Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
We begin our prayers with O God … but you have heard us exclaim “Oh, God!” or OMG earlier today!
“Oh, my Lord, it is so hot,” we have exclaimed as we get into our cars and roll the windows down and turn on the AC. Forgive us for cursing about the heat, O God who created sun and moon in perfect balance. Forgive us for doing things as individuals, industries, and countries, that have made our earth, your earth, hotter. Make us mindful of our responsibilities to care for your earth and the air and atmosphere all around it.
As most of pray this prayer in air conditioning, we think of others. It is an act of repentance to turn from ourselves for a moment and to pray for others …
We pray for those who make their living outdoors … in this heat. We pray for construction workers, landscapers, farmers, dog walkers, those fighting wildfires, groundskeepers, camp counselors, police officers on motorcycles, soldiers on maneuvers, major league baseball players, and for the lady who sits in the ticket booth at UT Hospital parking garage. We rely on some of these folks for our food and for our entertainment, some for tending to our children, and some for making our lawns look nice. Others provide safety. Gracious God, for those who work outside, we pray for their safety; we pray they have access to clean and cool water, and that they have relief at the end of their shift or day or inning.
You have heard us pray (or exclaim), “Dear Lord! Where did the summer go?” Tomorrow is the first day of school for Knox County students. Other school systems have already started and some will be starting next week.
“Where did the summer go, O God?”
Why do we have such a distortion of time when you have set our planet in predictable motion? Each day is twenty -four hours. You have timed it perfectly, O God, that we have eight hours to sleep, eight hours to work and learn, eight hours to …. All the other things.
We ask for forgiveness for taking the passing of the hours so personally and offer prayers on behalf of others. We pray for those who are anxious about school starting tomorrow. We pray for those who have had a hard summer because of lack of routine and lack of resources and food that school provides. We pray for those who have been reunited with families and friends on trips this summer and have vowed to keep in touch more intentionally. We pray for those whose days seem to go on forever with no interruption of friend or purpose. We pray for those who feel rushed through the day with no time for themselves. We pray for parents who will be filled with grief as school buses drive by. Give these – and all of us – a sense of your perfect time.
Today is Wednesday, the middle of the week. Some are asking, where did the week go? Or even, where did the day go? We measure the speed of time by how productive we are. Or how much fun we’re having. Time flies … or time drags…
It is so subjective. So, we pause in the early evening in the middle of the week, and offer a prayer to you. To offer ourselves humbly, we will attempt to think of others and how they have measured time today. For grandparents who know this is the ‘last day’ they will see grandchildren for a while, for teachers who are praying for students who will be entering their room tomorrow morning, for those who began the day in surgery waiting and for those who will end the day in the Emergency Department, for those who stand in front of an open refrigerator full of fruits, vegetables, and good leftovers and for those who have unplugged the refrigerator because it is empty and it is too expensive to run.
When we turn to you and utter, Dear God, may we be humbled and also comforted that there are others all around in countless other situations who are also saying Oh my God, Dear God, Good Lord … and you graciously hear us all.
Thank you for hearing our prayers – even when they are simply honest utterances. In vocalizing our feelings, may your holy spirit transform it into sacred conversation with you.
We pray for those in our church family who have asked for prayers for ….
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.
Hurricane Helene Flood Relief – How You Can Help!
Featured, UncategorizedAs flood waters continue to impact East Tennessee, the Carolinas, Florida, and Georgia, our neighbors need our help as they assess damage, navigate power and water outages, and rebuild. If you’re looking for ways to support the flood relief efforts, here are a couple of ways to give your resources and time!
VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME
Church Street United Methodist Church, and all our neighbors, have been invited to help organize and inventory supplies, accept donations, and hand out water at Trinity United Methodist Church in Greeneville, TN. A sign-up sheet has been put together to help plan. On some days as many as 50 people are needed, and on some days there are carpool options available. Read the volunteer details on the sign-up form to confirm. Follow the link below to sign up.
Greeneville, TN Volunteer Sign Up – Google Sheets
Requested items are:
These items can be collected at Church Street UMC, or at Concord UMC. Please be aware that there are other organizations collecting. If there is a drop off closer to you, that is fine. If you have any questions, contact the Concord UMC church office at 865-524-3048.
Weekly Prayer – October 2, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of October 2, 2024
Written by Rev. Tim Best
This prayer was offered in worship on Sunday, September 29.
We open our hearts in praise and prayer to you, God of heaven and earth.
You hear our prayers and tend to our needs. Hear us as we pray for our community and our neighbors. Over the last several days we have seen communities we know covered in the national news. Loved ones have been left without power. Roads and bridges have washed away while homes and businesses have flooded. We ask that you would guide us to support and care for our neighbors as they seek to rebuild and recover.
Hear us as we pray for those whose suffering has deepened over the last few days. We pray for those who were hospitalized and needing care, only to find themselves in danger in a hospital. We pray for those who have been lonely or afraid because they have been stuck by themselves, unable to call or travel. Make us mindful of all the ways that suffering is magnified in the midst of tragedy.
Watch over those who serve and lead. We pray for all who are working to restore power, those who are helping to keep others safe, and those already preparing to help people recover. We pray for all of our leaders. Help those who lead in all things and at all times. Guide them not just in emergencies, but in the before and the after.
See the needs of our world, gracious God. We are aware of the violence and warfare that continues in so many places. Make us be a people committed to your peace. Transform the hearts of those bent on violence, and remove from our hearts the bent towards anger and hatred. Even as we are so acutely aware of the suffering within our own community, help us to see the needs of all people, and give us courage to speak and act.
Almighty and everlasting God, hear us as we lift these concerns to you. See also our inner thoughts and feelings. See all those things that weigh upon our hearts, and see also our joys.
We pray….
We continue to pray for….
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for….
We join all our voices together in prayer as we offer together that prayer that our Lord, Jesus Christ, has taught us, saying…..
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – September 25, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 25, 2024
Written by Rev. Tim Best
Loving and gracious Father,
At the end of another long day we seek a moment with you. We remind ourselves in this still moment that you have been our sustainer throughout the day. You have sustained “me” but also have cared for “us”. Help us to see and name the ways you have cared for each of us individually. Give us eyes to see, as the daylight fades, how you have offered light and life to our families, to our church, and to all those that matter to us. We confess that often when we reach the end of a day, or find ourselves feeling stranded in the middle of a week, praise and thanksgiving is not our natural response. Transform our hearts that we might look for your grace in each new day.
In the midst of the suffering and pain of this week, may we lay our troubles into your care. We know that the heavy things we see in the world are real. We may try to dismiss or minimize saying to ourselves things like: “It will all be ok. That isn’t our problem. We can’t do anything to help those people over there.” Give us a holy imagination when we see the suffering of the world. Give us the strength and courage to name before you that often we are not sure if everything will be ok. As disciples of Jesus we know that missiles and rockets are problems we are called to care about. Hear our prayers for people that live in the shadow of violence and war. Breathe into our hearts that we might be committed to your peace in our lives, and make us always mindful to pray and serve those who suffer.
As fall begins and school grinds on, we continue to pray for all the students and educators of our community. We pray also for those who wish to learn, but find their learning disrupted and their dreams delayed. We pray for students who dread school each day, and for those who dread going home. Help our community to see the ways that we can testify to you grace and love with the many students and educators near our buildings.
We pray for leaders and candidates for office. We are stunned when we hear of officials who threaten others, harm their colleagues, and create fear. We ask for strength and courage for those leaders who faithfully serve and seek to better the lives of others. Be at work in our communal life, that our leaders may collaborate with one another. Help each of us to see the challenges that our communities face as problems that together, filled with your hope and charity for each other, we may overcome.
As the day closes and we prepare for the night ahead, help us to rest in the embrace of your mercy and care. See the needs buried within our hearts. We lift up those who are sick, those who have had surgeries or procedures this week, and those facing longterm illness. We seek your care for those who grieve and ask your protection for those who suffer. It is in full confidence of your unending love that we share together the concerns of our Church Street family:
We pray….
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.
Weekly Prayer – September 18, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 18, 2024
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
O God, we desperately need a word of peace! We need to feel your peace!
Exploding pagers? What in the world are people thinking?
Bomb threats at elementary schools? What is happening?
A second assassination attempt on our former president? Lord, have mercy!
O God who stilled the waters, we boldly and fervently pray for stillness. For calm. For sanity. For peace. We boldly pray for healing of hearts and minds that seem to be so bent towards violence and destruction.
With so much hate and violence happening in the world it is difficult not to get swept into it. We do not want to fall prey to violent language ourselves; we do not want to hate those who are carrying out violence. Calm us down, Lord! Do not allow us to feed any hateful fires or repeat ugly language.
Thank you for hearing our frustration and our fear. We are sorry for beginning with anguish and not thanksgiving, but that is where our minds are. You know that, O God who knows our every thought and sees our tender, breaking, and fearful hearts.
We pause to give thanks for the ways we have connected with others today ….
We pause to give thanks for the hint of cooler weather ….
We give you thanks for texts from friends and unexpected phone calls….
We thank you for feeling your love and power as we look towards the mountains …..
Thank you for offering us glimpses of goodness, grace, and love throughout our days.
Having taken time to say, “Thank you,” we now have strength of spirit to pray for individuals and communities who are hurting. Instead of stopping at anguish, we pray through with concern and empathy for those who have been targeted, those who are afraid, those who have been injured, and those who feel alone. We imagine other places in our world and country and know that your presence is there in others who provide help and rescue and water and bandages and safety.
We cannot go to faraway places, but we can provide help and safety and comfort here. We do not want to spread anguish, only peace. We do not want to spread hate, only love. May our efforts where we are right now – in our homes, in our community, in our church – be pleasing to you, Lord of all Life.
We think of church members and friends who have asked for prayer and offered prayers of thanksgiving. Thank you for this opportunity that collects us all in one heart and one mind as we pray for one another …..
We pray for…
We offer prayers of thanksgiving 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – September 11, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 11, 2024
Written by Steve Richardson
God in heaven and in our midst, during these moments of prayer and reflection, open our minds and hearts to your strengthening wisdom and guidance.
23 years. A full generation ago. Yet memories of the images and our emotions of this September 11th day are as vivid now as they were in 2001. The impacts of those attacks against our innocent citizens still ripple through portions of our daily living even now. Thank you for helping us heal from the grief of loss and vulnerability. Strengthen us as we continue to persevere in the Kingdom work of loving one another, serving one another, showing mercy and justice for one another, and walking humbly with you, our God. If we hope to move forward, those are things we must do.
Additionally, Merciful God, as we reflect on troubling events of recent days, help us all accept the realization that senseless violence is an act of sin, not a fact of life. Free us from our complacency and stubbornness so we will take sensible and reasonable steps within our social system to curb such evils.
Fill us with the comfort of your Holy Spirit when we grieve; when we hurt; when we feel lonely; when we are sad; when stress is stifling; when we are confronted by uncertainty; when we are left out; when we are oppressed; when dreams of better days are dashed; when our mental and physical capacities diminish. Ways of the world – – physical and societal – – are often beyond our control. You know this, Lord. During such times, when circumstances place us on unfamiliar and often unwanted paths, remind us that you, our Good Shepherd, are there to lead us to living more abundantly.
Thank you for your love that will not let us go. Thank you for hope that flows into us to fill feelings of emptiness and doubt. Thank you for faith that lifts and inspires. Thank you for your wisdom that shines light amid life’s darker moments. Thank you for anchors of prayer, scripture and trustworthy relationships for times we flounder in currents of turmoil and restlessness.
With gratitude and anticipation, we welcome Kelsey Gillenwaters to Church Street’s staff as Communications Director. And in several days, we’ll welcome Josh Phelps as our Music Director. Opportunities will surely arise from their talents, service and witness. Help us to graciously embrace and support their commitments to Church Street and your calling.
And now, God of Peace, hear these needs and prayers of others in our congregation. Surround all represented here with your loving presence and comfort…
We pray for…
We offer prayers of thanksgiving 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – September 4, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 4, 2024
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
Tonight’s prayer is copied from The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer. This devotional book begins with Morning Prayer of Petition and then an Evening Prayer of Gratitude. There are reflections each day, but throughout the week, the same petition and gratitude is used.
Here is an evening prayer of gratitude I will share with you. Allow yourself some pause for your own prayer between each petition …….
Loving God, you are always at work for my well-being, not harm. Help me to trust that your commandments are for my good. Prick my consciousness so that I may see:
Shape in me a spirit of obedience to you and help me to remember that your precepts are perfect. Amen.
And now we offer these prayers on behalf of our church family and community…….
We pray for….
We offer prayers of thanksgiving 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Weekly Prayer – August 28, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 28, 2024
Written by Rev. Tim Best
God of gracious and merciful strength,
In our weakness and need, we come to you in prayer. We are often overwhelmed in our daily tasks and challenges. The repeating rhythms of everyday life can leave us drained and boxed in. Breathe life into us as we face those things that grind down our joy and disconnect us from ourselves, from each other, and from you. Help us discover a new rhythm of life, anchored in your care and renewed by your rest.
Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for our world, the nations, and all those who lead or seek power. We pray for peace to arrive in those places torn apart by violence and war. Help all your disciples to place our trust. In your spiritual strength, and the armor of our faith, rather than the weapons of war and hatred. We pray for civilians caught in the midst of fighting, whether in Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and all the other places that know unrest. Humble the leaders of the world that they would submit to your authority and abandon any designs that run counter to your desires for the flourishing of all creation.
Lord, in your mercy…
As our election season heats up in our own nation and community, help us to be witnesses to your authority and patience. Make us kind towards those with whom we disagree. Let us all hold our own ideals with conviction and integrity, but help us to measure and judge them with the direction of the Holy Spirit. We pray for all those who seek to hold and exercise power. Preserve and guide them, transform their hearts, and shape their actions for the good of all persons.
Lord, in your mercy…
As summer begins to wane we look forward to changing weather and all the joys contained in fall schedules. May we care for creation in all seasons that the earth may produce bountifully, and show forth the beauty of your handiwork. Help us to use all resources wisely, with concern for others and with commitment to the wellbeing of all that you have made. Help us find solutions to all problems, both economical and ecological, in ways that give dignity and security.
Lord, in your mercy…
In the midst of suffering, our own and that of others, help us to stand firm. Hear the cries of those in need and the suffering. Comfort those who mourn, and reassure us in the hope of the resurrection and final victory over sin and death. As those saints who came before us endured their trials, may we likewise place our full and final hope in your kingdom. We look with joyous expectation when all the powers of this age are undone by your conquering love.
Lord, in your mercy…
We pray for …
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for ….
We continue to pray for ….
We join together with all the saints as we lift up that prayer that your Son Jesus Christ has taught us, praying:
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 – August 21, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 21, 2024
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
What a difference the cool air made this morning, O God!
The cool breezes last evening were such a gift!
O God of changing seasons, we know that there will be hotter days ahead, but what a lift to our spirits “fifty-eight degrees” brought! We stood still for a moment and closed our eyes and said, “Aaaahhhhh.” Please hear the pleasant sighs as “Thank you, God!”
Our brain knows that you do not sit at a weather desk in heaven and change the weather on a whim. We have watched meteorologists long enough to know about patterns, waves, heat indices, and currents. But we are thankful for cool breezes that catch us off guard and come to us as a joyful surprise. A simple reminder that you are the creator of the universe. It was you who set the moon in place to converse with the oceans. It was you who stirred up winds to carry seeds and life across the life. Forgive us when we forget that this earth, the whole cosmos is yours. What a gift it is!
Lord, we want to carry that cool breeze with us throughout the day. Open our spirits and eyes to be aware of your surprises. Remind us of your goodness and sovereignty when we find ourselves pausing for a moment and saying, “Aaaahhhhh” in relief and joy. We want to be a people who lives out of gratitude. We offer to you a promise to remember to say, “Thank you, God,” when our instinct is to say Ahhh….
……. when a stranger exchanges warm greetings as we wait for the pedestrian signal to give us permission to walk
….. when the goldfinch stays a little longer on the telephone wire and seems to wink at us.
….. when a child at the store makes faces at us and giggles
….. when the human-interest story on the news causes us to tear up and truly feel connected
….. when we catch ourselves singing along with the music at the store and another person in the aisle says, “I love Karen Carpenter.”
O God of little things and surprises, we are listing big items in our prayer concerns. Prayers for healing, for jobs, for reconciliation, for world peace. Sometimes, we offer these prayers and sit back and wait. Forgive us O Lord, for thinking that is how you work. As we wait for outcomes, may we see your work in the process. Make our spirits active in receiving cool breezes and smiles from strangers. May we know these are ways we can feel your presence and feel the gratitude we have for all of your good gifts. We pray that as we practice gratitude, you give us strength for the big things. That even in the big things, we see your mighty power at work in subtle ways.
Now Lord, we offer these prayers of concern and prayers of thanksgiving on behalf of our church community ….
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.
Weekly Prayer – August 14, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 14, 2024
Written by Steve Richardson
God in heaven and in our midst, we bring these prayers to you not only as a congregation, but individually as well. Humbly, we seek your acceptance and response.
Summer’s sun now sets a bit sooner than it did several weeks ago. Still, its warmth and radiance continue to offer us occasions to experience the wonders and splendors of your natural world. Your creation’s changing seasons, in so many ways, are blessings, with each one ushering new opportunities and new perspectives.
And speaking of changes, Lord, this has been a summer of many changes at Church Street. Thank you for the guidance from our clergy and for the added efforts and time dedicated by church staff as they help us all adapt. Thank you, too, for congregation members in roles of leadership who move us forward through their gifts of time and talents. Like the seasons, may these changes in the life of our church become blessings, with each one of these also ushering new opportunities and new perspectives.
You granted each of us freewill. What courage that must have taken to do that, knowing there will be times we choose to turn away from you! Too many times, choices we make turn out to be failures. What never fails us, though, is your love and acceptance. Forgive us for choices and decisions that separate us from you and that disrupt the building of your kingdom. Gracious God, for your mercy, we are grateful.
Compassionate Comforter, you surely know the pain and toils of grief, of brokenness, of health problems, of insecurity, of fear, of injustice, of disrespect, of loneliness, of negligence, of violent conflict between your people, of hatred, of prejudice, of economic uncertainties, and of the many, many other tribulations we encounter in our Earthly existence. Honestly, God, such circumstances sometimes lead us to question your presence and grace. In moments of doubt, sustain our faith. Through prayer, through scripture, through the kindness of others, and through support by your church community, refresh our tired spirits with your everlasting love and promises of hope.
Thank you for memories that bring smiles and joy. Thank you for anticipation of things to come that bring hopefulness. Thank you for moments such as these now that bring us in closer relationship with you.
Merciful God, hear these needs and prayers of others in our congregation. Surround each person represented here with your loving embrace and comfort…
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.
Weekly Prayer – August 7, 2024
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 7, 2024
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
We begin our prayers with O God … but you have heard us exclaim “Oh, God!” or OMG earlier today!
“Oh, my Lord, it is so hot,” we have exclaimed as we get into our cars and roll the windows down and turn on the AC. Forgive us for cursing about the heat, O God who created sun and moon in perfect balance. Forgive us for doing things as individuals, industries, and countries, that have made our earth, your earth, hotter. Make us mindful of our responsibilities to care for your earth and the air and atmosphere all around it.
As most of pray this prayer in air conditioning, we think of others. It is an act of repentance to turn from ourselves for a moment and to pray for others …
We pray for those who make their living outdoors … in this heat. We pray for construction workers, landscapers, farmers, dog walkers, those fighting wildfires, groundskeepers, camp counselors, police officers on motorcycles, soldiers on maneuvers, major league baseball players, and for the lady who sits in the ticket booth at UT Hospital parking garage. We rely on some of these folks for our food and for our entertainment, some for tending to our children, and some for making our lawns look nice. Others provide safety. Gracious God, for those who work outside, we pray for their safety; we pray they have access to clean and cool water, and that they have relief at the end of their shift or day or inning.
You have heard us pray (or exclaim), “Dear Lord! Where did the summer go?” Tomorrow is the first day of school for Knox County students. Other school systems have already started and some will be starting next week.
“Where did the summer go, O God?”
Why do we have such a distortion of time when you have set our planet in predictable motion? Each day is twenty -four hours. You have timed it perfectly, O God, that we have eight hours to sleep, eight hours to work and learn, eight hours to …. All the other things.
We ask for forgiveness for taking the passing of the hours so personally and offer prayers on behalf of others. We pray for those who are anxious about school starting tomorrow. We pray for those who have had a hard summer because of lack of routine and lack of resources and food that school provides. We pray for those who have been reunited with families and friends on trips this summer and have vowed to keep in touch more intentionally. We pray for those whose days seem to go on forever with no interruption of friend or purpose. We pray for those who feel rushed through the day with no time for themselves. We pray for parents who will be filled with grief as school buses drive by. Give these – and all of us – a sense of your perfect time.
Today is Wednesday, the middle of the week. Some are asking, where did the week go? Or even, where did the day go? We measure the speed of time by how productive we are. Or how much fun we’re having. Time flies … or time drags…
It is so subjective. So, we pause in the early evening in the middle of the week, and offer a prayer to you. To offer ourselves humbly, we will attempt to think of others and how they have measured time today. For grandparents who know this is the ‘last day’ they will see grandchildren for a while, for teachers who are praying for students who will be entering their room tomorrow morning, for those who began the day in surgery waiting and for those who will end the day in the Emergency Department, for those who stand in front of an open refrigerator full of fruits, vegetables, and good leftovers and for those who have unplugged the refrigerator because it is empty and it is too expensive to run.
When we turn to you and utter, Dear God, may we be humbled and also comforted that there are others all around in countless other situations who are also saying Oh my God, Dear God, Good Lord … and you graciously hear us all.
Thank you for hearing our prayers – even when they are simply honest utterances. In vocalizing our feelings, may your holy spirit transform it into sacred conversation with you.
We pray for those in our church family who have asked for prayers for ….
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.