Evening Prayer – January 12

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Prayers for the Church Street Family

January 12, 2021

Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade

O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from far away.
 You search out my path and my lying down,
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
 Even before a word is on my tongue,
    O Lord, you know it completely.
 You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is so high that I cannot attain it.

 Where can I go from your spirit?
    Or where can I flee from your presence?

How softly the sun slips behind the tree line, signaling the close of another wintry day. As the darkness descends, we turn toward you, Holy One, bowing in thanksgiving for the gifts these hours have brought, particularly . . . . . . . . . .  We remember, O God of Reawakening, that strength and courage are born in us when we face trials and tribulations that arrive unannounced.  Through these struggles we presently bear, and there are many, thank you for fortifying us with resilience we did not know we possessed.  Make us strong and sturdy, O Lord, that we might serve as your enduring ministers in this world as long as we are needed.

Our hearts are open books to you, Prescient God, and whatever corner we happen to turn, you are there already.  What a glorious and humbling mystery it is that the One who created the universe is interested in our everyday lives!  As the psalmist proclaimed: “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; so high I cannot attain it.”  Help us, we pray, to accept the timeless truth that your concern for us is both individual and unending.

Therefore, in this quiet hour, we name our mistakes and make our silent pleas . . . . . . . . . . Whatever we have done to injure another, show us how to make it right; and whatever burden we have, we know you will help us sort things out when the new day comes. And although you know them already, we pray you would receive also, Dear Lord, both these thanksgivings and these troubling situations that shadow the joy of your people at Church Street:

  • Thankful niece has recovered from Covid
  • Gratitude for a grandson’s scholarship offer
  • Family thankful for their new home
  • Thanksgiving: A husband and wife received vaccine
  • Prayers for wife and medical team – possible surgery tomorrow; assurance for worried family members
  • Peaceful resolution to our nation’s bitter divisions
  • That holy wisdom may guide our country’s leaders
  • Healing prayers for husband with Covid pneumonia
  • Courage for one beginning chemo on Friday
  • Healing for teenage granddaughter with Covid
  • God’s presence with family, father (60) died suddenly last night
  • Two who are healing from serious heart conditions
  • For new meds to slow the growth of one’s cancer
  • Courage and strength for one facing major surgery Friday
  • Prayers for daughter, recurrence of cancer
  • Dear friend hospitalized, diagnosis unknown
  • Prayers that one’s side effects of chemo are minimal
  • Couple seeking to retrieve funds lost in a scam
  • For God’s guidance in finding employment

We lean upon your encompassing presence throughout this night, Silent One, realizing that you are always keeping watch over those who are closest to our hearts, and all who are lonely and hurting. And as we sleep, infuse our hearts with the joy of knowing your grace. Accept all our prayers offered in the name of the Trinity of Love: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:

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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Evening Prayer – January 11

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Prayers for the Church Street Family

January 11, 2021

Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade

O Keeper of the Hours, daylight is seeping away and the twisted fingers of the oaks seem to be waving good-bye to the foggy hillsides.  For many, sundown seems to come too soon, for deadlines have not been met, boxes on to-do lists have not checked off, meetings have not yet adjourned. Ah, but in your wisdom, you know our inner weariness and wish us to open that gate of rest. Let us cross through that passageway soon with grateful hearts, for in the evening hours you have important things to teach us. Soothe our minds and calm our spirits, we pray, that in the stillness to come we might even hear the soft beating of your heart  . . . . . . . . . .

Your Son Jesus said that eye has not seen nor ear heard what you have planned for us in that other realm. And despite our setbacks, fears, and grave disappointments, you have already gifted us in this earthly province with wonders beyond imagining: for life itself, in all its mystery and joys, for the guiding light of your church, for friends who never forsake, for family members who care, for your belief in us, for those who labor on our behalf, and for all these other graces you have bequeathed us through your mercy . . . . . . . . . . How blessed are we who need not measure up; we are accepted and blessed as we are! Thanks be to God!

Sentinel of the Night, as the shadows deepen, let us release our grip on all those tensions that have plagued us this day: our beloved nation fraying at the edges, friends who are in trouble, paychecks that are insufficient, the virus that wears a threatening grimace, unraveling relationships, loved ones who have died without a tender embrace. Let us open our hands and, one by one, may we offer to your transfiguring grace all these burdens and others that have made a home within us . . . . . . . . . . .

Take all these, we pray, and wrap them in your renewing grace. As you are the God who never sleeps until all his sheep are nestled in, we will rest easier with you on the lookout. Tend your people of Church Street, receiving both their joys and their pressing needs:

  • Thankful that one is home from hospital
  • Gratitude for an unexpected gift
  • Thanksgiving that cancer was detected early
  • One celebrates news of her cancer remission
  • Member released from rehab and now in his home
  • Member grateful for clear cancer scans offers
  • Member thankful: Healing well after knee surgery
  • Wisdom for national leaders and healing of our country’s wounds
  • Continued prayers for one with heart condition
  • That a new drug may slow the growth of one’s cancer
  • Courage and strength for one facing major surgery this week
  • Dear friend hospitalized, diagnosis unknown
  • Prayers that one’s side effects of chemo are minimal
  • Healing of beloved husband with covid pneumonia
  • One who begins chemo treatments on Friday
  • That a couple may retrieve funds lost in a scam
  • For God’s guidance in finding employment
  • Members mourning the death of a dear friend
  • God’s presence with the lonely and isolated
  • Continued prayers: One recovering from heart surgery

Guardian of the Worn and Weary, we lie down in peace; and as we enter that world of slumber, we are confident that all shall be well. Calm our spirits till they are one with yours, and receive all these prayers we offer in the redeeming name of your Son, who taught us to say:

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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Evening Prayer – January 7

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Prayers for the Church Street Family

January 7, 2021

Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade

O God, Our Refuge and Strength, although hours have passed, we can still hear the roar of the angry crowd, the breaking of glass, the noise of destruction. The unsettling sounds, sights, and shock of yesterday we will not soon forget. And we live under the specter of future turbulence. Heal our painful memories, we pray, and enable us to put an end to the fear we harbor inside. Turn our unease into strength and resolve, O Mighty Stronghold, that we may never settle our disagreements in a violent manner.

Eternal Harmony, you are the servant of none, and in your goodness, you embedded your rhythm and unity within all creation. Malevolence in all its forms introduces a dissonance more far-reaching than we realize. You have given us the life-song of Christ as our template, so may his psalm of love, peace, justice, and forgiveness be the anthem we sing with the living of our days.

In the solitude of this evening, with our silent breaths, we offer gratitude for the ways in which your grace has touched us this day, especially in these instances . . . . . . . . . .  And absolve us of these missteps we have taken in recent times . . . . . . . . . . In your mercy, receive all these personal prayers offered by your friends in the Church Street family:

  • Grateful for prayers: A surgery went smoothly this morning
  • One thankful for a promising medical report
  • Gratitude: Member healing well from hand surgery
  • Appreciation for all who helped restore order during yesterday’s violence in D.C.
  • Continued prayers for one with heart condition
  • Prayers for all who are working to heal our nation’s wounds
  • Comfort for families whose loved ones died in the January 6 fracas
  • That peace with justice will become our way of life
  • Healing for friend in her 7th week of hospitalization with Covid
  • Healing for daughter with recurrence of cancer
  • Comfort for family mourning death of mother
  • God’s presence for all who are lonely and isolated
  • Prayers for rapid distribution of vaccine
  • Continued prayers for one recovering from heart surgery
  • Strength for member coping with chemo side effects
  • Prayers for educators and students at every level
  • Courage and strength for one beginning chemo tomorrow
  • God’s presence with one who is discouraged

In this season of Epiphany, we remember the Star that pointed the way for the cluster of weary travelers. As we rest this night, may its beam continue to shine above us, infusing us with the assurance that we are never really lost when Christ is with us. And when morning comes, may we feel that its beam within, as we rise to worship and follow that road of service that leads to 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.

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The “W” in Christmas

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Wednesday, December 23, Morning

By Willard Sitton

The “W” in Christmas

Read 1 John 4:8

“But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” ESV

Each December I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I cut back on nonessential obligations – extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s “Winter Pageant”. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me there’d be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas,” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment – songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good cheer. So when my son’s class rose to sing, “Christmas Love,” I was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow caps upon their heads. Those in the front row and center stage held up large letters one by one to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing “C” is for Christmas,” a child would hold up the letter “C”. Then “H is for Happy” and on and on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete message: “Christmas Love”.

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down – totally unaware her letter “M” appeared as a “W”. The audience of 1st graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly holding her “W”. Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a purpose for our festivities. For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: “CHRIST WAS LOVE”.

Prayer

Dear God, we are so thankful you sent Your Son, Jesus, to save all who accept Him as Savior. We trust yours and Jesus’ love for all. Amen.

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Wishing Jesus a Happy Birthday

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Tuesday, December 22, Evening

By Nancy Thompson

Wishing Jesus a Happy Birthday

Read Luke 1:35

“The child to be born will be holy. He will be called The Son of God.”

Things seem so different this year, yet not too much. The saying is, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That certainly is true with Jesus and His birth. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. However some of us may (or may not) change the way we celebrate the event. Here are two ways we might wish Jesus a happy birthday.

The first is an every ‘i’ dotted and every ‘t’ crossed celebration: 

LIST:

  • Floors mopped and waxed check 
  • Rugs cleaned check 
  • Necessary windows washed check 
  • Guest room ready check 
  • Get dog groomed check 
  • Holiday clothes to cleaners 
  • Christmas dishes clean and ready 
  • Grocery list made for parties and Christmas dinner 
  • Christmas card list updated and stamps bought 
  • Babysitters reserved 
  • Fruit baskets and poinsettias ordered 
  • Trees and decorations cleaned and ready to go up 
  • Shopping almost done check, check and check

Jesus, our family is now ready to wish you a Merry Christmas.

The second group is different and concerned with improving their attitudes, character, relationships and concern for their Christian wellbeing in working through the following thoughts: 

  • To close your book of complaints and open your book of praise. 
  • To ignore what life owes you and think about what you owe life. 
  • To stop looking for friendship and start being friendly. 
  • To be content with things you have and stop worrying about things you have not. 
  • To enjoy simple blessings of life and to cease striving for the artificial pleasures of the day. 
  • To cease looking for someone to help you and devote yourself to helping others.
  • To consecrate your life to the service of an imperfect church and to remember that Christ chose 12 imperfect men to be His disciples.

Add your thoughts to either or both lists. Jesus wants to know our thoughts.

Prayer

Dear God, please accept our thoughts and prayers, however different they may be, to wish our Savior a truly sincere Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas this year. Amen.

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O Come, Thou Root of Jesse’s Tree

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, December 20, Morning

By Rev. Catherine Nance

O Come, Thou Root of Jesse’s Tree

Read Isaiah 11:1-10

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—
    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
    the Spirit of counsel and of might,
    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
    or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he will judge the needy,
    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.
He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;
    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
Righteousness will be his belt
    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The wolf will live with the lamb,
    the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling[a] together;
    and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
    their young will lie down together,
    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
    on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
    as the waters cover the sea.

 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

When I am doing pre-marital counseling with couples, part of the conversation is about their respective family trees and what each learns about handed-down roles and expectations. Putting together a Jesse Tree is a wonderful way to learn some of the Old Testament characters as well as Jesus’ family tree. Sunday School teachers discover that fourth graders enjoy reading that first chapter of Matthew as they start with verse 16 and work their way up. How many ‘greats’ do you have to put in front of ‘grandfather’ to know which grandfather Jesse was to Jesus? Great-great-great-great … you can count for yourself. It’s a lot! The fourth stanza of the hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, points us to the lineage of Jesus. “O come, thou Root of Jesse’s tree, an ensign of thy people be; before thee rulers silent fall; all peoples on thy mercy call.”

Most families have the stories and characters that they would prefer to forget, or at least, not bring up at Thanksgiving dinner. The one son or daughter who everyone thought would do great things ended up somewhere else … There are poor decisions, arguments over an inheritance, family secrets that still overshadow and other stories we would rather not talk about. King David, God’s chosen, could not save the kingdom. And yet, we continue to hear about God’s people and the lineage of David. Wasn’t that destroyed? Things will never be the same! Let’s not talk about it!

But Isaiah, like a cousin who doesn’t know any better, brings it up. He doesn’t even refer to “David,” but to the stump of Jesse. The heritage that Jesse, David’s father brings, has been cut down! Nothing left but a stump. Isaiah tells us to look closely. A shoot is growing from that stump and the roots are deep! You can read about Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18 and how he brings hope and peace to God’s people again. Isaiah reminds the people that when God begins a work, when God makes a promise, there is no family story or history too devastating or troubling. God works through all of our stories and in spite of them!

As you read through Isaiah 11, the image of Edward Hicks’ painting Peaceable Kingdom comes to mind. In the midst of divisive times whether it is within the family or within our own country, I turn to Isaiah 11 and remember the stories of exiles returning and even the older story of the exodus (read all of chapter 11). Focusing on God’s images and promise of return, reconciliation, and peace is a helpful image for me this season!

Prayer

God of Mary and Joseph, Elizabeth and John, Ruth and Boaz, we thank you for the genealogies that trace our own histories and stories. Thank you for loving us through the flourishing times and the disappointing times. Thank you for great-great-grandparents and cousins who have shaped who we are. May we keep our hearts open to your desire for us to live in peace and grace. Amen.

Rev. Catherine Nance is the Senior Pastor at Church Street United Methodist Church. 

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The Church of How

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Thursday, December 17, Evening

By Steve Richardson

The Church of How

Read John 1:14-18

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us … No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.”

It was the early 1970s, and we were a contingent of Holston Conference youth spending a week in New York City to learn about global issues at the United Nations. On a chilly Sunday morning, we entered a large window-less warehouse-like room in an aging building in Greenwich Village. It was anything but a “church”. But that’s what our youth group leader, Rev. Bob Bostic, told us the place was – a church; a United Methodist Church, in fact.

The ordained minister’s name was Izzy (his last name has faded in my memory). The congregants, about 30 in number and diverse in appearance, sat in a large circle. A somewhat-familiar United Methodist order of worship was followed. The big exception was the sermon. For that, Izzy introduced a concept based on scripture, then the congregants all shared their own personal perspectives. The theme that Sunday was love of neighbors. Everyone had much to share, including their own experiences of the pragmatic importance of loving relationships and support for one another, despite the turbulent, challenging times facing our nation during those years. Their comments were nurturing, deep, insightful and articulate. They were rooted in personal struggle and obvious faith.

The profundity of that worship service has stayed with me ever since. In retrospect, among other things I learned that day, I realized that “church” is more than merely a physical space, more than a building. Church is not only a “where,” but it is also a “how”… how God brings us in closer relationship with one another and with God.

So, too, could be the manger in Bethlehem. Yes, it was a place, a “where”, but it too, was a “how”… how God, through Jesus, granted a remarkable way to forge an unprecedented human-to-human relationship with each of us.

Prayer

God, in our hearts we know you desire an on-going and regular relationship with each of us. You have shown us in many ways how you long for that. Guide and inspire us to sustain that relationship on our part through our prayers, gifts, service, mission and love among our neighbors in need all around us.

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The Still Small Voice

Daily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Friday, December 11

By Dan Kelley

The Still Small Voice

Read 1 Kings 19:11-12

The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.”

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

I was stationed in the Army at Third A.I.T. Brigade, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, in the late 60’s. The Third Brigade had 2500 to 3000 troops and we trained them in Advanced Infantry Tactics. We graduated about 250 every week. Some we sent to Army schools. Some we sent to other Army posts in the States, Europe, and Asia. Most we sent to Vietnam. Then another 250 would ship in fresh out of Basic Training to start their training.

It was a busy, active, anxious time. There was a fellow in our squad from a small town in Southern Indiana that got a hometown newspaper every week. It really was not a newspaper, more of a hometown newsletter but it arrived every week.

There was no masthead. It just started out at the top with “GREETINGS NEIGHBORS” and ended at the bottom of the last page with “AUNT RUTH”. The top right-hand corner had a number around 300 for all the people in the town and the surrounding area. The number went up with every birth in the town and went down with every death. Those events were thoroughly documented. All the marriages and divorces were duly noted.

The old Royal Standard typewriter that she wrote the paper on had two keys that were damaged, the D and the W. So if you saw an undecipherable letter, you knew it was a D or a W and figured the word out from that. The paper was two, three, or four pages, depending on how much news was available that week. It was printed on a mimeograph machine so the paper had a slight purple tinge to it.

The paper contained stories like the 12-year-old Linda Stillwell report. Her 6th grade class went on a field trip to the Children’s Museum in Indianapolis. They went to Max Shapiro’s Jewish Deli for lunch and had food they had never heard of before. She loved her shawarma meat sandwich but could not tell her mother how to make one.

Betty Crenshaw’s cow Elsie was having trouble calving. It was her first one and Betty had to stay up all night to help her through it. Mother and child are doing well.

Ida Marshall had to go to Idaho to help her mother after she got out of the hospital. “Will someone drop off a casserole or invite them to supper so that Hank and the kids do not starve?”

They listed all the sports scores and talked about players who did well, encouraging them that they would win next time. There were few ads except yard sales, church bazaars, and girls willing to babysit. 26 CSUMC + Advent Devotions

The “TO PRAY FOR” section listed the local folks in service: my friend at Ft. Jackson, Billy Hand who was stationed at MACV in Vietnam, and Beth French, who was a nurse stationed in Germany. And everybody else that was in the hospital or having a rough time.

It started with just the guys in our squad but soon guys in other squads wanted to read the paper. Then guys in other companies in our Brigade wanted to read it. Even our Colonel and top Sergeant wanted to read it. It got a bit frayed by the time it got passed around, just in time for a new one to arrive.

People started thinking they knew the people from his small town. They would ask him if Helen had had her baby yet, and what she and Brett were going to name her. They started asking for Jim Starnes’ address so they could send him a sympathy card on the death of his mother; would he still get to go to Indiana State on a tennis scholarship? They asked him if he had any pictures of the town or the people because there were none in the paper.

The paper became a lifeline for soldiers who had been torn from their lives and families, and were thrown together with strangers far from home. Their own letters from home were few and far between or non-existent. Their own hometown papers were sterile, professional, and more about business than people. The small town paper helped them center their lives, by caring for people amidst the chaos of activities among strangers.

Prayer

Dear Lord, as we enter this Advent season, help us remember that the coming of the Child in a small, quiet, out-of-the-way place is God’s gift to us. As a small town newsletter brought comfort and peace to soldiers amidst chaos, let us see the love of God for us in the small, quiet gift of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ amidst the chaos of Christmas of 2020.

This devotion was written by Dan Kelley in honor of Stephen Ministries. 

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Prayer for Today – November 24

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Prayers for the Church Street Family

November 24, 2020

Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade

Life in this world has a way of wounding us, sometimes within an inch of our lives; and at many junctures we wound ourselves.  We need only sift through our memories to count the foolish mistakes we have made, the hurts we have suffered, the pain we have inflicted upon others. But in this season of turning, the dry and crackling leaves send us a clear message: what’s done is done, what has been before has passed; yet what has withered and fallen to the ground becomes the rich loam which fertilizes the new. The pieces of a broken vessel can be cemented and filled with healing oil to bless the wounds of another. Today let us celebrate the extraordinary power of our God who fashions something remarkable from a regrettable mistake, who creates a road within the wilderness, who brings new life to the one thought to be lifeless!

Caring Friend, we are here before you, again admitting that we often miss the mark; but we believe you know how complicated our lives have become during these months since the unpredictable virus crowned himself the king of predators, hammering down our personal defenses. Many careers have been stalled or shattered; unemployment lines grow longer and longer; more families are hungry; rent is overdue; patience is thin and tempers flare. And worst of all is the menacing disease itself that stealthily preys upon the elderly, the homeless, and the weak.

Because we know the Living Christ welcomes all prayers that come from our hearts, his arms are open to receive our burdens. Even though his eyes fill with tears when he beholds our suffering and hears our laments, he has been working on our behalf. We offer profound gratitude for the skill, wisdom, and determination given to all researchers dedicated to the production of a virus vaccine. We pray it will meet with approval, with expedient distribution to those most in need, and with effective results. And One Who Waits With Us, give us signs along the way that we shall make it through.

All these things we ask, and remembering your great mercy, we also offer the prayers from the hearts of your people at Church Street.  We feel your power at work within us and through us, even as we lift these prayers on behalf of our brothers and sisters:

  • Grateful for prayers: Cardiac test met with good results
  • One expresses joy that he has employment
  • Thankful that a family conflict is working itself out
  • Gratitude: 126 Thanksgiving baskets were prepared by church volunteers to help feed the hungry in our community
  • Healing prayers for a brother on ventilator in Chicago, effects of COVID & for his family members who are all infected
  • One asks for prayers for peace and protection for his mother and special friends
  • Prayers for a daughter’s health, sufficient food and happiness for family
  • Healing prayers: Parents and grandparents in ICU
  • A nephew in Nashville who is homeless
  • Comfort for all mourning virus death of a talented musician
  • Blending of two families as a wedding approaches
  • Healing prayers for husband recovering from heart surgery
  • Strength for one caring for former husband in ill health
  • Grace for dear friend in ICU with COVID pneumonia and peace for family
  • Continued prayer: That a friend’s treatments will sufficiently shrink his pancreatic tumor, preparing him for surgery
  • Member undergoing knee surgery today and for her surgeon
  • Beloved husband in hospice care, wife who is grieving

Thank you, Sacred One, for calling us to be your people. Continue to bind us together with all believers everywhere, until we are one resilient body, joining as one mighty voice to sing your song of hope, and praying together the words taught us by our Savior:

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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Prayer for Today – November 5

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Prayers for the Church Street Family

November 5, 2020

 

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord.   

-Psalm 31:24

Be still my soul:  the Lord is on your side.

Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain, leave to your God to order and provide;

In every change, God faithful will remain.

Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake.

-Katharina von Schlegel

New every morning is your love, great God of light,

and all day long you are working for good in the world.

-from An Order for Morning Praise and Prayer UM Hymnal

 

God of this new day, we lift our hearts to you. The morning light has broken through the darkness of the night once again, and fresh possibilities and new beginnings await us. As the harvest sunrise demands our attention, sending its penetrating rays into our homes, it is impossible not to take notice. The wonders of your creation surround us and, in the changing of the seasons, we are reminded of your faithfulness throughout all generations.

Gentle and merciful God, you know how quickly we move from amazement and wonder to being overwhelmed by the worries of the day. We grow discouraged too easily, finding ourselves either immobilized by fear, or frantically rushing around, mindlessly latching onto quick fixes and easy solutions. Forgive our blindness to your presence. Free us from ourselves, Loving God, that we may fully experience the joy of life lived in relationship with you.

You know all the things that we face each day, the trials and hurts that are a part of living and loving. And, yet, you call us to a place of peace and calm in the midst of the storm, trusting that you never leave us alone. You ask us to wait patiently, leaning on your everlasting arms, and trusting in your infinite wisdom to direct our steps, all the time knowing that such a request is contrary to what the world would have us believe. Waiting is so much a part of our lives and often distracts us from the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ. We wait for test results, election results, job offers, anticipated promotions or raises, impending deaths for those in Hospice care, justice too long denied – the list is never-ending. Even still, your word to us remains constant –

Be strong, let your heart take courage, and wait.

And so, with the assurance of your great compassion, we place before you all that keeps us from abundant living, trusting that you hear our cries, comfort us in our need, and renew our strength:

  • Thanksgiving for prayers: Wife at Mayo Clinic received good news yesterday
  • Thankful for safe move of fragile mother to a new healthcare facility
  • Grateful for prayers: Gum surgery went well
  • Couple celebrate a husband’s successful heart surgery
  • Cherished niece and husband celebrate birth of their 1st daughter yesterday
  • Faithful member needs prayer for a lenient court ruling on November 9
  • Relief for those suffering from economic setbacks due to virus
  • Healing for teenage daughter, peace for her loving parents
  • God’s healing for our divided nation, for calm following national election
  • Relief from postpartum depression and young mother’s anxiety
  • Please pray for church member in critical care, for her husband & family
  • Safety and peace for elderly mother in hospice care, peace for her family
  • Prayers for young grandson with autism, healing of his self-abuse
  • Continued prayers, nephew in Missouri, seriously ill with Covid-19
  • Stamina and protection for our healthcare workers in every locale
  • Healing and guidance for family – husband ailing with very serious illness
  • Strength for friend with metastatic cancer, wisdom for her physicians

Gracious God, may we be daily surprised by your creation, hourly startled by the depths of your love, and every moment amazed by your care. All these things we ask 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.

Special thanks to Rev. Pat Clendenen for contributing to this week’s prayers.

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