Weekly Prayer – January 15, 2025

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of January 15, 2025

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance*

*Today, Church Street United Methodist Church was honored to host the MLK Interfaith Prayer Service. It was so inspiring to hear from a variety of community religious leaders speak of Dr. King’s inspiration. For tonight’s prayer, we offer a few excerpts from prayers that Rev. Dr. King prayed during his life …. 

Eternal God, out of whose mind this great cosmic universe, we bless you. Help us to seek that which is high, noble and good. Help us in the moment of difficult decision. Help us to work with renewed vigor for a warless world, a better distribution of wealth, and a brother/sisterhood that transcends race or color.

***

God, give us strength of body to keep walking for freedom. God, give us strength to remain nonviolent, even though we may face death.

***

God, grant that we wage the struggle with dignity and discipline. May all who suffer oppression in this world reject the self-defeating method of retaliatory violence and choose the method that seeks to redeem.

***

God, remove all bitterness from my heart and give me the strength and courage to face any disaster that comes my way.

***

God, we thank you for the inspiration of Jesus. Grant that we will love you with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, even our enemy neighbors. And we ask you, God, in these days of emotional tension, when the problems of the world are gigantic in extent and chaotic in detail, to be with us in our going out and our coming in, in our rising up and in our lying down, in our moments of joy and in our moments of sorrow, until the day when there shall be no sunset and no dawn.

***

We thank you for your church, founded upon your Word, that challenges us to do more than sing and pray, but go out and work as though the very answer to our prayers depended on us and not upon you. Help us to realize that humanity was created to shine like the stars and live on through all eternity. Keep us, we pray, in perfect peace. Help us to walk together, pray together, sing together, and live together until that day when all God’s children — Black, White, Red, Brown and Yellow — will rejoice in one common band of humanity in the reign of our Lord and of our God, we pray. Amen.

We join praying with people around the world the prayer that 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.

We pray for….

  • One who has been in pain since knee replacement surgery; trying different therapies. Prayers that PT and meds will help without causing damage to other conditions.
  • The safety of cattle in Newport; Needmore area. A pack of wild dogs is attacking livestock. Farmers are in danger as well as they care for their animals. Pray for safety of animals and humans. Prayers for county officials to come up with a good way to ensure safety for all.
  • One whose mother is in Cardiac ICU; thankful she is making good progress
  • A son and spouse who are caregivers for elderly mother and her ongoing medical needs; prayers for patience and peace. Pray that doctor can find ways to ease pain.
  • All church members who are in hospital right now.
  • An aunt who is going through a very painful divorce; also prayers for her children.
  • A dear friend who was a victim of the attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. Prayers for friends who witnessed it. Prayers for all who are dealing with tragic loss from this horrific event.
  • All those affected by fires in LosAngeles; so many friends and family of CSUMC members.
  • A father who has been in hospital; hoping to go home before weekend. Thankful for family connections.A preemie grandson; doing well in NICU. Will need skull surgery soon.

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • A truly inspiring interfaith prayer service this afternoon hosted by CSUMC and planned by the MLK Commemorative Commission. Wonderful seeing Christians of different traditions, Muslim, Jewish, Baha’i, and other faiths coming together to pray.
  • Our search committees for organist and director of youth who continue to do good work in discernment.
  • Eyesight improving since heart surgery

We continue to pray for….

  • All families who are dealing with cancer diagnosis and the unknown; waiting for more testing and seeing which treatment options are offered.
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • Those who are in hospice care; their caretakers and families, also
  • Those who are receiving treatments for cancer.

Have a Prayer Request?

Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.

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Weekly Prayer – January 8, 2025

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of January 8, 2025

Written by Steve Richardson

Wiry, leafless trees line the ridge tops. Vestiges of symbols of the Christmas season are scarce. Children are back in school. Each day’s sunlight seems much too short. Our brains and skin are acclimated to thinking 50 degrees feels warm. We’re finally getting in the habit of writing “2025” instead of “2024.” Just some of the annual reminders to us, Lord, that it must be early-January! 

Yet we know, God, that even in the season of winter – – whether it’s the astronomical season or those emotional feelings of winter we encounter occasionally during our life journeys – – you never leave us alone. Never. Including those times we find ourselves on unfamiliar paths, you are there with us. Though we think of you as our God in heaven, you are also always in our midst, here where we are in each of our moments of daily living. 

Along our unfamiliar (as well as familiar) paths and at their many intersections, lead us to your peace, and deliver us from evil. Lead us to joy, and deliver us from strife. Lead us to renewal, and deliver us from injustice. Lead us to healing, and deliver us from suffering. Lead us to spiritual enthusiasm, and deliver us from complacency. Lead us to kingdom living, and deliver us from selfishness. Lead us to wisdom, and deliver us from apathy. Lead us to service, and deliver us from greed. Lead us to forgiveness, and deliver us from revenge. Lead us to compassion, and deliver us from hatred.  

And as you lead us in these many ways, Good Shepherd, make us sensible enough to follow. 

Thank you for the generosity of members of Church Street United Methodist who help keep the church shining as a beacon of mission, service and hope in our community. Thank you especially for inspiring clergy, staff, members, teachers and leaders to lift Church Street as a model of your grace in action. 

Thank you, also, for our area’s churches, organizations and volunteers who are providing warm, protective shelter for unhoused neighbors during this harsh weather we’re currently facing. Holy Spirit, we pray you swathe each person serving and being served with your blessings of sustenance and security. 

Lord, in your loving ways, hear and respond to these special appeals from friends who have expressed these prayers… 

We pray for….

  • Those impacted by the fires in Los Angeles: people, animals, plants! Praying for firefighters!
  • One who is at home after triple bypass; praying he gets the assistance he needs
  • A member who begins chemotherapy on Thursday for breast cancer. Thankful that surgery for early stage cancer went well last month.
  • One who had eye surgery on Monday; prayers for healing
  • Thankful for home health care
  • A husband who is in hospice care

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • The birth of a granddaughter! 
  • For online worship service
  • For justice ministries

We continue to pray for….

  • A sister who is having radiation for stage two cervical cancer
  • A brother -in-law who is receiving chemo daily for stage four lung cancer
  • A long-time friend who had kidney removed last week due to cancer; pray that she will be out of pain
  • A sister who is grieving the death of her brother; prayers for all of the family as they deal with this sudden loss
  • All families who are dealing with cancer diagnosis and the unknown; waiting for more testing and seeing which treatment options are offered.
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • Those who are in hospice care; their caretakers and families, also
  • A friend beginning treatment for stage 4 esophageal cancer and who has now suffered a stroke
  • Successful heart bypass surgery at Cleveland Clinic
  • Friends who are dealing with depression and knowing how to help and how to be there.

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?

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Weekly Prayer – January 2, 2025

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of January 2, 2025

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

God of all time, as we kneel before you in prayer on this second day of the New Year, we find ourselves letting go and holding on …. 

We had good intentions yesterday to make our list and to observe practices and disciplines, but then the tragic news from New Orleans jolted us into reality. Yesterday did not go as we planned; and now, our plans seem trite. 

So many things we want to change, so many things we would like to fix, so many hopes, and so many people in our lives …. As we kneel before you on this Ninth Day of Christmas, may your Spirit help us take a deep breath and begin again.  

We turn to words that have been prayed many times, especially at the beginning of a New Year. O God who makes all things new, maybe today, we will offer them with a willingness to hold on to you, and to let go of our pride that causes us to think we can change ourselves and our world on our own. May our lists of practices always begin with you. With “thine.” 

Thank you, Lord, for this prayer from John Wesley, a renewal of covenant. May it be our prayer each day of this new year: 

“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.” 

We pray for….

  • The families of victims from the violent attack in New Orleans; for all who are following up with care, investigations, and all of the things that we cannot even imagine
  • A sister who is grieving the death of her brother; prayers for all of the family as they deal with this sudden loss
  • Children who are grieving the death of their mother after another diagnosis of cancer
  • One who is having triple bypass Thursday morning
  • A sister who is having radiation for stage two cervical cancer
  • A brother -in-law who is receiving chemo daily for stage four lung cancer
  • A long-time friend who had kidney removed last week due to cancer; pray that she will be out of pain
  • A family whose daughter was killed in car wreck
  • Families who are having funerals this week

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Safe travels during the holidays
  • The birth of a baby – first child, first grandchild, first great-grandchild!
  • The life of President Jimmy Carter and Rosalyn; for their humble witness to serving Christ

We continue to pray for….

  • One who has been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer
  • All families who are dealing with cancer diagnosis and the unknown; waiting for more testing and seeing which treatment options are offered.
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • Those who are in hospice care; their caretakers and families, also
  • A friend beginning treatment for stage 4 esophageal cancer
  • Successful heart bypass surgery at Cleveland Clinic
  • Friends who are dealing with depression and knowing how to help and how to be there.

Have a Prayer Request?

Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.

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Weekly Prayer – December 25, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 25, 2024

Written by Rev. Tim Best

God of Heaven and Earth,  

On this day that you come near to us, this day where you have shown that no distance is so great that your love cannot cross it, help us to receive you with joy. Our hearts burst with song and rejoicing at your love. The words of Charles Wesley give voice to our gladness at the entrance over your word made flesh. Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the newborn king. In the darkness of the world let your birth remind us that you are the author of all things, and that you have declared them good. May we give you glory and praise wherever we may be.  

“Peace on earth, and mercy mild”: We know by our own experience and the news from around the world that there is much need for your peace. Make us to be bearers of your peace. Where there is frustration or tension between us and friends or family, set your peace at work. Transform our hearts heal brokenness and disagreement. Where violence and hatred divide communities and nations, set your disciples to be at work to proclaim and embody peace and to show mercy always.   

“God and sinners reconciled!” We trust that any division amongst people can be overcome, because that which has separated humanity from your love has been overcome in Jesus Christ. Humanity is redeemed and remade in Jesus Christ. Where we feel distant from you love, remind us most of all on Christmas that you love us and desire to draw us close to you. For those who feel far from you, for those who do not know you, we pray and ask that they would know peace and mercy on this Christmas Day. We pray for those who are distant from others today; for the sick, for the hurting, the lonely, and those in any sort of trouble. May they feel your mercy present with them.  

“Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph of the skies;” We glorify you for your love of all peoples and your redemption of the world. You draw people of all ages and races to be your disciples, and to witness to your mercy and grace. May all who would follow your Son adopt the same mind, seeing worth in all people. Make your church to stand against the forces of racism and fear of others. May your church across the world, speaking different tongues and existing in varied cultures be united in praise, and celebrate your reign over all heaven and earth.  

 With th’angelic hosts proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem!” Join our voices, Gracious Lord, with all the company of heaven. May our praises on this Christmas Day be joined with the praises of your church across time and space and sing with angels and saints. Let us proclaim the brith of your Son in the humble city of Bethlehem. May we seek to sing his praises and serve his kingdom in all the places we find ourselves. May Christ be known in Bethlehem and in every community and town. We join our praises and prayers with the church on earth and in heaven, as we pray that prayer that our Lord 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.

We pray for….

  • A mother who is back in hospital after a fall
  • A member who was admitted to hospital yesterday
  • One who is grieving the death of his father
  • Family members and friends who are having a difficult time
  • Members of a Sunday School class who are holding one another close in prayer
  • People in other countries who do not know about the Christian faith; a prayer request specifically for China

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • A cousin who had successful liver transplant!

We continue to pray for….

  • One who has been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer
  • One has in midst of radiation treatments
  • All families who are dealing with cancer diagnosis and the unknown; waiting for more testing and seeing which treatment options are offered.
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • Those who are in hospice care; their caretakers and families, also
  • A friend beginning treatment for stage 4 esophageal cancer
  • Successful heart bypass surgery at Cleveland Clinic
  • Friends who are dealing with depression and knowing how to help and how to be there.

Have a Prayer Request?

Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.

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Advent Devotional Week 4 –Love

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The Heart
Monday, December 23

By Andy Ferguson

_____________________________

In our family, we have a treasured recipe for making fruit pies; it was written down by my sister-in-law, Rachel. It lays out piemaking in three sections: “The Crust,” “The Filling,” and “The Heart.” Ten years ago, I decided that there were not enough pies made, so I asked Rachel to teach me. This recipe was her gift. Occasionally, we make pies together. We talk about the task, of course. We talk about rolling the piecrust just so. At some point, Rachel will ask me who I’m thinking about as we are making pie. Are they worried? Are they going through a hard time? How am I grateful for them? What happiness am I hoping this pie will give them? She asks me about my love for them… as we make pie. The heart is our extra ingredient in every pie.

 

This year, I updated the family recipe for our grandchildren. Yesterday, we FaceTimed many times: when they were at the grocery, when they were making piecrust, and to answer a crucial question: “Salted butter or unsalted?” It occurred to me that just getting the steps in the recipe right was only half the pie. I know who their pies are for, and I know the love that motivates them to make the perfect pie for the family.

 

When the angels were preparing their songs of joy for the first Christmas, I imagine that they worried about the details: where to stand, how fast to fly, and how loudly they should shout to the shepherds. I can imagine God slipping into the Choir Room of Heaven and catching them fussing over their notes and the details. When God had heard enough, he raised a hand to get their attention. “Get Christmas right, of course. But, more: tell the world how much I care for them. Tell them I see their hard times. Tell them that tonight I am bringing joy. Tell them, ‘Your God loves you dearly.’”

 

For too long, we have assumed that a life of faith is living by rules that we might not even know yet. The gift of the Christ Child on Christmas shows God’s heart – and ours. On Christmas, God tore open the skies to shout out that God loves us profoundly, and joyfully.
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Weekly Prayer – December 18, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 18, 2024

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

 

O God, we know your love came before any calendars!

We church folks want to dig in our heels and say, “The twelve days begin on December 25! We’ve got plenty of time!” But, we know the world will not wait. Family is coming. Workers have scheduled time off. Plane tickets have been bought. And the tree is quickly losing its needles.

We will not pray the same prayer we prayed this time last year, O God. Remember? The one that began with, “O God of Advent, give us patience to look for your coming … let us not fall prey to the Christmas Rush the world puts before us….”

Christmas is Wednesday – a week from tonight – for some families it will be over by 10 a.m. that morning! And we have a sense of panic tonight. We know better, God. We really do!

So, we will pause tonight, and say, thank you God for tonight. Thank you for the people I love. Thank you for hot tea from the hospital cafeteria. Thank you for new windshield wipers on a rainy evening. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that whispers comforting words when we have run out of words to use. Thank you for the child at the store who was having a giggle fit. We pray for the parents who looked so tired, but started giggling too.

Thank you for the ability to look back over the day and say, “It is good to give thanks.”

Forgive us, God, when we take your son’s name in vain by cursing how quickly Christmas is coming. May we celebrate the birth of Love into our lives each day, regardless of the date on the calendar. We do thank you for cookies that were brought to the office and for left over apple cider that can be heated later. Christmas is coming, O God, and we are thankful.

Christ is coming! Let us give thanks!

Christ is with us! Let us give thanks!

 

We pray for….

  • One who has been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer
  • One in midst of radiation treatments
  • All families who are dealing with cancer diagnosis and the unknown; waiting for more testing and seeing which treatment options are offered.
  • Family members and friends who are having a difficult time
  • Members of a Sunday School class who are holding one another close in prayer
  • People in other countries who do not know about the Christian faith; a prayer request specifically for China
  • A friend beginning treatment for stage 4 esophageal cancer
  • Successful heart bypass surgery at Cleveland Clinic
  • A mother who has pneumonia and is in hospital
  • Answers from doctors
  • The school community in Madison, Wisconsin

 

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Beautiful music from our Parish Adult Choir last Sunday – and the brass, tympani, and organ!
  • School being out soon!
  • A couple who is expecting! Prayers for a healthy pregnancy!

 

We continue to pray for….

  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • A member who is going through radiation treatments
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care whose parents are in hospice care

 

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.

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Advent Devotional Week 3 – Joy

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Joy
Monday, December 16
By Laura Still
_____________________________ 

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

John 1:4-5

 

You’ve got to be kidding, joy? Right now?

When Catherine asked me to write an Advent devotion about Joy, I was not in a good mood. It was a gray, gloomy day that turned suddenly cold, making the short hours of daylight even shorter. I had an evening event that I felt insufficiently prepared for, I had been chilled all day, and it was spitting rain. And the state of the nation and the world—let’s not even go there, except to say I’d been in a struggle with existential dread most of the year, looking for light in a tunnel that keeps stretching away into the darkness.

And yet, even in the deepest shades of night, there are points of light, far away like the stars. But also near, sparks kindled and candles lit by others who are on the same journey as I am, trying to find a way forward. Small as they are, these tiny glimmers form a chain that lets me put one foot in front of the other, looking for that next glow of radiance that lifts up my soul. So, on a day when I’m dragging my feet, feeling my way along the wall in a black funk, here comes Catherine, reaching for my hand in the dark, and holding out a candle, to rekindle the fire I’ve let go out.

Joy is like that. It appears ephemeral, a brief glow, a warm moment. But it’s really like a string of bright beads, each adding its particular color and brilliance to illuminate the whole. It is contradictory because it somehow takes intention and work, but it is also unexpected, appearing in circumstances no one can foresee. It cannot be forced or caged, but it can find its way through every barrier, physical or mental, and ignite in the lowest places of the spirit.

It can happen without warning, anywhere, at any time, but it comes most often in the presence of others. Of people reaching out to lift up someone else. Joy cannot exist without love, which means focusing not on ourselves and our own needs, but finding ways to help those around us. We become the people of God in community, not by being brilliant in ourselves, but by reaching out in the night to take someone’s hand and pass the light along the chain.

 

A candle goes out

but its light is not gone.

Changed, it rises

carried by currents

we cannot see,

expands

from existing in one place,

one time,

into all places, all times.

 

A transformation

not seen but felt,

in our deepest darkness

we hold the spark

inside us

join hands to form

the chain of light

darkness

cannot

overcome.

~~~

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Let me remember your word is a light on my path and a lamp to my feet, and you are beside me every step of the way.

Open my heart to your gift of unfailing love and the joy you offer in Christ in all times and all places, in doing work to glorify your name.

Amen.
/by

Weekly Prayer – December 11, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 11, 2024

Written by Rev. Tim Best

Below is a prayer based on Prayers used in “The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer.” This selection comes from “Week 2: Peace” and incorporates the Morning Prayer of Petition and the Evening Prayer of Gratitude. Peace is the theme of the second Sunday of Advent.

Holy God, your son is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, an Prince of Peace. Today I pray for peace, plead for peace, and ask you to fill the places in my life and in our world that need your peace:

• I pray for peace in my inner spirit where I am distracted and anxious.

• I pray for peace in my relationships with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors.

• I pray peace in my community, city, and country where divisiveness seems to reign.

• I pray for peace among people globally, especially where conflict and war are an expected way of life.

• As we prepare to celebrate the coming of your son into the world, may the peace He embodies and offers be made real on earth as it is in heaven.

Gracious God, as I look back on this day, it is too easy to focus on places of discord and division. Instead, I give you thanks for the ways you are working in my life for peace and wholeness. Today God, I thank you for:

• The ways you are working to bring peace to my emotional and mental being,

• The way you are working my relationships, especially those that are strained or fractured,

• The ways you are offering a picture of peace in my church or community.

As I rest and look forward to a new day tomorrow, may I have the eyes to see where you are at work for peace in the world, and may I have the courage to join you in that work (1).

Help us to trust in your peace that we may with confidence and hope pray the prayer your Son Jesus taught us to pray, 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.

We pray for….

  • Complete healing from cataract surgery resulting in corneal swelling.
  • Healing from recent surgery and good prognosis.
  • A father’s surgery and all of the medical staff
  • Feelings of guilt for not being able to alleviate pain of loved one; prayers for peace of mind
  • One who asked for an ‘unspoken’ request; Lord, hear her prayer and comfort her.
  • The women at Susannah’s House and their babies. Grateful for this ministry of healing from addiction!

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Good report from neurologist for a member living with Parkinson’s. Thankful for no new progression in the past eight months!
  • Being at home after surgery!
  • Family being able to travel this season.
  • Our new Preschool director! So glad we are opening soon! Praying for children we will welcome!

We continue to pray for….

  • A young mother of three who is awaiting breast cancer surgery
  • A member’s mother who fell and has two broken vertebrae; prayers for healing and ease of pain.
  • A family member whose dementia is progressing rapidly. Prayers needed for direction regarding his care.
  • A member’s cousin who has been hospitalized; awaiting liver transplant
  • One to have a successful journey on his path to sobriety
  • Family members and friends who are going through a difficult time
  • Family making decisions about long-term care for parents
  • Our church members dealing with cancer treatments
  • A man who was involved in car accident; fractured four cervical vertebrae
  • A four-year old waiting on a heart transplant
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • A member who is going through radiation treatments 
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • Friends and family members going through difficult times.

(1) Miofsky, Matt, Ed. The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer, Abingdon Press, Nashville 2023. Pg. 7

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Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.

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Advent Devotional Week 2 – Peace

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Seeking Peace, Offering Peace
Monday, December 9
By Steve Richardson

_____________________________

Read: Luke 1:67-79

 

Angels proclaimed to the shepherds, “Peace on earth…”

Hmmm? Realizing century after century of war, since that Bethlehem night, will that ever happen? Can it ever happen as long as freewill-driven mortals have dominion over the earth?

Even on a personal, individual level, thieves of peace are always lurking: Stress, pain, fear, uncertainty, guilt, separation, deadlines (just to name a few).

Despite all this, faith and prophecy give us confidence that peace spanning the earth and among all people is inevitable, when God’s ultimate will for all creation is done. In one of this week’s lectionary readings, Luke recorded Zechariah’s (father of John the Baptist) pronouncement that echoed prophets before him and foretold later Biblical writers: “…the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

In the meantime, until these things happen, each of us knows moments of inner spiritual peace. Thank God for that! Some of the ways we find that spiritual peace include:

Reading scripture and sacred writings

Prayer and meditation

Worship

Interacting with nature

Quiet time

Movement and exercise

Playing or listening to music

Creating or contemplating art

For ourselves, all these are fine ways to find peace. But what about extending peace to others? What about living out acts of peace? These are some good starting points: Forgiveness, compassion, inclusivity, respectfulness, justice, kindness and benevolence.

This Advent season, this Christmas and this coming new year, consider giving yourself special gifts: Peace through acts of helping others. It’s one of those harmonious win-win-win expressions of kingdom living – a way to love God, to help our neighbors and to experience spiritual peace for yourself.

~~~

Prayer

Lord of peace, for the peace we pray for, give us the grace to labor for.*

*With gratitude to Sir Thomas More for this prayer
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Weekly Prayer – December 4, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 4, 2024

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

Loving God of Advent, we pause on this cold Wednesday evening to ….  

Honestly God, is it okay if we just pause? 

No words.  

Just a quiet pause to remember that we are not alone. That we are in God’s world. That you love us.  

Have we paused at all today, O God? 

Thank you for an email from the church that causes us to stop, whether we read or pray to the end or not, it is a pause, nonetheless. We are reminded that there is a congregation, a church family, who prays for one another. Who cares about the week we are having. Who is looking forward to being together this Sunday. 

Thank you for other reminders that we have received that assure us your spirit is at work and moving through, in, and around us. The patience showed us by the clerk when the debit card didn’t ‘go through’ the first two times …. the joy we saw in children’s faces at the Advent Craft Festival and the bit of glitter we cannot shake from our sweater… the kind word from the nurse who pricked our finger for one more test …. 

Thank you, Loving God, for coming to us in so many ways. We sing, Come, thou long-expected Jesus … let us find our rest in thee ….  

We get weary this time of year and complain that we do not have time to pause. Some are good at taking intentional moments; others will notice looking back over the day that there were moments. 

Thank you for this bit of a pause O God, to hear us offer thanksgiving for the hope of this season. Thank you for this pause as we offer the prayer 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.

Thank you for this pause in our evening as we pray for one another … 

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • A promising report from Thompson Cancer Center
  • The doctor who has kept working to find cause of symptoms
  • Improved health … slowly but surely!
  • Successful open heart surgery and positive reports from surgeon and cardiologist

We pray for….

  • A young mother of three who is awaiting breast cancer surgery
  • A member’s mother who fell and has two broken vertebrae; prayers for healing and ease of pain.
  • A family member whose dementia is progressing rapidly. Prayers needed for direction regarding his care.
  • A member’s cousin who has been hospitalized; awaiting liver transplant
  • One to have a successful journey on his path to sobriety
  • Family members and friends who are going through a difficult time
  • Family making decisions about long-term care for parents
  • Our church members dealing with cancer treatments
  • A man who was involved in car accident; fractured four cervical vertebrae
  • A four-year old waiting on a heart transplant
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia

We continue to pray for….

  • A neighbor who is in critical care; prayers for comfort and support for her family
  • A young couple who is wanting so badly to conceive; Lord, bless them!
  • A member who is preparing for radiation treatments and meeting with oncologist
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • Friends and family members going through difficult times.

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