Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 – Morning
By Verna McLain
Who He Is
Read: Psalm 139:9
“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand will hold me.”
Albert Schweitzer, physician, theologian and musician, worked in a mission hospital in Africa from 1913 until the end of his life in 1965. He touched the lives of many. In his writing entitled: The Quest of the Historical Jesus, he wrote: “He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside. He came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same word: “Follow thou me!” And sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience “Who He Is.”
Several years ago, I visited the Holy Land with a Church Street group. We walked the “Way of the Cross” stopping at the spots where Jesus stopped as He was carrying his cross. The steps were steep in places and it was as though we were walking with Jesus carrying our own cares and burdens that were holding us down and making the way more difficult. I am reminded of an old hymn-“Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No there is a cross for everyone and there is a cross for me.’’ Jesus died on that cross that he was carrying and set us free to serve Him and others. But first, we must let go of all the things that keep us from walking with Jesus – fears, anxieties, anger, hate, jealousy. Bring them to the cross and leave them and then walk away with renewed faith and hope.
So what task is Jesus setting you to follow after you leave your burdens and cares at the cross? Is He calling you to serve others? Is He asking you to teach a Sunday School class or serve on a committee? Is he asking you to run for public office. As Schweitzer said in his search for Jesus, Jesus will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts and the sufferings. Are you willing?
Jesus said: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Do we believe that? So what is our next step in our Quest to learn WHO HE IS?
Prayer
Jesus, walk with me in my trials, in my troubles, in my sorrows and in my Joys. Amen.
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Towel and Basin People
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Maundy Thursday, April 6, 2023 — Morning
By Rev. Rick Isbell, Reprinted from the 2022 Lenten devotional
Towel and Basin People
Read: John 13:3-5, 12-17
On Maundy Thursday evening one year in the church I served before coming to Church Street, we had a foot washing as part of the service. The clergy conducting the service invited members of the congregation to come down to the front pews, take off their shoes and the clergy members would wash their feet in basins provided. It was a very anxious time for clergy and congregation. Would anyone come down? What reactions would the clergy receive? It was as awkward for the congregation as it was for the disciples around the table that first night. After some anxious moments, about a dozen or more members came down and got their feet washed by the clergy.
When I left that church to come to Church Street, the staff gave me a handcrafted pitcher and basin which I placed on the window sill behind my desk for all 27 years at Church Street. It was a physical reminder of the Order of Deacon in which I was ordained and what all Christians are called to do.
You and I are called to be towel and basin people. We are called to serve and not to be served. It’s easy to do the things which are easy and for which we receive praise and publicity. It’s harder to discipline ourselves “to get on our knees” and do the unpleasant tasks of Christian discipleship and servanthood. Jesus set an example for us by washing tired and dirty feet. Jesus calls us to do the same in one way or another.
Prayer
O God, help me to follow the example of Jesus to serve others. Show me where and whom you want me to serve. May your Holy Spirit guide and strengthen me as I go with my towel and basin.
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Weekly Prayer – April 5, 2023
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of April 5, 2023
Rev. Catherine Nance
O God who calls forth all springtime flowers, thank you for the beauty of this day. Sunshine. A breeze. Pinks, whites, yellows, pale purples are smiling from bushes and gardens. We want to stay outside and bask the beauty of your creation.
You have called all things good; and yet, you have given us the freedom to choose whether to live into your Goodness or not. So, while we are capable of admiring beauty we are also capable of thinking and doing things that do not reflect beauty. Today, is Wednesday. If we follow the gospel writer Mark’s timeline, it is today that a frustrated Judas colluded with religious leaders to betray Jesus. We step away from his shadow and insist we would never do anything horrendous. Not I, Lord!
As the gentle breeze blows and the sunlight touches our face, we feel the whisper of your grace and know that we need forgiveness. We have followed our own ways – for good reasons, we think. We have pushed aside or shoved ahead – all for a just cause, we think. We have betrayed loved ones who have hurt us — they deserve it, we think. We have forgotten the needs of the poor and the voiceless – their time will come, we think. We have not supported causes in our community – my voice won’t matter, we think.
Our names do not bear the weight of “Judas Iscariot,” but you know our names. You know our bent to selfishness, greed, and self-centeredness. You have promised us that in knowing our names, you call us by name, you love us, and offer us a place in your heart.
Forgive us O God, for our betrayal of your love when we have not loved others. On this Wednesday, when the disciples ask, “Is it I, Lord?” may we hear the Savior’s voice say, “I have called you friend.”
Thank you for your forgiving love, your restoring grace, and your renewing spirit. In a reconciled posture, we now pray and bow before you. We offer prayers of gratitude for our Savior Jesus Christ and his obedience to you; his Self-giving love.
In humble gratitude, we offer these prayers of concern for our community and our world. For Nashville and all the family at the Covenant Christian School, for refugees in Ukraine, for those devastated by tornadoes in Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois and other places …. Hear our prayers, O Lord.
And now, we thank you for the opportunity to join in prayer for those in our church family who have asked for prayer….
We pray for …
We give thanks for …
We continue to pray 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.
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No Greater Love
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 — Evening
By Barry Christmas
No Greater Love
Read: John 15:13; John 13:34-35; Matt. 7:1-2 (NIV)
When I contemplate the degree of suffering and torture my Savior endured on the cross so that I might be cleansed of all sin and redeemed unto God, I fall to my knees in awe of His boundless love and mercy. The depth of His love for us challenges our human capacity to comprehend. He has taught us by example how to love one another unconditionally and has given us a New Commandment: We must love one another as He loves us. Notice, He did not say this as a suggestion, but as a directive; and He didn’t list any exceptions to this command. He loves everyone; and out of that love, He suffered and died for every human being, no exclusions. God created each of us with the capacity to love one another, with the same love He has for us, but we fail miserably. If only we would surrender our hearts to God and allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to pour out His love on everyone we meet, can you imagine what a different community we could be?
During this season of repentance and renewal, won’t you look up at the cross and consider taking all of your prejudices and judgmental thoughts and leaving these burdens at Jesus’ feet? As the Apostle Paul instructs us in Romans 12:2, instead of “conforming to this world,” let’s “renew our minds and be transformed” to loving all of God’s creation, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, political affiliation, social status, or crimes committed. In God’s eyes we are all the same: guilty of sin, with no right to judge one another. Let’s allow God to work a miracle in our hearts and in our lives, and leave the judging to Him. We may never experience the full potential of God’s love working through us, to bring others to Him, until we open our hearts and minds to His Great Love.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I consider the tortures you endured on the cross and am reminded, there is no greater love than your love for me! Help me to overcome my prejudices and learn to love all of your creation, just as you love me regardless of all my faults. Thank you Lord for teaching me, by your example, the true meaning of unconditional love. Amen
Have a Prayer Request?
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The Act of Giving
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, April 5, 2023 — Morning
By Rev. Rick Isbell
The Act of Giving
Read: Luke 21:1-4
On Sunday, January 15, during the singing of the first hymn at the 11 am service, she slipped quietly into the nave and sat down in the south transept. She was a woman of the community wearing a worn coat, a cap over her head, and carrying several large shopping bags in her hands. I don’t know her name nor did I think much of her attendance that morning. The nave was a warm and welcoming place on a cold winter morning. But this one woman exemplified the act of unselfish and humble giving in a most powerful way.
During the time in worship when the congregation shares its tithes and offerings, she showed what Jesus was talking about in the first few verses of Luke 21. While the offering plates were being passed and people were putting in their checks and cash, and as the choir shared the offertory anthem, this lady rose from her pew on the side transept and shared an amazing “sermon” on what Jesus had taught. She slowly and quietly came near the baptismal font and carefully placed two small wrapped bouquets of flowers on the table beside the baptismal font. Then she quietly went back to her pew. She gave what she had this one morning as an offering to God. As we sang the last hymn, she gathered her bags and quietly slipped out the door into the hallway.
I will probably never see her again, but what she did during worship on January 15 will remain with me forever. She showed me that all gifts given in the humble and sacrificial way she gave are sometimes more powerful than all the checks and $20 bills put in the offering plate. “He said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them; for all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty…’” (Luke 21: 3-4 NRSV)
Prayer
Oh dear God, help me to give so others might know of your love and grace. During this Lenten season, show me how and where I might give like this lady did. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
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April Update
YouthSunday Schedule:
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)
This week in Youth Ministry…
Senior Banquet
This Thursday night, join us in Parish Hall at 6:30 to celebrate the graduating class of 2023. Please register below by noon, April 26 if you plan to attend.
Senior Banquet Helpers
We need helpers to set-up, monitor food, and clean-up for the senior banquet. Please sign up below! Specific times are included on the registration form called “Banquet Helpers.”
Final NightLife
Our last regular NightLife of the year is this coming Sunday. That is BONKERS. Join us as we wrap up this school year and look toward the summer with hope and expectancy. Reminder: Sunday, May 7 is the choral evensong service and Sunday, May 21 is our end of the year party!
Summer Registration
We’ve extended the early bird discount for a few more days! Be sure to register by Sunday, April 30 for that rate.
Senior Banquet
Banquet Serving Sign-Up
Summer Registration
High School Prayer Breakfast
We only have one Prayer Breakfast left at each location this school year. We hope you’ll join us!
Parent Sign-Ups
Meal Sign-Ups: Each Sunday, we serve our students breakfast and lunch. We ask families to volunteer to help make these meals happen! The sign-ups are below. If every family signs up for one breakfast and one dinner each, we will have nearly every week covered!
Breakfast Sign-Up
Dinner Sign-Up
Have you viewed our page on Church Street’s website? Check it out!
Jenny Cross, Youth Director
jcross@churchstreetumc.org
Who He Is
Featured, prayer for todayDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, April 4, 2023 – Morning
By Verna McLain
Who He Is
Read: Psalm 139:9
“If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me and your right hand will hold me.”
Albert Schweitzer, physician, theologian and musician, worked in a mission hospital in Africa from 1913 until the end of his life in 1965. He touched the lives of many. In his writing entitled: The Quest of the Historical Jesus, he wrote: “He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside. He came to those men who knew him not. He speaks to us the same word: “Follow thou me!” And sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience “Who He Is.”
Several years ago, I visited the Holy Land with a Church Street group. We walked the “Way of the Cross” stopping at the spots where Jesus stopped as He was carrying his cross. The steps were steep in places and it was as though we were walking with Jesus carrying our own cares and burdens that were holding us down and making the way more difficult. I am reminded of an old hymn-“Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free? No there is a cross for everyone and there is a cross for me.’’ Jesus died on that cross that he was carrying and set us free to serve Him and others. But first, we must let go of all the things that keep us from walking with Jesus – fears, anxieties, anger, hate, jealousy. Bring them to the cross and leave them and then walk away with renewed faith and hope.
So what task is Jesus setting you to follow after you leave your burdens and cares at the cross? Is He calling you to serve others? Is He asking you to teach a Sunday School class or serve on a committee? Is he asking you to run for public office. As Schweitzer said in his search for Jesus, Jesus will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts and the sufferings. Are you willing?
Jesus said: “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Do we believe that? So what is our next step in our Quest to learn WHO HE IS?
Prayer
Jesus, walk with me in my trials, in my troubles, in my sorrows and in my Joys. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Keep Trying
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Monday, April 3, 2023 – Evening
By Krystal Cranfield
Keep Trying
Read: Galatians 6:9
“Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.” – Pablo Picasso
Since college, I’ve kept this quote as my laptop wallpaper. I’ve scribbled it on notes when struggling to meet a deadline, muttered it under my breath after I’ve worn down my eraser. The words belong to an artist who, prodigious work notwithstanding, should be no one’s role model. It’s a useful adage though, so I remember it.
This quote is better:
“Let’s not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary.” – Galatians 6:9
I have never been especially talented, or at the top of my class. If they awarded blue ribbons yesterday for Most Compassionate or Least Selfish, I would have walked away empty-handed and regretful, but I keep trying. We have to do good things to lead us to the next good thing. An impactful spiritual walk begins with the acknowledgement of our fundamental shortcomings and the incredible gift of forgiveness; these are first steps we will tread many times over. The disciples lived this way, trusting that the path Jesus set before them was not purely for their own eternal benefit, but for the good of their communities and the generations that would follow.
Prayer
Lord of all good things, thank you for this season of preparation and hope. Help us find rest when we grow weary, and sustain us for your work ahead. There is so much good to accomplish, we’ll keep trying.
Have a Prayer Request?
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Day by Day
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Monday, April 3, 2023 – Morning
By Krystal Cranfield
Day by Day
Read: Colossians 1:13-14
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sin.”
Often, we don’t prioritize the opportunities for reflection built into our holiday traditions. One of the aspects of Holy Week that makes it so special is that we look back at a momentous span of days from two thousand years ago, and then we live them out, day by day. Through worship and commemoration, we mark the hours and confront the cost of salvation.
We start with joy. We remember that God fulfills his promises. We pause in the heavy mystery of His words at the Last Supper. Sitting together in the dark, we grieve as a community and look toward the coming sacrifice with somber gratitude. We are confronted with humanity’s weakness and the strength of God’s love. We end with joy again, and a new covenant.
It’s tempting to rush past the despair and look up again only at Easter, but I would encourage you to sit a while in the dark. We shouldn’t rob ourselves of the relief that comes in the recognition of our needs and that God embraces us as we are. After reflection, we can celebrate with greater appreciation the remarkable gift of grace.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for meeting our needs beyond our greatest expectations. You are our comfort in the darkness, and our joy.
Have a Prayer Request?
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Steadfast Love
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023 – Evening
By Rev. Tim Best, Senior Associate Pastor
Steadfast Love
Read: Psalm 118
It is always a little strange to read Psalm 118 on Palm Sunday. The sections we read are upbeat and filled with promise. At the start of the most solemn week of our faith, we start with a parade. Children wave palms, and we shout Hosannas. The music is often more upbeat on Palm Sunday than other Sundays in Lent. How strange that we begin a week filled with lots of somber moments with celebration and reading a Psalm that calls us to rejoice and give thanks.
The ending is revealed in the beginning. The somber and painful middle is clearly deeply significant and important. The suffering and pain is framed and interpreted by the promises of God and the knowledge that though Jesus is headed to the cross, he won’t stay there. As we journey through this week, attending services like Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, or stations of the cross, we can remember the faithfulness of God that was promised on Sunday. The deep longing of the end of the week can reshape and enrich our understanding of what it means to cry out “Let his steadfast love endure forever.”
Prayer
Gracious Lord, indeed we pray that your steadfast love will endure forever. Draw our hearts close to yours during this Holy Week that our lives may more faithfully reflect your mercy and grace each day. Amen.
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What’s in a Name?
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Palm Sunday, April 2, 2023 – Morning
By Rev. Palmer Cantler, Associate Pastor
What’s in a Name?
Read: John 12:13
“So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!’”
The etymology of my name pairs well with the occasion of Palm Sunday. The earliest mention of Palmer is as a surname in the 12th century. Palmers were pilgrims who had returned from the Holy Land. These pilgrims were referred to as palmers, because they carried a palm branch or frond as a symbol of the journey they had just taken.
As Christians who know the full story of Holy Week, we know that Jesus brings the peace hoped for on Palm Sunday. We know the events that are to follow this triumphant entry into Jerusalem. We declare that Christ is king and his reign does bring peace. Yet, it is not the peace you might expect when you see the crowd waving palm branches. Jesus delivers peace, but not through military action and overthrowing the Roman army. The price of peace was not paid on the battlefield with soldiers, weapons and armies. The price of peace was paid by God’s only, begotten son taking on the sins of the world and dying on a cross. Jesus pays the ultimate price of peace to fulfill his Kingship.
The joyful, triumphant entry of the disciples and crowd is not the end of the story. This processional does not immediately jump to the tomb where we celebrate the joy of Easter morning. Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem leads first through the events of Holy Week. Our journey as palmers, as religious pilgrims bearing palm branches, follows through each of these events as we wrestle to be disciples.
Prayer
God of Peace, as we seek to be palmers, may the palms we wave be outward signs of the discipleship journeys we walk. Strengthen us throughout Holy Week to walk through each of these last days in your son’s life, so that we may more fully understand the sacrifice he made for us. Amen.
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