Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
And what do you have that you did not receive?
And if also you did receive it, why do you boast
as not having received it? (I Cor. 4:7)
Ah, the apostle has rightly spoken – for what have we acquired that did not come to us from Divine beneficence? What do we possess that was not provided by the hands and sacrifice of others? Forgive us, Lord, for our narrow thinking and for our failure to respond fully to your grace. We confess we have withheld that which is rightly yours, spending mainly to satisfy our own limited interests. We have withheld even ourselves, ignoring your continued offer of fullness of life through Christ. We know we can do better; by your grace, may it be so.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Enduring Cornerstone, remind us that we are the living stones which form your Church. We are bound together by your very self, who gave your all that we might live. Your gifts cascade so freely we are prone to forget they come with responsibility. Chip away our rough and selfish edges, we pray, that we might fit more tightly together, adding strength and shape to your holy edifice of benevolence. We would be known as believers with open hands and open lives, willing to sacrifice so that the nameless and forgotten ones are drawn into your fortress of love.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Nearest Friend, this week we pray for our friends and neighbors, near and far. Comfort and deliver especially all who are living with grave losses, those who live in the throes of poverty and need, others who are oppressed by violence, and those who flee war and devastation in their homelands. Guide us and all in power to work for the common good. As scripture has taught: those whom much is given, much is required.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of the Circling Years, your faithfulness spans generations, and your mercy never fails to astound us. In Jesus, you walked where we walk, shared the burdens of life, were touched by the same joys, temptations, and sorrows as we. We need hide nothing from you, for you are aware of our longings, our pain, our hopes, and our fears. Therefore, we turn again to you on bended knee, acknowledging you as our Source of all healing and wholeness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Aware that you accept every prayer uttered in earnest, we lay before you these that come from the hearts of your people at Church Street. In your mercy, accept the praise of those who bring thanksgiving and touch the souls of those who are bruised and afflicted:
- Grateful that ill husband now safely placed in rehab facility
- Prayers appreciated: Grandson is managing chemo well
- Gratitude for prayers: Weekend wedding was perfect
- Member in rehab making steady progress
- Thanksgiving: Heart surgery deemed successful
- Thanks for prayers – badly bruised hand is healing
- Praises! Family welcomes newborn baby after 3 miscarriages
- Pray that one will be approved for an apartment
- Prayers: Young daughter undergoing surgery Monday and her family
- Granddaughter in D.C. having hip replacement Monday
- Prayers that recent back procedure will prove effective
- Healing for one recovering from delicate surgery at Vanderbilt today
- Courage and strength for family grieving death of young son
- Son-in-law grieving the deaths of family members due to Covid
- Solace for member coping with anxiety
- Strength for couple giving care to ill parents
- Wisdom for a young son contemplating dropping out of school
- Sustaining member in extended cancer treatment
- Dear friend (advancing ALS) – guidance in finding residential care
- Healing prayers for daughter hospitalized with sepsis
- Healing for two members enduring immense back pain
- Strength, courage for husband with Parkinson’s
In addition to these, O Lord, we ask that you would gift us with wisdom and patience as we strive for that peace which passes all understanding. And now, as you are the God of All Good Gifts, release in us the spirit of new life – that life which is in full relationship with you and your Blessed Son who taught us to pray in this way:
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.
Shadows Under the Star
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, December 2
By Fran Wheeler, Stephen Ministry
Shadows Under the Star
Read Luke 2:35b
“And a sword will pierce your own soul, too.”
Christmas—a fantasy, all gold and red—excitement and joy! But personal sadness and loss may overshadow Christmas, leaving some adrift and alone, and perhaps feeling guilty for not sharing the joy. Scripture, however, reveals a deeper story, filled with glory, yet also tempered by loss and fear. The story includes circumstances as difficult and heartbreaking as our own might be. Is there a blessing included for those who suffer?
We usually ignore the shadows within the Christmas story, looking only at the glory. Angel appearances mask the fears of a young girl and a man with shattered dreams. Living the hard reality overshadows the joy Mary experienced with Elizabeth. The star, angel choir, and adoring shepherds make us forget that the baby was born far from the comforts of home and family. Even when the child is presented to the Lord, a prophet speaks frightening words: “And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” And soon, as they planned to go home, Herod sent other baby boys to their deaths, forcing Mary and Joseph to flee to Egypt. In spite of exciting moments, Mary indeed had much to ponder in her heart.
What is the lesson for us? Whether we grieve losses or are caught up in the beauty of Christmas, we should remember the sacrifices made: Mary’s fear, the couple’s life forever changed, a difficult journey, a lonely birth, and the prescient words of the pain to come when the baby becomes the rejected Messiah and is crucified. But Christ arose, and his words still ring out: “The light has come into the world and it will never be overcome by darkness.” Whatever our circumstances, Christmas brings to all of us the eternal message of hope.
So for everyone, Hope is the blessing of Christmas.
Prayer
Lord, as we celebrate Advent and Christmas, help us to recognize and give thanks for the sacrifices made, and walk in the Lord’s everlasting light. Amen.
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Weekly Prayer – December 1, 2021
FeaturedWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of December 1, 2021
Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.
(Ps 42:5)
O Root of Jesse and Hope of our World, upon you we depend, for it was you who sent the Promised One to be born and live among us. The love of Christ has grounded us in the hope that whatever is disquieting us at the given moment does not have the final word; for you make room in all our tomorrows for your own surprises. Even in our darkest hours, we are shored up by that stirring deep within us, that root of hope that you planted there so long ago. Fortify that root, we pray, that we might become living examples, moving in your world with that sense of confident expectation.
Forgive us, O God Ever New, that in our search for newness, we often overlook the sacred gifts you have placed on our doorsteps already. Help us to ponder your sacred messages written upon the morning, afternoon, and evening skies; turn our gaze to behold your love inscribed upon the radiant hills and mountaintops, painted in vibrant colors across the valleys that surround us. Grant, that with every refreshing raindrop, we may hear you speaking our name.
Companion Most Compassionate, go before us as we travel these days of Advent, showering us with your prevenient grace. May our footsteps take us to the forgotten byways, the roads less traveled, where the dispossessed are huddled. May our hands be the ones that touch the shoulders of the friendless and forgotten, imparting courage. May ours be the voices that speak kindness to those who have known only harshness and derision. And may our spirits be those that offer hope in those places where all seems to be lost. As you have called us, empower us through your grace, we pray, to serve at your command.
Truly there is much to torment us in our present world: from automatic weapons being wielded by young and old to the continuing fears of the dreaded virus; from the widening gap between the “have” and “have nots” to the rancorous disputes within our nation’s legislative bodies; from the growing aggressiveness of our country’s enemies to the rage carried out in our own neighborhoods. May we, as the Psalmist, turn to God for solace and strength, believing that any work to bring about change is indeed the Lord’s work and is for his glory.
As you are our Eternal Hope, we place our personal concerns before you in this hour, naming in the silence of our hearts, those persons and situations that are closest to us . . . . . . . . . . And also we share both the praises and worries expressed by your people at Church Street:
As evening closes in around us, Lord, may we set aside our work, knowing it is enough. And as we rest, may the efforts we have made this day somehow reveal the love you harbor for your people. It is in this assurance that we offer this prayer in the name of your Son, who came to redeem us and who taught us to pray:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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We Will Be Found
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, December 1
By Judy Grubb
We Will Be Found
Read Isaiah 11:2-4
“And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. He will not judge people by what he can see on the outside, but he will judge people with righteousness, knowing what is in their hearts.”
I remember the Christmas when our daughter was three years old. Because our extended family lived in Indiana, we had always gone home for the Christmas holidays to visit our relatives. We were loading up the car with our luggage and gifts preparing for the 6 hour trek. Just before we were ready to leave, Jennie said, “Mommy, will Santa Claus know where I am so he can bring my gifts?” My heart just dropped, and I could have cried. Of course I assured her that she didn’t need to worry, and that Santa would know where to bring her gifts. In her mind she was probably thinking, “I went to see him and told him what I wanted for Christmas, but now we’re leaving.” From that year on, we stayed at our home for Christmas.
Four weeks before Christmas, we Christians begin to prepare for the arrival of Jesus. We plan and prepare and worship and sing and rejoice each year. The prophets told us about a Savior and teacher that would come. Isaiah said that He would “preach good tidings unto the meek, bind up the brokenhearted, and proclaim liberty to the captives.” The beautiful scriptures in the New Testament tell the story from the Immaculate Conception to the lowly birthplace where Jesus was visited by the shepherds and the Wise Men.
Fortunately, we don’t have to worry about Jesus finding us. If we have studied and followed his parables and teachings, he will know where to find us. What will we be doing when he finds us? Will he see us sharing his gifts with his people? Will we be busy helping to right food inequity, correcting racial inequality, ministering to the homeless, protecting defenseless women and children, and welcoming the immigrant? He will always be looking for us, and finding us. What a comfort to know that Jesus will always come, and that we will always be able to celebrate his birth.
Prayer
Dear God, We thank you for the opportunity to share the teachings of your son, Jesus Christ. We pray that we will please you with our efforts to share your ministry with your people. Amen.
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Comfort & Joy
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, November 30
By Jenny Cross, Director of Youth & College Ministries
Comfort & Joy
Read Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Here we are, at the end of another wild and unyielding year. A year of both good and bad, joy and heartache, struggle and hope. We arrive at Advent, harried and a little worn. We are eager and ready for something miraculous to happen—we need the promise of God’s presence with us.
The older I get, the more I see that joy and grief are not mutually exclusive—there is room for both at once. We see it in the laughter around the table after the loss of a loved one, or in the melancholy longing for things not yet to come in the midst of a beautiful day. It’s both/and. Both joy and sorrow, both comfort and pain.
Jesus comes to us as the ultimate both/and. Fully God and fully human. Tempted and sinless. Bringer of justice and giver of mercy. He offers us comfort and joy while giving us the charge to love and serve others like Him.
I find it easy to miss out on the blessings of this season. But this year, I want to cling a little tighter to those familiar tidings of comfort and joy—reminders that Jesus came to redeem and restore. And He still offers us those beautiful gifts of hope today.
Prayer
Holy God, You are good and gracious, and we need you during this Advent season. Help us to become more aware of your presence as we walk through these days of preparation. We ask to experience both comfort and joy as you remind us of your deep love for us all. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
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The Wonder of Hope
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Monday, November 29
By Therese Zaltash
The Wonder of Hope
Read Romans 15:12-14
Advent is “The coming of Christ” and the period of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas.
This time of year invites us to step away from the chaotic times of holiday preparation, such as shopping, parties etc. It allows us to prepare our minds and hearts for the celebration of the true meaning of HOPE that comes through the birth of the baby Jesus.
The 1st candle of Advent is the color purple, symbolizing HOPE. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The expectation and flourishing of HOPE builds as each day passes.
Our world today is brimming with social issues, in part from the pandemic and lingering isolation. Yet perhaps we could spend this season focusing on our faith, our HOPE of the coming of Christ and all the wonder that includes.
It is very easy to succumb to fear, depression and complacency, since we are more isolated than years past. However, with HOPE we are also more fortunate than generations past. It’s all about the visual lens you choose.
Look to others to spread the gospel of Christ and the wonder of HOPE. Be encouraging to a struggling friend, strike up a conversation with a stranger, check on a neighbor that may be alone … show others that the spirit of Christ forever lives within you.
Prayer
Dear Jesus, You are the HOPE in our troubled world. This Advent help us to slow down, listen to your voice and focus on what’s truly important. Show us how much we have received through your abundant generosity. Ease our hearts with the assurance of your love for us.
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Wait
advent, FeaturedDaily Advent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, November 28
By Rev. Catherine Nance, Senior Pastor
Wait
Read Nehemiah 9:6-15
“You are the Lord, you alone; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. To all of them you give life, and the host of heaven worships you.” (Nehemiah 9:6)
Wait for it … wait for it ….wait for it … It’s what we say when we know something is going to happen and WHAM! There it was!
I am writing this devotion in mid-September while taking some time away at the beach. It is the perfect setting for thinking of Advent!
Waiting for a wave. Waiting for the waves to break on the beach. Waiting for the water to come all the way to my toes. It’s an endless waiting – there are always waves. There is always water running up to where you are, spreading out in front of you, sometimes reaching your toes and sometimes deciding at the last second to stop and return.
I love to ride the waves. No, I am not a surfer. But I do walk out just far enough to wait for the right moment and swim ‘on top’ of the wave towards the beach. Sometimes I end up crawling, sometimes I get knocked under, sometimes I imagine I am as graceful as a dolphin! Each one elicits joy! But there is never one that is the final one; the beach is the perfect place to wait, and wait, and wait. The endlessness of the waves, the subtle changes in rhythm, the hypnotic flowing back and forth, and the surprising crash!
We sometimes countdown Advent … wait for it, wait for it, wait for it, and then hope to experience the most joyful, beautiful, perfect, happy Christmas day. Children will say, “I don’t want Christmas to end.” Adults will say, “I wish I had more time.” My prayer this year is that I do not miss Advent by waiting on the ‘perfect Christmas.’ The scriptures and hymns of Advent are faithful, and the words come at us – sometimes knocking us down, sometimes gently carrying, but always pointing us towards the Christ. This Advent, I will say, “Here it is.” Here it is. Here it is.
The psalmist says, Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. While we wait, we are being led and are being taught. God calls for an active waiting!
Prayer
Christ who comes, you are the one who has come, who is, and who will be. May we marvel in all these verb tenses and not miss any of your revelation. Amen.
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Weekly Prayer – November 24
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 24, 2021
Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness, come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that has made us and we are his; We are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.
(Ps 100:1-5)
Today indeed we make a joyful noise before the Lord and raise our voices in song! O One of Unsearchable Greatness, we remember how your breath wafted over the chaos, bringing a sublime calm and order. We remember how you fashioned from nothingness the heavens and the earth, both teeming with life. We ponder your terrifying power that created the mountains and called forth the waters, giving them shape and order and purpose. And in your own loneliness, you gave life to humankind, counting us as your beloved companions. How mystifying is your universe, O Lord, and our words fail to touch its grandeur. And how privileged we are that we might join our voices with all generations past in blessing your Holy Name!
God of All Goodness, hear our prayer.
You have honored us with Jesus Christ, whom you sent to reveal the truth of your love, your hopes and dreams for your people. And even when he was ignored, abused, and crucified, he told us he understood and that we were forgiven. How astonishing is the depth of your affection and the wideness of your mercy, O Lord!
God of All Goodness, hear our prayer.
We give you thanks, O Guide Above and Beside Us, that we can bring our prayers to you, for you are the God who listens to our lives; and we know there have been moments when we have chosen the wrong over the right. We remember those instances when we could have helped others, but we attended to our own priorities. There were those persons we could have befriended, but we hurried past. There were times we could have shared a loving thought with someone who was hurting, but we remained silent. There were occasions when we could have expressed our faith in you, yet we uttered mere platitudes. We thank you, Merciful One, that it is not too late for our transformation. Blot out the sullied parts of our past and cleanse our motivations. We can never reach perfection, but we trust in your Spirit to take everything that we do and use it for your good purposes.
God of All Goodness, hear our prayer.
Spirit of Wholeness, pour out your balm of healing upon your people who are in pain and sorrow. Heal the divisions and brokenness within our own nation, we pray. Our hearts also break when we hear of migrants from the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia who endure freezing temperatures and deprivation as they seek a place to call home; when we learn of the increased violence against the innocents in Sudan; as we receive news that 14 million people in Afghanistan now face daily hunger; and as another Covid19 wave sweeps across Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Russia. Forgive us when we separate ourselves from the suffering of others near and far. May all who are hurting cling to you even when their hope has grown thin.
God of All Goodness, hear our prayer.
And as we offer petitions on behalf of our friends at Church Street, strengthen our sense of kinship with all whom you love:
God of Goodness, we celebrate your presence with us and pray you would wrap us all in your peace each night, as you turn down the lights of heaven. May our dreams be filled with memories of your eternal grace. We lay these prayers at your feet in the name of your most caring Son Jesus, who taught us to pray in this way:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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Weekly Prayer – November 17, 2021
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family*
Week of November 17, 2021
Rev. Tim Best
Most Caring God, as we approach the holiday of Thanksgiving, remind us that true thanksgiving is not a single day of the year, but an eternal season of gratitude, a lifestyle that we practice our entire lives. Fill our hearts to the brim with a sense of the magnitude of your grace in our world. And give us the courage to respond to that truth by spreading it around.
Caring God, provoke us to love and good deeds.
We pray this day for our community. As the weather grows colder we think of our neighbors with unreliable heat, poor insulation, those who work outdoors, and those who live without walls or heat. We pray for our neighbors who experience any sort of violence, and those who live as if they have no hope. We pray for all those who work to ensure the well-being of others within our community.
Caring God, provoke us to love and good deeds.
With love and concern we lift up our nation, the world, and all those who seek to lead. We know the problems that face our world are many, but we do not live as those without hope. As our community has sought to honor veterans this past week, may we commit to hold the needs of those who have served constantly in our prayers.
Caring God, provoke us to love and good deeds.
We lift up thankful hearts for all progress made against Covid. We are grateful for all doctors, nurses, caregivers, administrators, and support staff that have kept hospitals and clinics running. We are thankful for vaccines that are now available for elementary age children. We are thankful for ongoing research and development of medications and treatments for this disease. We are thankful also for the work we have been given to care for one another and our neighbors during this season.
Caring God, provoke us to love and good deeds.
We pray this day for those in our congregation who are struggling with health issues, those who are alone, and those who grieve. Be an ever-present companion to them. Give us eyes to see the pain of others in our midst and the courage to respond in love. Especially, we ask that you would look with kindness and mercy upon all your children at Church Street who bring to your door a world of cares. And also receive the gratitude that is expressed by those who have profoundly felt your mercy in recent times:
Today we recommit ourselves to the work and ministry of this local church. Guide our hearts as we discern how to most fully and faithfully give to you, O Christ. Bless the gifts that have been offered this commitment week, and bless those who pledge to support the church financially in the year ahead. May our gifts always be used for the work of your kingdom.
Caring God, provoke us to love and good deeds.
Hear us, Heavenly Father, in all that we ask, for we pray as your Son taught us:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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Thanksgiving Baskets Project
Children, Church Street Events, Featured, Missions, YouthWeekly Prayer – November 10, 2021
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of November 10, 2021
Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
And what do you have that you did not receive?
And if also you did receive it, why do you boast
as not having received it? (I Cor. 4:7)
Ah, the apostle has rightly spoken – for what have we acquired that did not come to us from Divine beneficence? What do we possess that was not provided by the hands and sacrifice of others? Forgive us, Lord, for our narrow thinking and for our failure to respond fully to your grace. We confess we have withheld that which is rightly yours, spending mainly to satisfy our own limited interests. We have withheld even ourselves, ignoring your continued offer of fullness of life through Christ. We know we can do better; by your grace, may it be so.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Enduring Cornerstone, remind us that we are the living stones which form your Church. We are bound together by your very self, who gave your all that we might live. Your gifts cascade so freely we are prone to forget they come with responsibility. Chip away our rough and selfish edges, we pray, that we might fit more tightly together, adding strength and shape to your holy edifice of benevolence. We would be known as believers with open hands and open lives, willing to sacrifice so that the nameless and forgotten ones are drawn into your fortress of love.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Nearest Friend, this week we pray for our friends and neighbors, near and far. Comfort and deliver especially all who are living with grave losses, those who live in the throes of poverty and need, others who are oppressed by violence, and those who flee war and devastation in their homelands. Guide us and all in power to work for the common good. As scripture has taught: those whom much is given, much is required.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
God of the Circling Years, your faithfulness spans generations, and your mercy never fails to astound us. In Jesus, you walked where we walk, shared the burdens of life, were touched by the same joys, temptations, and sorrows as we. We need hide nothing from you, for you are aware of our longings, our pain, our hopes, and our fears. Therefore, we turn again to you on bended knee, acknowledging you as our Source of all healing and wholeness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Aware that you accept every prayer uttered in earnest, we lay before you these that come from the hearts of your people at Church Street. In your mercy, accept the praise of those who bring thanksgiving and touch the souls of those who are bruised and afflicted:
In addition to these, O Lord, we ask that you would gift us with wisdom and patience as we strive for that peace which passes all understanding. And now, as you are the God of All Good Gifts, release in us the spirit of new life – that life which is in full relationship with you and your Blessed Son who taught us to pray in this way:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.
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