Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of October 12, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
Fall Break! Praise God for Fall Break!
O God of refreshment, you have heard that prayer from teachers, parents, students, and grandparents. Even those who are not in school sense the need for time away.
We pray blessings on families who are able to travel. We pray for their safety.
We pray blessings on families who could not get away because of finances or job responsibilities of parents. Dear God, may children know the joy of ‘staying home’ and getting to snack and stay up a little later. Simple pleasures; restore the goodness of simplicity to our lives!
We pray for school administrators who may be off this week but who are already thinking about standardized testing that comes in the spring and needs for next fall. Student teachers who are trying to get assignments done and portfolios completed.
O God of new beginnings and fresh starts, may all those returning from Fall Break feel a sense of renewal.
This weekend is a big deal, O God! Media and all of the commotion and excitement of a football rivalry. Some are even praying, “Dear God, let us win!” We trust you are an impartial fan, God of all tribes, teams, and people! In the midst of all this fun and in the midst of all the hype, we do pause to pray for sanity and safety. We pray for young men who want to play and do not get the chance. We pray for the families of all coaches – children and spouses – who know the pressure and the lack of privacy and hear the jeers and cheers. We pray for members of marching bands who work as hard as the athletes do. It may seem silly to pray about an upcoming football game, dear God, but we do pray for all the people coming to town. Prayers for safe travels. Prayers for good judgement. Prayers to know that these young men on the field – whether wearing orange or crimson – are sons of parents who work hard and are proud. Bless us all!
Dear God, who stirs up in us the volunteer spirit, we want to say thank you for volunteers in our church. Greeters, ushers, choir members, teachers; folks who come early to plug in coffee pot and to make sure Sunday School is ready. We pray for churches everywhere this weekend, that it will be a good day of worship and fellowship in your Holy Spirit.
As our eyes move from our own church and our own city to the rest of your world, we pray desperately for the madness in Ukraine to stop. We are bold to pray for your intervention, O God! We know that you desire peace in your world. We hurt for soldiers of any uniform who are tired, hungry, and longing for home. May each of us be a beacon of light and peace wherever we are this weekend.
We offer the following petitions on behalf of our members ….
We pray for ….
- Church member whose father died; so thankful all of his children were able to be with him as he peacefully slipped into Eternal Light and Love.
- A member who was in a minor car accident and is dealing with the pain and healing of a broken sternum. May she feel God’s presence.
- A member who has been hospitalized and is waiting to go to rehab.
- A member who fell and shattered hip; prayers for encouragement and wellbeing as she prepares to go to rehab.
- A church member’s husband will have another scan soon; prayers that it will show he is still in remission!
- A young man whose wife just died is now in the hospital with heart issues. Prayers that he can feel God’s strength and healing presence even amidst such grief.
- A member’s nephew who serves in the Coast Guard and was involved in an accident while repelling from a helicopter. Thankful for successful knee surgery! Prayers for continued healing and strength in the three-month rehab.
- A Sunday School teacher who seeks God’s wisdom each week in how to share and what God wants her to teach.
- A member’s husband in the death of his father … prayers for peace.
We continue to pray for ….
- Member whose beloved dog died in cabin fire; everything destroyed. Prayers for emotional healing during such grief.
- Members who continue to move through grief after deaths of spouses, parents, children, and, friends….
- Brother of a member whose livestock and barn were destroyed in a fire in Illinois.
We give thanks for …..
- A member who was released from rehab and has returned to her home!
- Successful surgeries in the past weeks and continued healing!
- A beloved husband, father, and grandfather who is celebrating ten years of being cancer free!
- Rest! Fall break was so needed for this family! Thank you God for change of scenery!
- Blessing of the Animals! Thankful for the special love and grace that our pets show 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.
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 – October 19, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of October 19, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
When we do not know how to pray as we ought, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words … (Romans 8:26)
O God, you know that oftentimes when we bow our heads and close our eyes, we have difficulty coming up with words. We think of your Holy Spirit sighing on our behalf, but we hear an exasperated sigh. A sign of weariness or disappointment is what we imagine. Is that not just like us, O Loving Spirit, to assume you are already displeased with our prayers before we begin.
Why do we judge ourselves so harshly? Forgive us! The verse is couched in other verses saying that nothing can separate us from your Love! O God may we start over. When we do not know how to pray or when we do not have the words or even know what we want to say, may be hear the gentle sigh of your Spirit praying for us.
May we imagine the peaceful sigh of a parent holding a child who has finally gone to sleep; the child finally giving in to rest and trusting the arms that hold him.
May we imagine the sigh of an artist who takes a step back from her work to get a better look and sees beauty yet to be revealed; a sigh of possibilities and hope.
O God, could we imagine the sigh of a student who lays the pencil down in relief; he knew all the answers!
Can we hear the sigh of a grandmother who has just finished canning all those beans; wiping her brow and untying her apron? Her sign is one of fulfillment and satisfaction knowing that her family has delicious food for the winter ahead.
O Breath of God, as we close our eyes to pray our own prayer, may we feel your presence in an encouraging way. May we know that we do not have to have the words, but that your Spirit moves in and out and around and through, connecting us to You, pleased that we are longing to be with you. May that enough as we bow our heads, close our eyes, and breathe ….
Breathe on me Breath of God; fill me with life anew…
Breathe on me Breath of God; fill me with life anew…
We offer these petitions on behalf of our church family …..
We 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.
Flu is Here
Featured, Parish Health MinistryThe COVID Community Tracker will no longer appear in The Messenger since transmission levels continue to remain low. But, remain diligent with hand washing, staying home when ill, and social distancing from others that appear unwell because . . .
Flu is Here!
The first “Flu View” from the CDC already shows high levels of influenza in Tennessee. Now is the time to get a vaccination if you haven’t already. Remember it takes about 2 weeks to develop adequate antibody levels for protection, so don’t delay!
Age Recommendation
6 mos.-6 yrs.: 1 or 2 doses based on whether child has had flu vaccine in past
≥ 7-49 yrs.: 1 dose of any influenza vaccine
≥ 50-64 yrs.: 1 dose of any injectable influenza vaccine
≥ 65 yrs.: 1 injection of high dose influenza vaccine
The flu vaccine administered as a nasal spray (Flumist®) is NOT recommended in people < 2 or ≥ 50 years of age or anyone with a condition that compromises the immune system. Flumist® is a weakened version of the live virus.
Pneumonia can develop along with or subsequent to a viral infection. Particularly at risk are those ≥ 65 years of age, as well as people of any age with compromised immune system, or other conditions that increase risk. If you fall into one of these categories make sure you are also up to date on the pneumonia vaccine. There is a new version so recommendations have been updated to include it.
Recommendations for Pneumonia Vaccine
Additional information can be found at www.cdc.gov/vaccines, including precautions/contraindications for each and complete schedules for all adult and childhood vaccinations.
Submitted by: Vicky Shelton, D.Ph.
Weekly Prayer – October 12, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of October 12, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
Fall Break! Praise God for Fall Break!
O God of refreshment, you have heard that prayer from teachers, parents, students, and grandparents. Even those who are not in school sense the need for time away.
We pray blessings on families who are able to travel. We pray for their safety.
We pray blessings on families who could not get away because of finances or job responsibilities of parents. Dear God, may children know the joy of ‘staying home’ and getting to snack and stay up a little later. Simple pleasures; restore the goodness of simplicity to our lives!
We pray for school administrators who may be off this week but who are already thinking about standardized testing that comes in the spring and needs for next fall. Student teachers who are trying to get assignments done and portfolios completed.
O God of new beginnings and fresh starts, may all those returning from Fall Break feel a sense of renewal.
This weekend is a big deal, O God! Media and all of the commotion and excitement of a football rivalry. Some are even praying, “Dear God, let us win!” We trust you are an impartial fan, God of all tribes, teams, and people! In the midst of all this fun and in the midst of all the hype, we do pause to pray for sanity and safety. We pray for young men who want to play and do not get the chance. We pray for the families of all coaches – children and spouses – who know the pressure and the lack of privacy and hear the jeers and cheers. We pray for members of marching bands who work as hard as the athletes do. It may seem silly to pray about an upcoming football game, dear God, but we do pray for all the people coming to town. Prayers for safe travels. Prayers for good judgement. Prayers to know that these young men on the field – whether wearing orange or crimson – are sons of parents who work hard and are proud. Bless us all!
Dear God, who stirs up in us the volunteer spirit, we want to say thank you for volunteers in our church. Greeters, ushers, choir members, teachers; folks who come early to plug in coffee pot and to make sure Sunday School is ready. We pray for churches everywhere this weekend, that it will be a good day of worship and fellowship in your Holy Spirit.
As our eyes move from our own church and our own city to the rest of your world, we pray desperately for the madness in Ukraine to stop. We are bold to pray for your intervention, O God! We know that you desire peace in your world. We hurt for soldiers of any uniform who are tired, hungry, and longing for home. May each of us be a beacon of light and peace wherever we are this weekend.
We offer the following petitions on behalf of our members ….
We pray for ….
We continue to pray for ….
We give thanks for …..
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
October Update
YouthSunday Schedule:
Worship – 8:30AM & 11:00AM
Sunday school – 9:45-10:45AM
NightLife – 5:00-7:00PM ($5 dinner)
SLA Info
Our Fall Retreat, Spiritual Life Advance (SLA), is less than 2 weeks away! We are traveling to Locust Springs Christian Camp in Greeneville, TN on November 11-13.
Be on the lookout for an email later this week with everything you need to know including a general schedule, packing list, and information to help you prepare for the weekend!
For now, use the playlist below to listen to songs we’ll use for worship on the weekend to help prepare you for the days ahead!
SLA 2022 Playlist
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!
Football Parking Fundraiser
For each of Tennessee’s home football games, we have the incredible opportunity to park cars on our campus and raise money for our Youth Department and Youth Choir. Each weekend, we tithe (give 10%) of our earnings to a Parking Lot Maintenance fund, and the remaining is divided evenly between the two groups. We need a lot more help for the Alabama game on October 15!
It requires a significant amount of volunteer support to make this fundraiser work, and we ask all families to volunteer for at least two shifts during the season. Please use the link below to sign up and learn more.
Football Parking Sign-Up
Parent Sign-Ups
Survey: Parents, please use the survey below share with us some helpful information at the start of the year. This survey includes contact info, volunteer sign-ups, and a place to share with us anything that would be helpful in serving your family at the start of the year.
Parent Survey
Annual Release Form: Each year, we ask every student to complete an Annual Release Form. This acts as our medical and liability form for all of our events. Please complete this form for every student in your family!
Annual Release Form
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!
Rev. Brian Tillman at Church Street UMC
Adult Ministries, Church Street Events, FeaturedRev. Brian Tillman was Church Street UMC’s coach and mentor last year during the Racial Reconciling Cohort with the Western North Carolina Conference. The six-month journey of learning and reflecting inspired our church’s cohort (ten members and Rev. Catherine Nance) to continue the conversation. One of the group’s dreams was to invite Rev. Tillman to our church home.
On November 13, Church Street is thrilled to welcome Rev. Tillman to our worship services and to teach us more about the work of racial reconciliation. He is the Director of Inclusion and Advocacy for the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.
This workshop is free, but we ask that you please register below to give us a headcount for resources and food/beverage.
On November 13, Rev. Tillman will be preaching at both the 8:30 and 11:00 worship services in the nave. The workshop begins at 4:00 and will last approximately 2 hours. Room assignment TBD.
Weekly Prayer – October 5, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of October 5, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
We pray for our church this evening, Gracious God.
It is busy in this church building today, O God. As it was yesterday. And the day before.
Of course, we were here on Sunday singing praises and offering prayers; learning lessons and sharing fellowship. We shared the Body and Blood of Christ at Your Table and felt the communion of the saints around the world and throughout eternity.
It is our prayer that what happens here on Sunday reverberates with us throughout the week. The nourishment we received at the Table strengthens our spirits to receive and share your grace. May our behavior, thoughts, and words reflect that we have been with the Lord. We thank you, God, for Sundays!
We thank you for the clerical that happens on Monday. Counting offering, reading through friendship pads. Noting names of visitors and rejoicing at names of members we have not seen in a while. Checking the hospital board for who has gone home and noting names of members’ loved ones who have died. God of details, you know how important this work is. In each offering envelope sealed, in each name written, and in each phone call received, there is a story and a disciple. Thank you for the tasks that remind us.
God who has called some to ‘church work,’ we thank you for staff and volunteers who gather on Tuesday to touch base, look ahead, celebrate, evaluate, and encourage. May each one know your presence in a very real way as they do their work of making your presence known to others. We thank you for the laity who come on weeknights to attend meetings and provide leadership and enthusiasm for the mission and ministry of this church. Thank you for their commitment of time and service.
God who sang out the first words, thank you for choir members who come tonight to tune their hearts and voices together. May the anthems sung mirror their devotion to the music of the Holy Spirit. O God, who gave us the ability to hum a melody, may the music we sing here echo in our lives throughout the week. Recording worship for those who cannot attend happened today. May the effort be pleasing to you and may those who watch know they are connected here.
And, there is tomorrow … Soup Kitchen and other gatherings.
This is a busy place, O God! May all of our movement and conversation and interactions in this place be pleasing to you! Amidst the activity, may we know that it is holy work and not just busyness! For those who are here only on Sundays, may their lives be made more meaningful because of worship. We do not desire busy lives, Precious Redeemer, but meaningful lives steeped in your grace and love.
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.
Kate Bowler at Church Street UMC
Church Street Events, FeaturedOn Sunday, October 2, Church Street UMC was thrilled to welcome Dr. Kate Bowler to the nave for a presentation about “Deconstructing our Cultural and Spiritual Scripts”.
About the Bishop Lecture Series
Kate Bowler and Dr. Asa and Skippy Bishop. The Bishop Lecture Series has provided funds to bring authors like Dr. Bowler to Church Street for spiritual growth.
The event was made possible thanks to Church Street’s Bishop Lecture Series. Dr. Asa Bishop created an endowment in memory of his father A. Orin Bishop, called the Bishop Lecture Series, and over the years, the series has underwritten more than 20 lectures and extended the legacy of the Bishop Family and their passion for biblical and spiritual enrichment into the future.
About Kate Bowler
Kate Bowler is a three time New York Times Bestselling author, and she is a professor of history at Duke Divinity School. Her academic research has focused on the history and culture of American Christianity, exploring the phenomenon of the Prosperity Gospel, the idea that God will show favor to some of us for our faith and bless us.
She is known for her popular memoirs Everything Happens for a Reason (and other lies I’ve loved) and No Cure for Being Human (and other truths I need to hear), her book of devotions Good Enough, and her podcast EVERYTHING HAPPENS, where she has interviewed everyone from authors Barbara Brown Taylor, Anne Lamott, and Richard Rohr to the Archbishop of Cantebury and Reverend Will Willimon, to actors Stanley Tucci, Matthew McConaughey, and Alan Alda – among many others. She has nearly 150,000 instagram followers where she shares hope and humanness about what she has called “our chronic lives”.
Weekly Prayer – September 28, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 28, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
Gracious God,
On this Wednesday evening, our hearts and minds are with all who have been and will be in the path of Hurricane Ian. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Often, when we hear world news, we have to look on a map or perhaps we dismiss the news since we cannot picture where it is. (Forgive us Lord!) But, we all know where Tampa is. We know Jacksonville. We have been to Orlando. We have relatives and loved ones along the path. We have friends who are scheduled to travel and we worry. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the midst of news about landfall and surges, we hear the phrases explaining how climate change plays a role and then, how we have played a role in climate change. Forgive us Lord, in our shrugging, our denying, our simply hoping for things to be better. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We see people on the news who, yesterday, were political candidates. Today, they area governors and other officials in charge of emergency maneuvers. Bless these leaders Lord. May all work together to promote safety and clarity of information. Thank you for the employees who show up each day at National Weather Service and provide information for us. We are grateful to for science and technology that informs and supports their work. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God, these weather-related terms apply to our own lives as well. Some of us are expecting a ‘landfall’ – some impending crisis – a diagnosis, a conversation, layoff. Others of us have no idea of what is ahead but will experience the ‘surge’ and the ‘impact.’ Dear God, your Holy Spirit connects us to each other. May we be mindful of how our decisions, our words, changes in our lives, do not affect us alone. But there are ripples and consequences and aftershocks. May we be kind to one another and understanding of those who find themselves caught in a deluge they did not know was coming. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers.
Along with all of the people of Cuba who are without power, the people of Florida, and all those in the path, we pray for these concerns shared by our church family:
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.
Weekly Prayer – September 21, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 21, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
He’s got the whole world in his hands …He’s got the whole world in his hands ..
He’s got the whole world in his hands …. He’s got the whole world in his hands!
God of the world, many of us heard this song sung on Sunday afternoon as we gathered to talk about caregiving. It reminded us of children singing this song at VBS and doing all the hand motions: Itty-bitty babies – you and me sister – whole world. These songs we learn as children are full of truth and create in us a firm foundation on which to stand later in life when we cannot recall the words we are looking for.
You have the whole world in your hands O God …
We have seen beautiful images of your world this week. Friends have shared pictures of hiking trips and cruises. We see your majesty in creation with the Smoky Mountains and beautiful rivers and lakes in our line of vision each day. While we are lifting our eyes to the hills, we know there are others who are looking over flooded homes in Pakistan. There are farmers who are looking at crops that have burned up from heat. We love the beauty of your earth, O God. Forgive us when we use and abuse this earth and do not take care of it. We pray for communities, industries, and countries to be aware of how we pollute and then convict us, O Maker of Heaven and Earth, to change our ways. May we not so selfish and self-centered; may we sing about your world instead of our world.
He’s got the whole world in his hands ….
We have seen stark contrasts of your world. There were pictures of majesty and beauty and order and reverence as we watched Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral procession with all of the bright and beautiful colors. Then the images that all appear to be grey; Russian and Ukrainian soldiers and the bombed remains of cities. We have no words to fill in the in-between. We know that the funeral was just a snapshot in history and not all of the history is beautiful. Images of war often leave out the images of hopeful and happy families struggling in the midst of war – Russians and Ukrainians alike. Help us to imagine a place where order, beauty, color, and peace is the reality. May we honor one another’s humanity and see each other as your children in your world.
He’s got the whole world in his hands ….
We sometimes say things like, “How can God care about me when God has the whole world?” But, you do care. You care for us as a mother cares for her children. You have promised to be with us and to hear our prayers. We do pray for your world, O God, but with confidence that you know all we care about, we offer now the prayers from our part of your world – the people we know and live with and care for. Thank you for hearing the prayers we offer from our church family …
We pray for…
Continued prayers 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.
Weekly Prayer – September 14, 2022
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 14, 2022
Rev. Catherine Nance
With just a hint of cooler weather in the air, we are reminded that you are the God of All Seasons. You created your world, O God, with the beauty and gift of autumn, winter, spring, and summer. Sometimes we speak of these seasons as if they end one day and begin the next. Our calendar will tell us the first day of autumn is just one week away. We give thanks for scientists who can measure and map where Earth is in its orbit and explain the seasons. We give thanks for preschool teachers who teach songs about the four seasons. We are thankful for memories of early artwork – large sheets of paper divided into four equal quadrants – one with orange and red leaves, one with snowflakes, then bright flowers, and the last with a bright, smiling sun! These divisions and measurements give order to our lives and help us plan; your order has given us days to look forward and a sense of knowing that things always change. But there is beauty in the change.
We know that the seasons do not stay in the bold lines of our kindergarten four-square season chart, but that you allow us time to prepare, to anticipate, to hope, and yes, even to be disappointed when a hot summer day appears in October or we need a sweater and scarf on an April afternoon! Thank you for caring for your Earth and for us that we do not abruptly land into a new season, but that you allow for gradual changes. May we take time to savor, to appreciate, to accept right now as the time you have given us.
O God of All Ages and Stages, remind us that you are with us as we go through changing seasons in our lives. There are cycles we anticipate and celebrate and then the not-so-subtle changes we thought we would never experience. May we be graceful and feel your grace as we go through the stages and seasons of life. When we see others around us in different stages and places, may we offer prayers:
Thank you, O God, for the subtlety of change of seasons that gives us time to appreciate, time to give thanks, and time to prepare. We thank you for all of the seasons you have given us.
We turn towards the evening with a grateful heart for your presence and we open our heart in prayer as we share these concerns and thanksgivings from our church family…
We pray for…
We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…
Continued prayers 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.