BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 16, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
If thou wilt suffer God to guide thee, and hope in God through all thy ways,
God will give strength, whate’er betide thee, and bear thee through the hardest days.
We offer praise to you, Lord God, for our church family. We thank you for all those who came before us, those who built our structure and dedicated it to your purposes, for those saints who guided us in walking in Jesus’ steps. We know that we are reaping what these other witnesses have sown – those who also lived through hard times. And like them, may we faithfully love, work, and serve your people, that even those yet unborn may benefit from our own labor. For we take comfort in knowing that when you call us home, we will rejoin that larger Church Street family, and indeed all your devoted servants, in that realm that has joy beyond our perception.
Sing, pray, and keep God’s ways unswerving; so do thine own part faithfully;
And trust God’s word, though undeserving, thou yet shall fine it true for thee.
And even though we must be away from our beloved physical structure during this time of widespread virus, we believe you are holding us together in the invisible web of your love. You, O Unknowable One, are above and beyond both steeple and spire, both archway and font, both pulpit and altar. These merely point to your heavenly goodness. So while we are physically apart, let us imagine our house of worship permanently planted within our hearts. And with each heartbeat, we will be continually singing as one, lifting up those ageless hymns, celebrating the One who claims us and who will lead us safely back to Henley at his appointed time.
Watchful Savior, we pray for our created world and for all its inhabitants, each of whom you know intimately. We focus far too intently on what has gone wrong in our lives, and in the lives of others. But ever so often, turn our attention to what we have received already through your untold generosity. One great gift is your invitation to offer our celebrations and our burdens, so hear now these sentiments that rise from the souls of your people at Church Street:
- Member is grateful that her eye procedure on Thursday was successful
- Family thankful husband/father was released from hospital on Friday
- Thankful that friend recovering from open heart surgery is improving
- Gratitude for the life of a loving Christian wife who died on Saturday
- Thanksgiving that a father in ICU is much improved
- Lift up a very ill sister-in-law who remains in ICU with COVID
- Prayers for good news for member having imp medical test today
- Comfort for husband whose young wife died this week and for entire family who are mourning her sudden death
- Solace for two sons who grieve the death of their mother on Saturday
- Prayers that a lonely daughter will find friends and companionship
- Healing for a beloved mother and a father hospitalized with COVID
- Strength and guidance for caregiver; continued healing for her husband
- Comfort for beloved wife suffering from metastatic cancer and her family
- Mercy and peace for wife whose husband (51) died of a massive stroke
- Healing prayers for one recovering from delicate heart surgery
- College-age grandson with COVID, that he may heal sufficiently to finish his semester
- Dear faithful Christian friend with progressive cancer, now in ICU
- Healing for teenage daughter, wisdom and peace for her loving parents
- A hospitalized brother, healing of foot infection, strength for family
- Recovery from COVID for loved ones in hospitals and healthcare facilities
Only be still, and wait God’s leisure, in cheerful hope, with heart content,
To take whate’er thy Maker’s pleasure and all-discerning love hath sent.
Gentle Jesus, you once promised: “Ask and it shall be given.” And so we ask for these gifts: for the courage to be brave in this time of stress; for the strength to carry out with hopeful hearts the ministries to which you have called us; for the tenacity to hold on, even when others are giving up; and for the love that moves us to be still and patient, and yet prepared, for whatever befalls. All these things we pray in your blessed name, just as you taught 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.
