Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of May 21, 2025
Steve Richardson
God in heaven and in our midst, thank you for your abundant blessings; and for moments like now to focus our minds on you and on the needs of others.
Sometimes we come to you humbly. Other times we come in earnest demand. In either case, we long for your help, direction and even your divine intervention to address troubles we face. Regardless of our prayerful tone, you remain steadfast in welcoming us in communion with you. Lord of grace and compassion, we are grateful that you hear our prayers in whatever ways we present them.
God, sometimes we hurt. We hurt from illness, from injuries, from mental pain and anguish, from broken hearts. You’ve endured hurts like these, too, as the Triune God through Jesus. Gracious creator of comfort and peace, embrace us with your loving arms of spiritual relief. And point us to pathways and sources of people, technologies and services that can help alleviate hurt.
God, sometimes we are joyful. We’re joyful because of situations that bring us happiness, that uplift us, that ignite our spirits and emotions, that spark spontaneous laughter. As our God of blessings, you know joy, too. From the earliest moments of your creation, you’ve invited us to be in joyful relationship with you and with one another. Thank you for the joys that help shape our lives.
God, sometimes we feel sad. We’re sad because of grief, because of loss, because of loneliness, because of fractured relationships, because of feeling rejected or left out, because of not being heard or noticed. God, again through Jesus, you’ve experienced many forms of sadness. Help us continually remember that “though we walk through the darkest valleys…you are with us…(and) goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.” Restore our souls, Lord, our Shepherd during our moments of sorrow.
God, sometimes we feel optimistic. We’re optimistic when making smart choices, when experiencing good outcomes, when achieving personal goals. You, too, surely have known optimism, even from the very beginning when you declared all of creation as “good.” As our God who granted us freewill to pursue our own choices, help us seek and attain goals and actions that delight you and enhance your kingdom on Earth, especially acts of justice, empathy, caring, generosity and forgiveness.
God, sometimes (actually, much of the time) we experience mixtures of ever-changing feelings like these and others. Frequently, we find ourselves needing to respond to many different pressures and forces – – some welcomed, some not wanted – – all at the same time. We look for lifelines of help. Which is why we’re grateful for the companionship of family, trusted friends and people in your church community. Thank you for Christian love and connections.
God of Grace, we pray for relief for neighbors throughout our region whose lives have been undeservedly turned upside down by damaging storms. And hear these prayers of others in our congregation. Hold close all represented here with your loving presence and comfort.
We pray for…
- A cousin in Alabama, age 17, awaiting heart transplant. Prayers for his mother.
- A 94-year old neighbor, who is nearing death; a faithful Christian but is apprehensive about the days to come.
- A mom who is dealing with migraines and also struggling with insurance company; prayers that prescriptions will be approved so she can be with her family the way she wants to be.
- A member who is hoping for the right medication for blood cancer that her body can tolerate. Also prayers for a doctor who will work with Medicare!
- A family in the death of their mother, grandmother who died in her sleep. May they be comforted by God’s presence and her example of faithfulness.
- Those who are grieving the death of their mother and friend after a long illness; thankful she rests in God’s eternal light.
- Those who are continuing in rehab; may they feel God’s strength working in them.
- A father who is recovering from heart surgery.
- Children and youth for whom summer vacation is not a break but a time of uncertainty.
We continue to pray for…
- Members and friends who are in hospitals; prayers for doctors, nurses, therapists, and case managers who work together for good plans moving forward.
- A member who has moved into a new skilled nursing care facility after being in the same place for so many years. May it be a good transition.
- A wife who is looking for a job that is fulfilling and where she can use her gifts.
- A church family in the death of a young-adult nephew from an accident; prayers for grandparents and all extended family.
- Those navigating all the decisions when dealing with chronic illness of parents; especially Alzheimer’s.
We give thanks for….
- Successful surgery to repair heart valve
- Children who are looking forward to summer!
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.
One of our favorite things about the spring semester each year is celebrating our graduating seniors. Welcome to the Senior Spotlight series for the graduating class of 2025! Our seniors answered interview questions earlier this semester and it has been so much fun learning their answers!
Meet Pauline Schneiter!
What high school are you graduating from?
Knoxville Catholic High School
What are your plans for next year?
I am planning to attend American University, to double major in Chemistry and International Relations.
What is your favorite bible verse?
John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
If you could choose one meal to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chicken Alfredo
If you could give some advice to your younger self, what would it be?
Not everything has to be perfect. If you’re trying, the pieces will fall into place.
What are your top 3 favorite movies?
1) Sound of Music
2) Pride and Prejudice
3) Beauty and the Beast
What is your top book recommendation?
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
What is your favorite Church Street memory?
My favorite Church Street memory is probably looking at the stars and singing around the campfire during SLA my Junior year. I have numerous special memories from Church Street, and I cherish all the friendships.
What are you most excited about going into the next season of your life?
In the next season of my life, I’m excited to explore new communities and further my academic interests.
Weekly Prayer – May 21, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of May 21, 2025
Steve Richardson
God in heaven and in our midst, thank you for your abundant blessings; and for moments like now to focus our minds on you and on the needs of others.
Sometimes we come to you humbly. Other times we come in earnest demand. In either case, we long for your help, direction and even your divine intervention to address troubles we face. Regardless of our prayerful tone, you remain steadfast in welcoming us in communion with you. Lord of grace and compassion, we are grateful that you hear our prayers in whatever ways we present them.
God, sometimes we hurt. We hurt from illness, from injuries, from mental pain and anguish, from broken hearts. You’ve endured hurts like these, too, as the Triune God through Jesus. Gracious creator of comfort and peace, embrace us with your loving arms of spiritual relief. And point us to pathways and sources of people, technologies and services that can help alleviate hurt.
God, sometimes we are joyful. We’re joyful because of situations that bring us happiness, that uplift us, that ignite our spirits and emotions, that spark spontaneous laughter. As our God of blessings, you know joy, too. From the earliest moments of your creation, you’ve invited us to be in joyful relationship with you and with one another. Thank you for the joys that help shape our lives.
God, sometimes we feel sad. We’re sad because of grief, because of loss, because of loneliness, because of fractured relationships, because of feeling rejected or left out, because of not being heard or noticed. God, again through Jesus, you’ve experienced many forms of sadness. Help us continually remember that “though we walk through the darkest valleys…you are with us…(and) goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives.” Restore our souls, Lord, our Shepherd during our moments of sorrow.
God, sometimes we feel optimistic. We’re optimistic when making smart choices, when experiencing good outcomes, when achieving personal goals. You, too, surely have known optimism, even from the very beginning when you declared all of creation as “good.” As our God who granted us freewill to pursue our own choices, help us seek and attain goals and actions that delight you and enhance your kingdom on Earth, especially acts of justice, empathy, caring, generosity and forgiveness.
God, sometimes (actually, much of the time) we experience mixtures of ever-changing feelings like these and others. Frequently, we find ourselves needing to respond to many different pressures and forces – – some welcomed, some not wanted – – all at the same time. We look for lifelines of help. Which is why we’re grateful for the companionship of family, trusted friends and people in your church community. Thank you for Christian love and connections.
God of Grace, we pray for relief for neighbors throughout our region whose lives have been undeservedly turned upside down by damaging storms. And hear these prayers of others in our congregation. Hold close all represented here with your loving presence and comfort.
We pray for…
We continue to pray for…
We give thanks for….
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 – May 14, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of May 14, 2025
Aiden Stalcup
Tonight’s prayer is written by CSUMC member and graduating high school senior, Aiden Stalcup. She offered this prayer last Sunday on Senior Sunday.
Heavenly Father,
We gather in Your holy presence with hearts full of gratitude and reverence. We thank You for the gift of this day and for the opportunity to come together as a community of believers. Lord, we acknowledge Your sovereignty and grace in our lives, and we are humbled by Your endless love and mercy.
Lord, we lift up our church to You. We pray for unity among our congregation, that we may be bound together by Your love and purpose. Help us to support and encourage one another, to bear each other’s burdens, and to rejoice in each other’s joys. May our fellowship be a reflection of Your kingdom here on earth.
We ask for Your guidance and wisdom in all that we do. Bless our leaders with discernment and strength as they shepherd Your flock. Fill our hearts with a passion for Your Word and a desire to grow in our faith. May our worship be a fragrant offering to You, and may our lives be a testimony of Your goodness and grace.
Lord, we pray for those in our community who are hurting, sick, or in need. Comfort them with Your presence and bring healing to their bodies and spirits. Use us as instruments of Your peace and love, reaching out to those who are lost and broken. Help us to be Your hands and feet, showing compassion and care to all we encounter.
We also pray for our broader community and the world beyond. Grant us the courage to stand up for justice, to speak out for the voiceless, and to act with integrity and compassion. May Your light shine through us, dispelling darkness and bringing hope to the world.
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…
We continue to pray for…
We give thanks for….
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – May 7, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of May 7, 2025
We pray for…
We continue to pray for…
We give thanks for….
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 – April 30, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of April 30, 2025
This prayer was offered by Rev. Jan Wade at the 11am service on April 27, 2025.
Glory to God in the Highest! Thru the Resurrected Christ, you breathe new life into each of us and into our world. How comforting is the story of Thomas, for it has broken the locks of our secret rooms. For truly we do not always feel confident about our faith; we wonder where your love is in the face of pain. Yet we are blessed in knowing we are not the first. We follow a great company of saints who have felt the same. Now, in your presence, they see you face to face and know as they are known. Teach us also, we pray, not to fear or bury our doubts, but to see them as signs of the mystery of life and entrances to a deeper trust in you. Lord in your mercy…
May Easter’s new fire burn brightly in the hearts of our confirmands whom we have blessed this week. May your holy embers of hope and resilience live within each of these dear youth whom you have entrusted to our care. Your mark has been placed upon them and we pray they will become shining witnesses of your loving goodness throughout their lives. Lord in your mercy …
We celebrate those who come forward today as new members, acknowledging you as Lord and Savior. Your spirit has been moving within them for quite some time. May they find in us generous friends and worthy companions w/ whom to worship & honor our Risen Lord. Lord in your mercy …
O Wounded Savior, there remain today the empty, outstretched palms of the despairing who seek food and water. There are the blistered fingers of the working poor, the gnarled hands sifting through rubble of battered homes and shattered dreams. In these we see your own wounded hands.
Then there are the wandering ones who have no homes, no real place of rest, those who travel the lonely paths of the forgotten. And we remember you own nail-scarred feet. On earth, you also walked the byways of the dispossessed.
And assuredly your pierced side bleeds afresh as you witness the violent ways of your people across the globe. So silent and sophisticated are our weapons; we slaughter even those who have neither sticks nor stones to protect themselves. Wounded Savior, unlock the doors of our indifference. For by your own suffering, you have given us our life-long mission to alleviate the pain of our brothers and sisters everywhere. Now we pray for wisdom and grace to be true to your faith in us. And when the strife has come to an end, we shall know your truth has come to pass: By your wounds you have healed us all. Lord in your mercy …
& Now laying our earnest prayers and petitions before you, we bend the knee and cry out, as did Thomas: Our Lord & Our God!
In praise and trust of your victory for us and for the world, we join our voices and our hearts as we offer these petitions to you, O Christ, our Risen Lord. Hear us as we pray that prayer which you have taught us, saying together…
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 give thanks for….
We pray for…
We continue to pray for…
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – April 23, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of April 23, 2025
Written by Rev. Tim Best*
*This prayer was offered by Rev. Tim Best on Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025.
Risen and exalted Lord,
We praise you with glad and hopeful hearts on this of new life when we celebrate your victory over sin and death. We open our mouths in praise and sing glad and joyous tunes that help us give word and feeling to the beautiful mystery of this day. Fill our spirits with joy and our lungs with praise as we rejoice in the midst of the world at your conquest of the powers of the grave. As the classic hymn proclaims, we declare that up from the grave Christ arose. We do marvel and wonder at the mighty triumph over those forces of death and darkness. Fill us with renewed hope that we may shout with our words and our lives, “Hallelujah, Christ is risen!”
Christ is risen, and with his victory the powers of sin and death show their weakness. Like those early morning visitors to your grave, you remind us that we are quick to spend time amongst the forces of death. We are convinced of the power of death, and are slow to comprehend the fullness of your gift of abundant life. Have mercy on us and strengthen our spirits that we might resist the forces of death and division. We pray for those who feel hopeless. We pray for those gripped by death dealing powers. Forgive us for the ways we turn to the powers of death and sin to protect and deliver us. We are perplexed by the empty tomb because we have grown enchanted by violence and coercion. Confront us with the dazzling and joyful declaration that the tomb, and the power we believed it held, is empty. Renew our spirits that we may search for and discover new life in Christ our Lord.
God of patient promise, as we celebrate the joyful victory of your love, we continue to pray for the fullness of your kingdom. The grave of our Lord is empty, yet we continue to grieve, and wait, and pray. We find our hope in the promise that Christ’s is just the first tomb to be emptied. Comfort those who mourn. Even as we shout “Where O death is your victory?” Guide us to be a community that cares for those who grieve. We look for that day when the sting of death of fully and finally taken away. We pray for the coming of your kingdom and the arrival of the day when every tomb will be empty and every grave a sign of your victory of love.
In praise and trust of your victory for us and for the world, we join our voices and our hearts as we offer these petitions to you, O Christ, our Risen Lord. Hear us as we pray that prayer which you have taught us, saying together…
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 give thanks for….
We pray for…
We continue to pray for…
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Lent Devotional – The End of Fear
Featured, lentFriday, April 18
By: Dona Bunch
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27
~~~
I’ve had to stop watching scary movies. As someone who lives alone, I’ve discovered that a Stephen King book before bedtime produces dreams that are straight out of Psycho. The same with scary movies, especially the stalker ones. I wake up at every pop of my heating system, sure that a crazed maniac is coming down the hall. To be blunt, I’m a scaredy-cat. I know, deep down, that there aren’t really monsters under the bed. But still….
I don’t think I’m the only one. It doesn’t take much to instill fear in our hearts, especially if we already feel like we are powerless. In those final, wrenching days of Jesus’s life on earth, surely others were afraid. The disciples could see the atmosphere darkening around Jesus. What started as surprise and amazement had become suspicion and distrust. And there was fear, too, among Pontius Pilate and other officials who cringed when they heard Jesus called Messiah. They feared his miracles and words of power would shrink the mighty Roman Empire. For them, fear turned to hate, and it was hate that ruled Pilate’s heart in the end, even though he knew in his heart that Jesus preached only peace.
For us, Jesus’s final days and crucifixion taught us an important lesson about fear. Jesus knew that fear was an illusion, that as long as God is in charge there is nothing to fear, even the most serious of situations. There is nothing that can really destroy us when we put ourselves in God’s hands. The message of Easter is that we don’t need to fear anything, not the challenges of our world, not the uncertainty all around us, not tyrants like Pilate or monsters under the bed – not even death itself.
~~~
Prayer
All-loving God, help us to remember that, even when we are anxious and shaken by the world, you are there and there is nothing to fear, for you have defeated death and replaced fear with peace. Amen
Lent Devotional – The Music of Holy Week
Featured, lentThursday, April 17
By: Scott Reid
When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Mark 16:4-8
~~~
As a lifetime church choir member, I am embarrassed to admit that I am not a fan of Easter anthems. On the other hand, I think that Maundy Thursday and Good Friday anthems contain some of the most profound music ever written. For me, the difference is how I relate to the Holy Week stories: Jesus’s crucifixion story is tangible because it relates to personal interactions that we would consider “normal”, while his resurrection story and its implications defy understanding because of the magnitude and uniqueness of the divine intervention.
The contemplative music of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday touches on themes that are common to the human experience (betrayal, guilt, mourning, supplication). Choral anthems about Christ’s crucifixion draw on a composer’s personal experiences to express the emotions of the crucifixion story, and our own experiences help us understand and lend our own voices to the emotions that the music evokes. These compositions that rely on personal experiences resonate deeply with me.
In contrast, although we try to express the miracle of Easter with beautiful anthems, none of us have experienced a resurrection, and Jesus Christ’s resurrection is an awesome miracle that surpasses understanding. For me, the challenge of these anthems is that they celebrate an event that I cannot relate to or supplement with my own personal experiences. Instead, Easter anthems somehow seem incomplete—there is always more to tell of God’s infinite majesty witnessed in the Easter story.
Holy Week takes us on a journey from the basest aspects of humanity (“Crucify him!”) to the glory of the divine (“He has been raised; he is not here.”). The music of Holy Week helps us feel each step of this journey more personally, and it is my hope that we all conclude Holy Week with a new sense of how the same awesome power of God that resurrected Jesus Christ continues to be present in our lives today.
~~~
Prayer
As members of the church’s congregation, you are part of church’s largest choir—the congregation. The Parish Choir prays this Choristers Prayer every week, and I hope these words will bring new meaning to the music we sing in worship during Holy Week and throughout the year:
Bless, O Lord, us Thy servants, who minister in Thy temple.
Grant that what we sing with our lips, we may believe in our hearts,
and what we believe in our hearts, we may show forth in our lives.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Weekly Prayer – April 16, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of April 16, 2025
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
We sing this hymn, which is a prayer, at the beginning of Lent. As we come to the end of these forty days, let us offer the prayer again for strength, direction, and purpose.
Lord, who throughout these forty days
for us didst fast and pray,
teach us with thee to mourn our sins
and close by thee to stay.
As thou with Satan didst contend,
and didst the victory win,
O give us strength in thee to fight,
in thee to conquer sin.
As thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
so teach us, gracious Lord to die to self,
and chiefly live by thy most holy word.
And through these days of penitence,
and through thy Passiontide,
yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.
Abide with us, that so, this life
of suffering over past,
an Easter of unending joy
we may attain at last.
Text written by Claudia F. Hernaman, 1873
United Methodist Hymnal, p. 269; 1989 edition
We pray for…
We continue to pray for…
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…
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.
Lent Devotional – Listening
Featured, lentWednesday, April 16
By: Rev. Catherine Nance
The Lord GOD has given me a trained tongue, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word. Morning by morning he wakens, wakens my ear to listen as those who are taught.
Lord GOD has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn backward.
Isaiah 50:4-5
~~~
The Old Testament reading for the Wednesday of Holy Week is a portion of the writings we call “Song of the Suffering Servant.” Before Isaiah describes the physical suffering of God’s servant, he describes the strength that God gives to his servant. It is not strength to fight back with violence, but a trained tongue to offer a sustaining word to those who are weary. The servant says that each morning, God wakens his ears to listen!
How do you wake up? What are the first things you hear? I have shared that I begin most mornings with the silent affirmation, “This is the day the Lord has made; I will rejoice and be glad in it.” That is me beginning the day with talking! I have prepared lots of words for this week … Maundy Thursday sermon, assigned lay readers their parts for Good Friday, the Easter sermon is still being worked on! But how am I listening? To whom am I listening? Isaiah tells us it is a daily discipline to listen. “Morning by morning,” he says. Can you imagine God waking you each morning? What is God whispering in your ear this morning. As Samuel said, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.”
~~~
Prayer
God of the morning, may we tune our hearts to sing your praise and may we turn our eyes to hear your voice. We want to listen to your heart today. Open our ears that we may hear. In Christ’s name we pray, Amen.