Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 23, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
It is the evening before …..
The evening before “Thanksgiving Day.”
O God who knows us and loves us and understands what is in our hearts – even when we feel our hearts are a jumbled mess…. Hear our prayers.
Where to start?
We know we are to pray for the world and to pray for those who are hungry. And we do. We have given offerings for thanksgiving baskets (did I send in that $70.00, Lord?) and we helped fill boxes and bags (what was the name of that new person? She seemed shy but glad to help. Lord, help me remember her name. I hope she’ll come back to church).
Lord, we pray for those who are hungry. We pray that all of the places who are serving meals tomorrow will have plenty and everyone who is looking for a place finds one. Thank you God for those churches and community centers who are serving turkey and dressing tomorrow. We pray that those who sit around the tables will feel blessed. Thank you for those who have signed up to help; they are angels on earth! (What day did they need help at the Soup Kitchen next month? I was going to call. Help me remember to call, O Lord!) For those who are eating in a hospital room or ICU waiting room … dear Lord, I cannot bear to think of them. Lord, have mercy. May they feel some sense of community on a lonely day.
We give thanks for our families who will be gathering and pray for safe travels for all who are on the road. Lord, please help everyone use good judgment and be safe. (Is it possible to bless an interstate, Lord? Please watch over my loved ones on I-40. Why do people drive so fast? Dear God, please remind me to stop and get gas when I go to Kroger early in the morning)
Be with all of us as we gather. Help us to focus on gratitude and not get into conversations about things that do not matter. Oh Lord, you have given us plenty to eat this day. (Dear God, please remind us that we do not need to talk about the difference between being a vegetarian and a vegan!) Help us welcome everyone at your table.
Oh Lord, as we make preparations, we are mindful of the people who will not be here tomorrow. The family member who chooses not to come, the one who could not afford to travel, the one who is in rehab, the one who just started a new job …. May we not judge their reasons but remember to call later. We pray that those who are not ‘with us’ will find somewhere meaningful to be. (Or, that they find meaning this day. Oh God, my heart breaks when I think how things will be different this year. Is there something I could have done differently? How do I help? Help me know how to reach out.)
We remember those who have died; we talk about the empty seat O God. Help us imagine loved ones at your heavenly banquet. May memories sustain us; may we not be overcome with guilt and grief but focus on this day and giving thanks for possibilities of memories for those who are here. (Lord, I am crying now; please don’t let me cry tomorrow; I do not want anyone to know how sad I am.)
God who cares about everyone, I can hardly think about eating when I think of mamas and daddies not having their children with them this year. Those young men in Virginia, the students in Idaho, those innocent folks in Colorado Springs. (Lord, I cannot remember the other cities; but you know O Lord. I feel so guilty that I cannot call each tragedy to mind. But I pray for those mamas and daddies.)
O Lord, it is the night before Thanksgiving Day and we hope for a beautiful and glorious day. You have heard our prayers and our rambling. Forgive us, O Lord, for our distracted thoughts. But, you know our hearts and know that what often distracts is what we need to say aloud to you. For all of your good gifts, O God, we give you thanks. For hearing ALL of our prayers and jumbled mess, and loving us still, we are most grateful.
We pray for ….
- A granddaughter who had knee surgery this past week in Wisconsin; prayers for healing and good rehab. Thankful for a good report from doctor!
- A family in the death of their brother; prayers for comfort as funeral is planned for next week
- A child in ICU at Children’s Hospital with severe head trauma; things do not look hopeful. We pray for God’s spirit to be present to all of the family in the way each needs.
- People who suffer from extreme anxiety and other mental health issues. We pray for understanding and no judgment. Prayers for family members who are doing their best to support loved ones.
- Families and friends affected by hate crime and violence in Colorado Springs. We pray for LGBTQ persons and that we would welcome and include them.
- A niece in Los Angeles looking for a job
- A woman who stopped by the church yesterday to ask for prayer before heading to her new job across the street. Prayers that God will calm her anxiety and help her focus on tasks at hand.
- Families of victims killed in the shooting in Chesapeake, VA. Lord, have mercy …
We continue to pray for ….
- Two church members who are under hospice care; giving thanks for faith in God. Thankful for supportive families
- Those who are caregivers and those who are making difficult decisions.
- Those who are in rehabilitation after a fall and/or surgery
- Those who are weary with chronic illnesses and those whose bodies are ‘wearing out.’
- A member who is dealing with depression. We pray for so many who deal with depression – who want to be at church and with family, but just cannot make that happen.
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for ….
- A mazing volunteers this past Sunday with the Thanksgiving blitz
- A family reunion; first time together since 2019!
- Chemotherapy that is having positive effects
- RETIREMENT!! Looking forward to what God has in store with new freedom of schedule. Thankful for loving co-workers who will be missed.
- Scans that show improvement
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.
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.
Wake Up! Be Alert!
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, December 1
By Suzanne Matheny
Wake Up! Be Alert!
Read: Isaiah 2:4-5; Romans 13:11-14
“Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.” (Romans 13:11b, NLT)
Advent is apocalyptic. When we hear the word “apocalyptic,” our 21st century ears often hear destruction and violence thanks to the popularity of sci-fi fictional media featuring the collapse of civilization and God’s punishment of the wicked. Instead, a truer understanding of the word “apocalypse” comes from its ancient Greek origination, meaning simply “revelation” or “disclosure.”
In the midst of this season’s festivities and celebrations, Christians are focused on the “revealing” of the coming of God into the world in the Christ child, named Jesus. We marvel at the story of Jesus’s birth as told in the New Testament gospels; but both the Old and New Testament scriptures also speak of the Advent of the Lord in myriad daily ways and ultimately when our eternal communion with God will be fulfilled. Jesus’s exhortation to his disciples to wake up and stay awake extends to us Christ-followers. Isaiah assures us that God will bring a welcomed peace among all nations and calls us to “walk in the light of the Lord” as we await God’s revelation and salvation. Paul echoes Jesus’s and Isaiah’s admonitions to wake up and to “put on the shining armor of right living,” or as one commentator* has said, “be alert to what God is doing in the world, and live in accordance with God’s coming salvation.” We do not know the hour or day of God’s revelation; but in the coming of God’s Son, we hear the call to wake up and be alert!
Prayer
God, even as you reveal yourself daily and in so many varying ways, sometimes we become complacent and fall asleep. May this season of Advent be a wake up call. May we be ever alert and ready to rejoice in your salvation.
*Susan Grove Eastman, Associate Research Professor Emerita of New Testament Duke Divinity School
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Weekly Prayer – November 30, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 30, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised.
You have given us the gift of evening and daytime, O Lord; it is how we first measured time.
Then we named the days and now we have given each day a title this season:
Black Friday (which now lasts for weeks before Thanksgiving). Cyber Monday is when we shop online more than any other day of the year and then Giving Tuesday – sort of a repentance for the overindulging we’ve done.
O Lord, we know that you are infinite and that you are Lord of our Life, but we feel a little more in control when we can mark time, name time, divide time into hours or minutes. We make plans for days and save the dates. We want to spend our time wisely, but also be productive, and also enjoy each moment. Oh! The expectations and burdens we place on ourselves!
We do like a good plan! Our families and communities function better when we have our schedule and know what time events will start and end! But, remind us to pause, O God. In this season of Advent, you have called us to watch, to wait, to be prepared. As we ask, “what time is it?” may we pause to ask “how is God in this time?” When we ask ‘How much longer”, may you guide us to wonder how you are waiting with us. We do not wait well, Lord. You know this about us.
So, our prayer this evening is for those who are waiting and wondering how much longer …
How much longer before the doctor calls ..
How much longer before that check shows up…
How much longer before she says, “I’m sorry”….
How much longer before he is healed….
How much longer do we keep trying to get pregnant…
How much longer do we have to live like this…
How much longer before he comes home…?
We offer prayers of thanksgiving, O God of the Nighttime and Daytime, that you are indeed with us in all time. You wait with us. You watch over us, and for us, and with us. Open our hearts and minds that we might notice you; may our spirits catch a glimpse of you as we wait. In this Advent season, we grapple with the circle – the wreath – the everlastingness of it all. Sometimes, we want straight lines and angles and turns and clear direction. Help us find solace and comfort in the circle. Love never ending. Your presence who has no ending or beginning. May that bring meaning to all of our time.
We pray in the name of the one who has come, who is with us now, and who will come again.
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.
Hope in a World of Chaos
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, November 30
By David Lineberger
Hope in a World of Chaos
Read: Hebrews 10:23 NIV
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”
What comes to your mind when you hear the word chaos? Lawlessness, confusion, disorder, and disarray are some words that might pop into your mind. We certainly live in times that could be defined using the word chaos. While many would agree that there has never been a time that was completely absent of chaos, our current political and environmental climates are acutely focused on events that could very well impact most of life today in a disastrous way. Even if we can solve our nation’s political divide, we are mindful that an even more ominous threat looms in our future with climate change.
It is within this background that we Christians focus with renewed emphasis on the hope of the good that God brings to us all in the coming of Jesus into our hearts and minds, a hope that darkness will not prevail, but a light that will overcome it. We celebrate the arrival of God’s promise to us all, a promise of love, forgiveness, and hope for our relationship with Him, with each other, and for our joy throughout eternity.
Some Christian traditions refer to the Advent candle of hope as the prophet’s candle. It symbolizes the joyous expectation felt in anticipation of the birth of the Messiah as foretold by many prophets, especially Isaiah.
In these times of fear of the unknown, of a world in chaos, we cling to the one unfailing hope that is sure, that of the promise of God’s love revealed to us in the birth of our savior, the Messiah, who is God with us!
Prayer
Lord of the universe, we lay down our fears and concerns of a chaotic world at your feet, knowing that your love for us can and will overcome anything that tries to overpower us. Give us the hope and peace we celebrate in your Son, the child born in Bethlehem. Amen.
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December Update
YouthSunday Schedule:
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)
Christmas Eve & Christmas
Join us for worship!
Saturday, Dec. 24 – Christmas Eve
Sunday, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day
REZ 2023
Each year, an event is held for Holston Conference Youth called Resurrection. Our group enjoys time together in a cabin in Pigeon Forge and attends worship sessions throughout the weekend.
This year’s theme is One Faith, One Hope, One Lord. And we’re looking forward to this weekend away. Here are our details:
Earlybird: Due December 4 – $115
Regular: Due December 23 (EXTENDED) – $135
Event Date: January 20-22, 2023
Location: LeConte Convention Center | Pigeon Forge, TN
Lodging: King of the Mountain Lodge | Hearthside Cabin Rentals
Use the links to register with our group and learn more about Resurrection!
REZ23 Registration
Resurrection Website
High School Prayer Breakfast
This year, we are going to rotate locations of our High School Prayer Breakfast. Hopefully, this will allow more students to participate! We will begin after Labor Day. The first two dates & locations are:
If you are interested in a prayer breakfast near your neighborhood, let Jenny know!
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!
Christmas Pandemonium
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, November 29
By Barry Christmas, Congregational Care
Christmas Pandemonium
Read Galatians 6:2 NIV
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
When planning Christmas gatherings around a loved one with memory issues, it is better to skip the “Twelve Days of Christmas” and focus on “Silent Night”.
Holidays can be a stressful time for all of us, but most especially for our family members with dementia. A room filled with laughter and voices, children running and squealing with excitement, festive holiday music playing in the background and the family dogs underfoot can be overwhelming for those who are cognitively challenged. Such a chaotic atmosphere is more than they are able to process and quickly becomes intolerable for them. They are unable to recognize some people’s faces, and struggle to remember the names of those who look familiar. They may lovingly embrace one of their grandchildren, but fail to recall their name. All of this confusion makes them want to retreat to another room and be alone.
Keep celebrations simple and on a small scale. Consider having several intimate gatherings with close relatives instead of one big party with the whole family. The grandchildren can benefit too by having their own special one-on-one time with grandma and grandpa. And if your loved one is unable to recall names, consider having everyone wear a festive name tag at all of your holiday gatherings. This will help put your loved one at ease, instead of reminding them of their worrisome memory lapses.
Unfortunately, more and more families are seeing their aging relatives develop dementia. We pray every day that the Lord will help us find the cause and a cure. In the meantime, hold your loved ones close to you and remind them you will always be there for them (even when they no longer recognize who you are).
Prayer
Dear Jesus, during this happy season of family gatherings to celebrate your birth, bless all who are caregivers and their loved ones with dementia. May they enjoy their time together, and make new and lasting memories. Amen.
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Are Your Prepared?
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Monday, November 28
By Ann Reego
Are You Prepared?
Read Matthew 3:3
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, and make straight paths for him.’”
It seems that once October appeared on our calendars, the holidays just blended together into one changing grocery aisle – from orange and black candy with lots of chocolate, to shelves filled with canned pumpkin and cranberry sauce, and now to red and green in every kind of candy imaginable. The elections are over and the commercials have abandoned politicians for ads for toys, colognes, bikes and sweaters; all proclaiming great prices and “once in a lifetime” sales.
The dictionary defines Advent as arrival, appearance, emergence, materialization, surfacing, occurrence, dawn, origin, birth, rise, development, approach, coming, looming, nearing, and advance. With the antonyms being departure or disappearance.
With the emergence of the holidays in October, and the arrival of fall, the earth develops from green to vibrant colors of red and gold, an occurrence of nature because of cooler, longer nights. Every dawn brings new and stunning views. We enjoy rides into the mountains, and the advancing cooler days and colder nights make us head to the fire pits for s’mores.
And now most of the trees are bare and in the approaching days we see that winter is looming and the green on our lawns will not surface until Lent or Easter. We have developed a materialized culture that is easy to join as Christmas Day draws near and makes many forget the origin of the holiday. Let us look more to the coming appearance of the Christ Child, who gave rise to our faith. His birth changed the world and He will never depart us or disappear.
During Advent, Church Street UMC gives us many opportunities to deepen our faith. I hope you will take advantage of these events and your hearts will fill with the true meaning of the season.
Prayer
Oh gracious Savior, we are prone to becoming caught up in the ways of man. Help us to savor and appreciate this Advent season. Bring us to Christmas Eve, eagerly awaiting your birth. In your name, Amen.
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When There are No Words
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, November 27
By Rev. Andy Ferguson
When There are No Words
Read Luke 1:5-23
The Christmas story as told by Luke actually begins before the angel visited Mary to promise that she would bear a child. It began months earlier in the Temple. A country preacher, Zechariah, had been chosen to enter the Holy of Holies at the time of incense – a once in a lifetime moment for him.
Inside he met Gabriel, who came with a promise for Zechariah and all Israel. Zechariah’s response to this wonderful news was a clumsy, “Huh?” This did not sit well with the Angel, so he struck Zechariah unable to speak until his promised child should be born.
Imagine the scene: Zechariah comes out of the Holy of Holies. His eyes are wide but he is unable to speak. He gestures; he shrugs; he points. But no explanation comes out.
Years ago, I was the preacher at Camp Wesley Woods for a communion service. Unfortunately, laryngitis had taken over and my voice was fading fast. I was the only pastor around, and the plan called for Holy Communion. When it was time for the communion liturgy, my voice was gone. What could I do?
With no backup plan in sight, I stepped to the communion table and acted it out – no words. Like Zechariah, I gestured; I shrugged; I pointed. Then, I broke the bread, lifted the cup, and offered it to all who were present.
I have always connected my mime-communion with Zechariah’s silence and gesturing before his long-ago congregation. The Christmas Story began that day without words. The angel’s promise to Zechariah was shared without explanations or fancy prophecies. The best part is that people got it – at least part of it. They understood that God had visited during their hour of prayer. They understood that God was coming close and that great events were unfolding.
This is the message of Christmas in this troubled year 2022. We read plenty of words; the speeches never end. But long ago in events unspoken, the Good News unfolded. God has visited. God is coming close and in God’s coming great events are underway. This is the promise of Christmas.
Prayer
Hush my chattering, Lord. Teach me to watch for your Christmas coming with my kneeling knees, my outstretched hands, my believing eyes. Amen.
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Weekly Prayer – November 23, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 23, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
It is the evening before …..
The evening before “Thanksgiving Day.”
O God who knows us and loves us and understands what is in our hearts – even when we feel our hearts are a jumbled mess…. Hear our prayers.
Where to start?
We know we are to pray for the world and to pray for those who are hungry. And we do. We have given offerings for thanksgiving baskets (did I send in that $70.00, Lord?) and we helped fill boxes and bags (what was the name of that new person? She seemed shy but glad to help. Lord, help me remember her name. I hope she’ll come back to church).
Lord, we pray for those who are hungry. We pray that all of the places who are serving meals tomorrow will have plenty and everyone who is looking for a place finds one. Thank you God for those churches and community centers who are serving turkey and dressing tomorrow. We pray that those who sit around the tables will feel blessed. Thank you for those who have signed up to help; they are angels on earth! (What day did they need help at the Soup Kitchen next month? I was going to call. Help me remember to call, O Lord!) For those who are eating in a hospital room or ICU waiting room … dear Lord, I cannot bear to think of them. Lord, have mercy. May they feel some sense of community on a lonely day.
We give thanks for our families who will be gathering and pray for safe travels for all who are on the road. Lord, please help everyone use good judgment and be safe. (Is it possible to bless an interstate, Lord? Please watch over my loved ones on I-40. Why do people drive so fast? Dear God, please remind me to stop and get gas when I go to Kroger early in the morning)
Be with all of us as we gather. Help us to focus on gratitude and not get into conversations about things that do not matter. Oh Lord, you have given us plenty to eat this day. (Dear God, please remind us that we do not need to talk about the difference between being a vegetarian and a vegan!) Help us welcome everyone at your table.
Oh Lord, as we make preparations, we are mindful of the people who will not be here tomorrow. The family member who chooses not to come, the one who could not afford to travel, the one who is in rehab, the one who just started a new job …. May we not judge their reasons but remember to call later. We pray that those who are not ‘with us’ will find somewhere meaningful to be. (Or, that they find meaning this day. Oh God, my heart breaks when I think how things will be different this year. Is there something I could have done differently? How do I help? Help me know how to reach out.)
We remember those who have died; we talk about the empty seat O God. Help us imagine loved ones at your heavenly banquet. May memories sustain us; may we not be overcome with guilt and grief but focus on this day and giving thanks for possibilities of memories for those who are here. (Lord, I am crying now; please don’t let me cry tomorrow; I do not want anyone to know how sad I am.)
God who cares about everyone, I can hardly think about eating when I think of mamas and daddies not having their children with them this year. Those young men in Virginia, the students in Idaho, those innocent folks in Colorado Springs. (Lord, I cannot remember the other cities; but you know O Lord. I feel so guilty that I cannot call each tragedy to mind. But I pray for those mamas and daddies.)
O Lord, it is the night before Thanksgiving Day and we hope for a beautiful and glorious day. You have heard our prayers and our rambling. Forgive us, O Lord, for our distracted thoughts. But, you know our hearts and know that what often distracts is what we need to say aloud to you. For all of your good gifts, O God, we give you thanks. For hearing ALL of our prayers and jumbled mess, and loving us still, we are most grateful.
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.
Church Street Kids
StewardshipToday, we are delighted to share a video featuring Laura Still, who is a longtime Church Street member and Children’s Ministry volunteer. You have probably seen her on a Children’s Sunday directing kids in skits during worship, or behind the scenes at the annual Christmas Pageant.
But she is known to our children for the creative and dramatic arts she uses to bring the stories of the Bible alive in the Drama room on the third floor of our Education building. If you don’t have a child, you’ve probably not seen it. So we invite you to listen to Laura’s story about her love of Church Street and explore this foundational ministry in the life of our church.
Children’s Ministry by the numbers: If you don’t have children or grandchildren, you may not know the breadth or depth of how the program engages our kids.
Other activities for children include Mission events, special worship nights, summer fabulous fun days, 3rd grade Bibles, older elementary retreat weekends, and more opportunities to grow and participate fully in the connection that Church Street offers.
Don’t miss what is coming up in Children’s Ministry:
If you are interested in working with our Children’s Ministry, please contact Katryn Bancroft, Children’s Director, at kbancroftATchurchstreetumcDOTorg.
Home for Good
StewardshipI believe at least for me
I’ll see my Mom and Dad
My brothers and my sisters
And everywhere you look are friends
Oh, the greetings will be precious
From those we’ve loved so dear
But mortal man has never heard
The likes of when he hears
Welcome home, I knew you’d come
Welcome home, you’re here for good
Look around, was it worth the wait
Welcome home, step thru the gate
“Welcome Home” by the Gospel Plowboys
Months after the funeral, I was asked to be a greeter at church. Seemed like God heard my new favorite song and was giving me the opportunity to serve in a unique way.
As I take my place in the Welcome Center on Sundays, I think about the people I may see that day. The families I knew growing up in this church, people I have met since I moved back after 35 years away, UT students checking out that “other” beacon on a hallowed hill, and visitors from here and away.
Each person is an opportunity to affirm my faith in the wonderful variety of God’s children and rejoice in how we are all tied together by a common desire to gather in His presence. As I greet people with “Hello”, “Good Morning” and “Nice to see you,” I sometimes slip in a “Welcome Home”. The look on their face changes from confusion to comprehension, then a radiant smile and a little nod … acknowledging that they are indeed home for good.
Kit Brown, Church Street Member and Greeter Coordinator, whose Sunday School class (Open Door) is pictured above at Sterchi Lodge in the Fall of 2022.