom…lest we miss thy kingdom’s goal.

We mourn with victims of violence in our very community (as well as across the world). The ripples of anguish from such losses and the subsequent fears stretch far and wide. Cure thy children’s warring madness…Grant us wisdom – – wisdom of ways and acts of love which originate with you and that deliver us from evil.

We’re grateful to be a part of Church Street United Methodist Church. It’s easy in conversation to claim it as “our” church, but we truly know it is your church, God. (Thank you for sharing it with us!)  As we think about the near- and longer-term future for Church Street, open our minds and hearts to be even more supportive of this community of grace with our gifts, our service and our prayers. Crown your ancient church’s story; bring her bud to glorious flower.

We pray with gratitude for our clergy and church staff, whose daily commitments to service foster a safe, welcoming and sacred space for worship, mission, learning and spiritual growth.

We pray with thankfulness, too, for all those who volunteer in your church’s missions and ministries. Their work extends your support and grace among people in our community and membership.

As they navigate unknown and uncertain seas of their daily living, buoy all caregivers and care receivers with your renewing resilience. And among people outside the throes of caregiving, inspire all to discover ways to support those who do this challenging work.

This upcoming week will be school systems’ “fall break” for many children, youth and their families in our area.  We pray that these opportunities of families’ added time together with loved ones and friends will be meaningful, uplifting and spiritually enriching. We pray, too, for their safety and their physical and mental wellbeing.

God of grace and God of glory, on thy people pour thy power. Each and every day, God, help us sense and share your unconditional love. Through your granting of wisdom and courage, move us to respond with grace to others, just as you always do for us.  And with faith in your omnipotence, we ask that you receive and respond to these important prayer requests from congregation members and neighbors:

We offer prayers for ….

• A 92-year old grandfather who fell and broke a rib; prayers for comfort and healing
• All of those in hospitals
• A mother who had surgery earlier in the week; prayers for healing 
• A couple getting married this weekend
• A man dealing with grief after the death of his mother for whom he was the sole caregiver
• Families still waiting on repairs to be made to home and property after storm several weeks ago
• A wife in  hospice care
• A husband waiting to go home from hospital
• A member transitioning from rehab to long-term skilled nursing care
• A friend having open heart surgery
• A son grieving after father’s death
• A wife who had surgery two weeks ago; prayers for continued healing.
• A member whose family has asked for prayers as doctors make adjustments and offer hope
• Those who are seeking recovery from addiction
• A member who is having major abdominal surgery soon; prayers for healing
• A young mother diagnosed with breast cancer; prayers for her and her family as they await further diagnostics and surgery
• A husband dealing with blood clots and new medications
• The family of the Knox County Sheriff’s deputy who was killed; for all involved

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for …..

• All the animals who came to be blessed last Sunday!
• Our clergy – active and retired – during this Pastor Appreciation Month and ALWAYS!!
• For my Sunday School Class who has expressed so much love.
• A member’s successful open heart surgery! Prayers of continued strength and healing! Prayers of thanksgiving for a supportive and loving family and community.

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.

Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of September 20, 2023

Pat Bellingrath

God, we come to you tonight with hearts full of love and gratitude for all the ways you are at work in our lives. This time of year when the leaves are beginning to change and the air becomes crisp and cool, we look for hope and renewal in ourselves. The hot days of summer are over, and we are looking ahead to the joys of Advent. May we be reminded that you are the God of all seasons and allow us to see with fresh eyes, the change and peace that can be found in the beginning of a season.

We find ourselves, oh Lord, in the midst of challenging times in our church and in our world. When we read the newspaper or watch the news, may we embrace our connection to every human being in the world, each of whom bears the image of you, God. We are called, through prayer and action, to participate in the work of healing and caring for each other and all creation.

For those of us who are struggling or feeling disconnected from you, may we know that we are not alone. God, we are searching for something to heal us, something to strengthen us, something to give us peace, something to give us a better life. We search for ways to look better, to live better, ways to sustain our planet, ways to end gun violence. We search for ways to eradicate racism, cures for our diseases, ways to end homelessness, ways to end child hunger. We search (and yearn) for a reality to end our loneliness, to soothe the hurts we feel and for the pain of others to be healed. So, it seems we are all searching for you, God.

May we find you, oh Lord, in this changing of the seasons, in praying for others, in simple moments in our daily lives, in our relationships with one another, in our journeys of forgiveness, in our longing for justice and equity, and in moments of despair and in moments of joy. May we find you in places where we are uncertain or afraid. May we find you in the faces of our neighbors. For how can we deepen our connection with you unless we deepen our connections with one another?

As the leaves change into beautiful and vibrant hues, may we, too, be transformed. May we walk together in love, in hope and in faith. Oh God, who extends to us a kin-dom of justice and peace, healing and wholeness, of unity and equity, may we be the ones to live these here on earth each and every day. Amen.

We pray for …

• The birth of a grandbaby; and for all the big brothers in the family!
• A church member who is very ill
• A woman struggling with schizophrenia
• A neighbor who is about to be evicted
• A member’s father who has prostate cancer and for the mother who is feeling overwhelmed about caregiving because of her own health issues. Prayers for the whole family.
• A wife who is recovering from knee replacement surgery
• A member who has experienced the death of close friends and family within a span of a few weeks
• Members traveling out of town for a family funeral
• All those who struggle with addiction
• The young woman with schizophrenia who has asked for our prayers
• A mother whose 53-year-old son died suddenly

We give thanks for …

• Our SASH committee and all the good work they have done and continue to do (Safety, Accessibility, Security, and Health)
• A clear PET scan
• A specialist who is overseeing a difficult medical case

We continue to pray for…

• Those who are discouraged
• Members dealing with chronic illness and those who love them.

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.