Week of February 4, 2026
Rev. Catherine Nance
___________________________
It is easier to pray to you on warm days, O God. We know you are always with us, but on cold days it is more difficult to raise our head, lift our hands out to you, and take deep satisfying breaths as we give thanks to you. On cold nights, we are hunched inward, hands clutching our sweater, our bodies drawn up in a knot. Instead of deep breaths, we feel our spirits rattled by shivering. Even indoors, with the heat turned up, we say we cannot get warm and complain about the weather.
Forgive us for our grumpiness, O God, but we are tired of the cold. We are tired of things being cancelled. We are weary of being tied to weather apps. We are just tired.
Thank you for receiving us as we are. May this time of praying together with our church family be a time of thawing out. We do want our hearts and spirits to feel the warmth of your love, and we do want to give thanks for the warm homes and extra blankets we have. We are already sensing a shift in our posture as we unwrap ourselves and open towards you.
Thank you for the opportunity our church has had with the warming center. We pray for those who are volunteering tonight and in the morning. Also, praying for those who are seeking refuge with us tonight and then will come back for Soup Kitchen tomorrow. We admit, O God who knows our hearts, that there have been frustrations. We have had to make changes and rearrange things. It was easy to think that providing a warm place for a night might change people’s lives …. But we have realized that there are many layers and many problems and not one simple solution.
Having our eyes and hearts opened, may we be a helpful voice in offering solutions and understanding. Help us see our neighbors as individuals who have hopes and want so much more. Forgive us when we make quick judgments. We thank you for police officers, KAT bus drivers, and city officials who have offered so much help in getting people to warm places. May leaders work together for long-term solutions.
As we imagine our church family praying along with us, we think of those who have offered prayer requests, and we think of those who are near and dear to us who seek your comfort. We pray for families who are facing new challenges with medical diagnosis or disruption in their lives. When things have turned upside down, your steadfast presence can give us a sense of well-being. When test results and scans show what is going wrong in our body, may your spirit help us feel what is good and healthy in our souls and hearts. We are grateful for the healing power of love that works through all of our interactions and conversations.
We pray for wholeness in so many situations, O God. May our words and actions, through your Holy Spirit, bring reminders of your grace, mercy, and love.
We offer this prayer in the name of Christ and share the concerns of those who have shared…
We pray for ….
A college student who had foot surgery today. Prayers for healing and ease of pain.
A friend who is battling recurrent brain cancer and is having seizures.
A young woman asking for strength and perseverance as she deals with symptoms of PTSD … nightmares and other symptoms. May she feel God’s peace.
All ministries that are working with people dealing with addiction issues that they may be brought to wholeness
For those adjusting to assisted living centers, memory care, skilled care; and for the families who love them.
Our neighbors experiencing homelessness
For one who is having chemo treatments; prayers for healing and for no side effects.
We continue to pray for …
For a member who is beginning the cancer treatment process with appointments for scans, etc.
A member receiving chemo treatments.
For a 5-year old child in Birmingham diagnosed with brain tumor; prayers for his medical team and family.
A member’s cousin who is waiting on a kidney transplant.
Friends and family who have needs; prayers for peace and wellbeing.
Those members who are waiting on test results or waiting for appointments with doctors; may they feel your peace and patience as they wait.
Those who are still without power … places in Mississippi and elsewhere.
We give thanks for ….
A member whose brother received a transplant!
The life of a mentor who meant so much in regards of faith development and vocation.
Those who work outside repairing roads, power lines; EMT personnel, our military … all who have do not get a ‘snow day.’
We seek your guidance and strength as we pray together the prayer your Son Jesus Christ has 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
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.
Weekly Prayer – 2/11/2025
UncategorizedWeek of February 11, 2026
Pastor Sam Dzobo
___________________________
He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6).
Gracious and ever-present God,
You know the rhythm of our days and the longings of our hearts. Meet us here, in this in-between season of endings and beginnings.
We give you thanks for the sacred work of the warming center of these past weeks. Through open doors, warm meals, late nights, and early mornings, you reminded us that your kingdom comes through ordinary faithfulness. We thank you for the volunteers whose feet and willing hands became the body of Christ among our unhoused neighbors. You met them in their fatigue with strength and in their giving with joy. Bless them, sustain them, and let them know their faithfulness has meant the world to those in need. We thank you for generous gifts and shared resources, and for what cannot be measured, the relationships formed, the trust built, and the grace quietly woven among us.
Now we stand at a threshold. This past week, we learned that our pastor, Rev. Catherine Nance, will be retiring in June. God, we thank you for Rev. Catherine Nance and her faithful leadership through seasons of challenge and joy. As she prepares for retirement, grant her rest, health, and deep joy. May she know how deeply she is loved and how lasting her ministry with us will be. Holy Spirit, guide the bishop and appointive cabinet as they discern the next pastor for Church Street. Prepare us as well. Quiet our anxieties and make us ready to receive the one you will send us.
Remind us, O God, that we are yours. That transitions are held in your faithful hands. Keep us missional and grace-filled. We are not without hope. We are your people, and you are our God. In the name of Jesus, who walks with us through every transition, we pray.
Amen.
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We seek your guidance and strength as we pray together the prayer your Son Jesus Christ has 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – 02/04/2025
UncategorizedWeek of February 4, 2026
Rev. Catherine Nance
___________________________
It is easier to pray to you on warm days, O God. We know you are always with us, but on cold days it is more difficult to raise our head, lift our hands out to you, and take deep satisfying breaths as we give thanks to you. On cold nights, we are hunched inward, hands clutching our sweater, our bodies drawn up in a knot. Instead of deep breaths, we feel our spirits rattled by shivering. Even indoors, with the heat turned up, we say we cannot get warm and complain about the weather.
Forgive us for our grumpiness, O God, but we are tired of the cold. We are tired of things being cancelled. We are weary of being tied to weather apps. We are just tired.
Thank you for receiving us as we are. May this time of praying together with our church family be a time of thawing out. We do want our hearts and spirits to feel the warmth of your love, and we do want to give thanks for the warm homes and extra blankets we have. We are already sensing a shift in our posture as we unwrap ourselves and open towards you.
Thank you for the opportunity our church has had with the warming center. We pray for those who are volunteering tonight and in the morning. Also, praying for those who are seeking refuge with us tonight and then will come back for Soup Kitchen tomorrow. We admit, O God who knows our hearts, that there have been frustrations. We have had to make changes and rearrange things. It was easy to think that providing a warm place for a night might change people’s lives …. But we have realized that there are many layers and many problems and not one simple solution.
Having our eyes and hearts opened, may we be a helpful voice in offering solutions and understanding. Help us see our neighbors as individuals who have hopes and want so much more. Forgive us when we make quick judgments. We thank you for police officers, KAT bus drivers, and city officials who have offered so much help in getting people to warm places. May leaders work together for long-term solutions.
As we imagine our church family praying along with us, we think of those who have offered prayer requests, and we think of those who are near and dear to us who seek your comfort. We pray for families who are facing new challenges with medical diagnosis or disruption in their lives. When things have turned upside down, your steadfast presence can give us a sense of well-being. When test results and scans show what is going wrong in our body, may your spirit help us feel what is good and healthy in our souls and hearts. We are grateful for the healing power of love that works through all of our interactions and conversations.
We pray for wholeness in so many situations, O God. May our words and actions, through your Holy Spirit, bring reminders of your grace, mercy, and love.
We offer this prayer in the name of Christ and share the concerns of those who have shared…
We pray for ….
A college student who had foot surgery today. Prayers for healing and ease of pain.
A friend who is battling recurrent brain cancer and is having seizures.
A young woman asking for strength and perseverance as she deals with symptoms of PTSD … nightmares and other symptoms. May she feel God’s peace.
All ministries that are working with people dealing with addiction issues that they may be brought to wholeness
For those adjusting to assisted living centers, memory care, skilled care; and for the families who love them.
Our neighbors experiencing homelessness
For one who is having chemo treatments; prayers for healing and for no side effects.
We continue to pray for …
For a member who is beginning the cancer treatment process with appointments for scans, etc.
A member receiving chemo treatments.
For a 5-year old child in Birmingham diagnosed with brain tumor; prayers for his medical team and family.
A member’s cousin who is waiting on a kidney transplant.
Friends and family who have needs; prayers for peace and wellbeing.
Those members who are waiting on test results or waiting for appointments with doctors; may they feel your peace and patience as they wait.
Those who are still without power … places in Mississippi and elsewhere.
We give thanks for ….
A member whose brother received a transplant!
The life of a mentor who meant so much in regards of faith development and vocation.
Those who work outside repairing roads, power lines; EMT personnel, our military … all who have do not get a ‘snow day.’
We seek your guidance and strength as we pray together the prayer your Son Jesus Christ has 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – 01/28/2026
UncategorizedWeek of January 28, 2026
Rev. Tim Best
___________________________
God of strength and mercy,
Hear us when we call out to you, gracious Lord. When we lift our voices, with longing, with expectation, out of grief or suffering, hear us. We are drawn to you, and our hearts guide us towards you. Yet, we often feel overwhelmed and overburdened by the world. These burdens can lead us to despair. Do not allow us to become lost in despair. Grant us strength and patience as we wait upon you and desire your presence and action in our world and in our lives.
Comfort those who suffer, and grant justice to the oppressed. Even more, transform our hearts and teach us in your ways. Gift us with hearts of compassion toward others. Inspired by the Psalm, we pray not just for your intervention, but we pray for education and transformation. Renew our hearts and shape our minds that when we see the suffering of others, when we see the needs of others, guide us to the ways you would have us respond. Show us your paths and help us to follow them.
We pray for our nation. We pray that all people would see the humanity of all your children. We have come to a point of such struggle and disagreement that we know not even what to say to friends and neighbors. We don’t know how to pray in the wake of tragedy and in light of the news. Teach us your mercy and your steadfast love. May your church be guided by your wisdom to speak and minister in this moment. We pray for those who are leading, we pray for those who are imprisoned or are in fear, and we pray for Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota.
Gather those who are sick and help them to see your face and to know your goodness. Walk with those who are undergoing treatments or surgeries, tests, or procedures. Hear the cries of those in pain, those who feel alone in their struggles. May we all find hope in the promises of scripture that we would see the goodness of God in the land of the living.
We lift up all our prayers and the needs and joys of this community as we wait with expectation and hope for the coming of your kingdom. As an act of trust in your mercy and goodness we share the concerns of this Church Street family with you.
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We take heart and seek your strength as we pray together the prayer your Son Jesus Christ has 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – 01/21/2026
UncategorizedWeek of January 21, 2026
Rev. Amber Lloyd
___________________________
Holy One,
Our hearts are filled with a new song for you this day. We praise you for your everlasting faithfulness, your steadfast love day after day. Your grace goes before us, illuminating our steps and shining light in the dark places of our hearts. Your people at Church Street cry together today, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty. Heaven and earth are full of your glory!”
O God, we lift these cries with the angels and the saints in heaven, but we admit that sometimes our belief is shallow and tepid. We believe that you are God, that you sent your son, that your Spirit is with us. But our belief is merely an intellectual assent. We withhold our trust because it is easier to trust in ourselves. We guard ourselves against your conviction and direction because we don’t want to be changed. We want just enough transformation for self-improvement, but you desire more for us. You would have us be new creations in Christ. God, forgive us when we don’t trust you. Help our unbelief.
For those among us who face illness, unemployment, discrimination, or grief, we ask for the strength and comfort of your Spirit. For our neighbors experiencing homelessness and hunger, we ask for your protection and peace. Bless our enemies, Lord, and bring reconciliation between us and them. We ask these things knowing that, as your people in this world, we will seek to build your Kingdom on earth. By the power of your Spirit, may we be sources of strength and comfort, protection and peace, reconciliation and grace.
Hear our supplications, O God, as we list the concerns of our congregation and community:
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We give thanks for your son, Jesus Christ, and pray together these words which Christ 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – 01/14/2026
UncategorizedWeek of January 14, 2026
Pastor Sam Dzobo
___________________________
Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting” (John 4:35).
Gracious and loving God,
We thank you for this new year you have set before us, a year still fresh with promise and possibility. As we stand in this season of Epiphany, we remember our baptism and renew our identity as your beloved children, marked by grace and called into your light. You remind us, O Lord, that the fields are already ripe for harvest, not someday, not four months from now, but now, if only we would lift our eyes and see.
We bring before you the rhythms of our lives. We pray for students who have returned to classrooms, for teachers and staff beginning a new semester, and for college students navigating new challenges and hopes.
Strengthen those who are faithful to their commitments and encourage those who are weary or discouraged. When resolutions feel heavy, and resolve begins to falter, remind us that your mercy is new every morning.
We thank you for Church Street United Methodist Church, for the prayers we have prayed and the commitments we have made. Receive our pledges and offerings not merely as financial gifts, but as signs of our trust in you and our desire to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Use what we bring to strengthen our United Methodist connection, to bless our community, and to invite others into the joy of following Jesus.
Beyond what we give, shape our hearts to be available to you. Teach us to answer your call to love you with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Make us attentive to your voice, courageous in our witness, and generous in our compassion.
Lord, we pray that this year would be a year of great abundance at Church Street. Abundance of joy that overflows into hope. Abundance of welcome, as you add to our fellowship new people and new stories. Families, children, youth, and young adults, all drawn by your love and grace.
Send us into your harvest fields with open eyes, willing hands, and joyful hearts. May all that we do bring glory to you and bear fruit for your kingdom.
We pray this in the name of Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.
Amen.
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We offer these petitions in the name of Jesus Christ and close with the prayer Christ taught us, saying …
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.
Weekly Prayer – 01/07/2026
UncategorizedWeek of January 7, 2026
Rev. Catherine Nance
___________________________
It is customary at the beginning of a new year for United Methodists to pray the Covenant Prayer written by John Wesley (1780). As you can imagine the language sounds … 1780ish. Rev. Jeremy Smith offers a contemporary version which still reflects Wesley’s intent. You can go here to read the original wording and to learn more about the Covenant Prayer. Rev. Smith’s prayer is offered tonight for us to share as we begin 2026.
I am not my own self-made, self-reliant human being.
In truth, O God, I am Yours.
Make me into what You will.
Make me a neighbor with those whom You will.
Guide me on the easy path for You.
Guide me on the rocky road for You.
Whether I am to step up for You or step aside for You;
Whether I am to be lifted high for You or brought low for You;
Whether I become full or empty, with all things or with nothing;
I give all that I have and all that I am for You.
So be it.
And may I always remember that you, O God, and I belong to each other. Amen.
Gracious God, as we begin a new year together, we covenant to pray for our the needs of our world as well as the needs of our church members who have shared the following concerns and praises …..
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We offer these petitions in the name of Jesus Christ and close with the prayer Christ taught us, saying …
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 Prayer – 12/31/2025
UncategorizedWeek of December 31, 2025
Steve Richardson
___________________________
God in heaven and in our midst: This day we find ourselves again at the mark of a measurement of time conceived by our ancestors. While we set the standards of a calendar and counting of days, you, Omnipotent Creator, set the standards and laws of a physical universe so vast and marvelous that it is beyond our imagination and wisdom to comprehend.
And you are still creating! We sense it through transformation, healing, opening of doors to justice, dawns of new hope and life, repentance and restoration. So, as we traverse time into 2026, give us an openness to your sacred re-creation. Help to see, choose and follow pathways of living you shape for us.
Your grace and love abound around us. Yet we are so easily distracted by brokenness we see and experience so frequently. Causes of despair can be overwhelming: health concerns, broken relationships, grief, social injustices, financial uncertainties, loneliness, natural disasters, ecological disruptions, abuse, war, oppression, violence (just to name a few). Despite the challenges that kindle discouragement, remind us of your promise that you will steadfastly continue to be with us. Grant us the courage, confidence and wisdom to do things that enable your will being done – even when we might feel such actions are inadequate and mistakenly wonder, “Will it really make a difference?”
Once again, members of Church Street are opening their hearts to open the building’s doors to sharing space, warmth, food and safety to unhoused neighbors imperiled during frigidly cold winter nights. Thank you for the leaders, volunteers and staff who redirect their personal time and talents to this service. Acts like these bring reality to Jesus’ assertion, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Thank you, God, for your many blessings: Blessings known, blessings we take for granted, blessings we don’t even recognize or overlook due to the busyness of daily life, and blessings to come. Lead us to respond to these through sharing your grace with others and through living our lives in ways that magnify praise to you.
Lord, bless us and keep us. Shine your face upon us, and be gracious to us. Lift up your countenance upon us, and give us peace. We also humbly ask you to attend to these expressions and needs of people in our church community. Surround each person with your loving embrace…
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We also open our minds and hearts to you, gracious God, with the prayer Jesus 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – 12/24/2025
UncategorizedWeek of December 24, 2025
Rev. Tim Best
___________________________
Holy are you, God of presence and love,
You have made your love most fully known in and through Jesus Christ. As Christmas Eve settles around us, grant to each person your peace.
Calm the heart of every child. To those full of energy and joy, settle their spirits so they may rest. We praise you for their confidence in the love of family and friends. We are thankful for those children who will wake up in just a few hours, much earlier than normal, to find all the things the wished for. Help them to know that love is much more than packages and presents, yet help them to celebrate and give thanks for abundant blessings.
Grant your calming Spirit likewise to the anxious child, the one who goes to sleep hoping, longing, desiring items that might not arrive. May every child go to sleep tonight confident that they are loved, valued, and cared for. Where there are those in desperate need, move us to diligently work to proclaim your love and care through deed and action. May parents and caregivers who cannot give what is wished for, but have labored to provide what is needed, rest in the knowledge that those are the gifts that show a child love the most.
On this night that we celebrate the birth of our Lord, we pray for peace throughout the earth. We look with hope for that day when all war and violence will end and all shall know Christ’s peace. We pray for those who serve as soldiers, sailors, police, firefighters, and all emergency workers. Keep them safe, so that they may join their loved ones later to celebrate and rest.
Pour out your love upon those who are alone, those who are suffering, hospitalized, or ill. Open our hearts and transform us that we might offer friendship, community, care, compassion, and support to all we encounter. On this Christmas Eve, renew our commitment to your gospel, to the way of Christ, and to one another.
With hope in our hearts, and with a boldness of spirit we lift all that troubles us to your care. We rejoice in the good news that you are with us, that through Christ you have demonstrated your determination to be with us always. With trust in your love for us we share these needs of our church family:
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
With trust in Christ’s love for us, we join together in the prayer that he taught us, praying, Our Father….
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.
Advent Devotional – Week Four
UncategorizedAll Still Within
By: Kristen Struyk
Titus 3:4-6
“But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”
The Japanese word omakase translates literally to “I leave it up to you.” There are restaurants by this name where the chef chooses each customer’s meal! It can feel unnatural not to weigh our options, manage the timing, and choose for ourselves.
The posture of receiving is uncomfortable for many of us. It requires trust, humility, and vulnerability. Advent invites us to turn our attention away from our need to achieve and bravely open our arms wide to receive. Peace grows in us when we learn to trust the kindness and love of the One who is giving.
When peace is hard to come by, I have to choose it with intention and weave it into my daily routine. Early in my counseling work, I developed a “ritual of reception,” whispering the words “all still within” before meeting with clients. This phrase comes from a quote in Harvey Reeves Calkins’s The Victory of Mary Christopher: “It makes me all still within when I think how God has kept His promise when He said, ‘I shall pour you out a blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.” After sessions, my “ritual of release” is a quiet prayer: “I will leave it all with Thee,” from a poem by Frances Ridley Havergal.
Being “all still within” and “leaving it all with Thee” can be simple breath-prayers and steady reminders of the peace of God’s presence when life veers off course, when what we receive is not what we ordered, and when we are faced with things we cannot understand. Fortunately, peace has nothing to do with understanding and everything to do with the presence of God. The presence of God-with-us assures us we are beloved, we are safe, and we are not alone.
Prayer
Kind and Loving God, thank you for the peace of being heart to heart with You. We know both the initial unease and the deep joy of leaving things up to You. Let us be “all still within” today as we remember Your presence with us and as we receive one another as friends who bear Your image. Amen.
Weekly Prayer 12/17/2025
UncategorizedWeek of December 17, 2025
Rev. Amber Lloyd
___________________________
O God of Grace and Mercy,
You sit enthroned on the praises of your people. All glory and honor is yours, Almighty God, and your people at Church Street join with the saints and the angels singing songs of adoration and joy today. All the earth is your footstool, but as those who seek to serve you in this world, we work to create a house built on the love of Christ, strengthened by the bonds of the Holy Spirit, distinguished by justice and mercy and love.
God, we give thanks for our church building this week, which has certainly been a house of justice, mercy, and love. We thank you for each guest who found shelter and warmth at Church Street and for the volunteers who acted as your very hands and feet in service to their neighbors. Each week, your children find solace within the walls of our beautiful church through prayer and praise in worship, through shared experiences and reading scripture, and, this week, through the provision of a safe place to sleep. We serve as Christ taught us, with gratitude and humility, for the love of you and our neighbors. May Church Street always be a sanctuary for every soul who seeks refuge and comfort there.
Today, we remember our Sunday night guests and all the persons in our city who need shelter and a warm meal. Holy Spirit, as we continue to seek justice for them and so many others, go before them when we cannot. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers for these people in our community. Give us courage as we strive to obey your call to serve those in need.
Lord, you love us so much that you know the number of hairs on our heads. In Jesus, you are present in our suffering. You collect our tears in a bottle and make note of each one. Be present with us now, O God, and in the lives of the persons and circumstances listed here:
We pray for ….
All those for whom the holidays are difficult because of grief, loss, or heartache ….
A colleague was recently diagnosed with lung cancer; she was pregnant and had to deliver early. Prayers for her and baby boy
A soup kitchen guest who had a job interview last week
Friends and family who are going through a hard time.
We continue to pray for …
All of our homeless neighbors
A couple hoping for pregnancy
A member and her sister as they continue to make decisions for their mother
A sister recovering from open heart surgery
We give thanks for ….
The birth of a healthy granddaughter
A nephew who has been serving out of the country for five months is now stateside.
All of the wonderful volunteers and donations for the Warming Center; thankful for the way government and churches are working together!
Wonderful music last Sunday! Thankful for our choir!
Angel tree helpers
This Advent season, as we look again at that familiar scene in Bethlehem, may we be filled with wonder by how you continue to work through even the most ordinary people, in the simplest of circumstances. Increase our awareness for the ways you are at work in our lives and in the people around us.
Together, we pray these words which Christ taught us, saying:
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 evi
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
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