Week 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 ….
- Our homeless neighbors
- A member’s brother who is in hospital awaiting heart and kidney transplant
- A young child healing from surgery right after Christmas
- For the Blount County Sheriff’s department and families in their grief
- A member’s stepmother who is having heart stints put in today
- Young adults who are struggling to find meaningful work that will support them
- For all creatures great and small … especially our pets.
We continue to pray for …
- Friends and family who have needs; prayers for peace and wellbeing.
- All those for whom the holidays are difficult because of grief, loss, or heartache ….
- A family with young children who are without a father after a tragedy.
- Those who are grieving after a miscarriage.
- For loved ones who are traveling.
- All of our homeless neighbors
- A couple hoping for pregnancy
- A member and her sister as they continue to make decisions for their mother
- Those members who are waiting on test results or waiting for appointments with doctors; may they feel your peace and patience as they wait.
We give thanks for ….
- A member whose cancer is in remission
- Successful surgery for granddaughter
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.
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 – 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Tough Hope
By: Andy Ferguson
“For a child has been born for us, a son given to us. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.”Isaiah 9.6, 7
Most people are drawn to babies. I am drawn to babies. This passage from Isaiah speaks of a newborn king, a male child. It doesn’t matter; we are deeply touched by a birth whether a baby girl or boy.
So, what does a newborn baby stir in us? There is something in the human DNA that prepares us to welcome and protect a newborn child. In addition, there is a spiritual dimension to the coming of a child, too. The birth of a baby, even in the grimmest times, stirs up hope. I would even say that the hope a baby calls up in us is a tough hope – refusing to be discouraged by the world’s circumstances or any limits their home might impose.
In the long-ago days Herod was a tyrant over Israel. When Jesus was born, darkness smothered the land. It smothered lives and communities and the futures of all in Israel. People looked around and saw no possible relief from the awful oppression. Still, the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds that dark night with a message of hope. God is moving! God’s intention is your future. “A child has been born for us…”
This Christmas, there seem to be worries at every turn. The coming of the Christ is our hope. In Christ, God is presenting our future. In Christ, the final word on our lives and every life is the one which God speaks. And this is God’s gift of hope this Christmas.
Prayer
Lord, let me wait expectantly with the Christmas shepherds in the darkness – wait for the coming of Your hope. Amen
WEEKLY PRAYER – 12/10/2025
UncategorizedPastor Sam Dzobo
___________________________
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (MSG)
“Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”
Gracious God,
Fill us again with the deep joy that flows from knowing you hold us. Tune our hearts to pray continually and to recognize your presence in every moment of our lives and in every encounter we share. We thank you for the joys experienced and lived among us today, for signs of grace, moments of encouragement, and for the ways you are moving in our lives, families, church, and communities. For these gifts, we give you thanks.
We also lift before you the concerns we carry in our hearts and minds, the burdens, the struggles unspoken, and the people whose needs weigh heavily on our hearts. Meet each one with your compassion, your strength, and your peace.
We pause now, O God, and in this sacred silence, we speak the names of those we are praying for today… (You may name individuals aloud or silently before God.)
Teach us gratitude that endures, even in hard places. Strengthen our hands for ministry, renew our spirits with grace, and let our work today reflect the hope we have in Christ. Amen.
We pray for …
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We pray all of these in the name of Christ, who taught us to pray ….
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
ADVENT DEVOTIONAL – WEEK TWO
UncategorizedADVENTure
By: Elaine Eberhart
“Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’” Luke 1:38 NRSVUE
We witness the power and the consequences of saying yes to God when we read the angel’s prophetic invitation to Mary to bear Jesus into the world. We also see in Mary’s story how God’s invitation may come with great risk to our comfort and our notions of who we are and what our lives should be. Mary said yes, knowing that Joseph could end their betrothal. Her family and community could abandon her, leaving her without a home or support. Her entire life could be upended in a moment, but though young and alone and troubled by the angel’s message, she said yes. She trusted God to sustain her as she partnered with God in the birth of Love for all people.
_______________________________________________________________________
Prayer
O One who calls us to the way of Jesus, we are listening for your invitation to join you in bringing love to our hurting world. Like Mary, we may be afraid or troubled by your call, but we trust that you are with us as we bear your love that brings light to dark places and restores our hope in your future. Amen.
Weekly Prayer – December 3, 2025
UncategorizedWeek of December 3, 2025
Rev. Catherine Nance
___________________________
O God of all the days of the week … we are confused this evening about what today is!
We had Thanksgiving Day and then Black Friday (which seems to have started before Thanksgiving and is still going?). The First Sunday of Advent was the last Sunday of November. Cyber Monday. Giving Tuesday.
Today is Wednesday.
Tonight is the time we gather as a church family and acknowledge that whatever day it is and regardless of what kind of day it has been, your presence has been with us.
In this season of Advent, help us to live each day in hopeful expectation and in hopeful assurance that you are with us. You are coming to us. You have been with us.
We pause this evening with church members and friends to give thanks for the ways you have revealed yourself to us already. We have food to eat and a warm place to be. We are grateful for people with whom we have interacted. We are thankful for this email that reminds us we are not alone and there are people praying for us right now!
O God of Advent, come to us! Make yourself known – especially to those who are struggling. Many are struggling with difficult decisions, family tensions, health concerns, and financial worries. Some are struggling as they look for new purpose and meaning after a relationship or job has ended. May we find our source of meaning and joy in you, O God!
We say things like ‘time has flown by! Where has the year gone!’ May we look back and see that you have been with us. May we look ahead to this month of December as a gift. A gift of time to prepare our hearts anew for your coming again.
This is the evening you have provided for us! May we find our rest and our comfort in you!
Thank you for hearing our prayers on behalf of those who have requested them and for those whom we hold dear in our hearts….
We pray for …
We continue to pray for …
We give thanks for ….
We pray all of these in the name of Christ who taught us to pray ….
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Advent Devotional – Week One
advent, Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayer – August 6, 2025
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 6, 2025
Rev. Tim Best
Gracious God,
We give you thanks and praise that you give to each of us the ability to learn and to wonder. What a joy it is to witness a young person discover something that excites and intrigues them. You give us creative spirits to make and create using the knowledge and skills we have received out of the kindness and dedication of mentors and teachers.
On the eve of Knox county schools returning, and as other schools have already begun, we pray for all those who will learn, teach, and serve in our schools this year. We pray for students who are excited and yet a bit nervous for the first day. We pray for parents who are juggling schedules and household budgets in an effort to support the learning of children. We pray for teachers that have spent days preparing rooms and lessons. We ask that you would protect students as they travel to school each day. We pray for those who work to care for buildings and facilities that students use to learn and to play.
Open all of our hearts to be continually looking to learn and grow. Continue instruct all of us in the faith. Help us to see the ways that we can grow in our empathy, patience, kindness, and charity to one another. We know that to learn is more than memorizing facts. Help us come to see the world with fresh eyes, and renew our faith through engaging our minds.
We are thankful for all the ways that learning can produce change. We are thankful for the miracles of modern medicine that result from research and inquiry. We pray for those who are sick and suffering, pray for such miracles in their own lives. Give comfort to those who grieve and may they find hope in the promise of resurrection and new life.
As we look towards tomorrow and to the future, shower your Holy Spirit upon us, and help us to learn your kingdom ways. We offer these concerns in trust that you hear us when we pray.
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for ….
We give thanks for ….
Even as we offer these concerns, teach us to pray with our lives the pray that Christ has taught us, even as we pray it together now:
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.