O God of Invitation, scriptures tell of folks who are far away being brought near by the grace of Jesus Christ. We thank you for the gift of worship that brings us near to you. Some of us have felt far away in recent days – some literally because of travel. Some are far away because of health concerns or fear of being in crowds, some are far away because of guilt or shame or depression. Even when we gather in person, there are those sitting on our same pew who still feel far away. What a gift worship is, O God who gathers us in. Our time of worship draws each of us near to you, and as we each draw closer to your throne of grace, we sense the presence of our brothers and sisters who also long to be near you.
Thank you for gathering us into one body, into one family. Today we bring our fragmented hearts and our broken spirits and you make them whole again. All praise to you, for you welcome all into your household; thus so, may we eagerly greet one another with compassionate spirits each time we are together.
When we bow before you in prayer, our hearts open and our petitions spill out. In speaking aloud to you the worries, the hopes, the anguish, and the joy that are in our hearts, we know you have already turned a listening ear towards us and are already breathing your Spirit into these petitions. Open our ears, O Loving God, that we may hear how you desire us to respond, to think, to act, to dream.
As we pray for people who are far away — citizens of countries worn down by years of oppression and deprivation, citizens whose lives are disrupted by violence, for citizens in our own country who yearn for a return of order and safety, citizens of our northwestern states as forest fires and heatwaves continue. Though all these are distant to us in miles, they are near to us in spirit, for you are the one who joins us all together.
We thank you for this church, for this particular congregation of the body of Christ and for the ministries and opportunities to serve. We give thanks for children who have learned new songs and for youth who have given of their time and energy; we are thankful for Sunday School classes meeting in new ways and reuniting in old rooms. We pray that the church that meets in this building knows full well that their hearts, their arms, their love, and, their awareness moves well beyond the walls to places we may never know.
We are indebted to you, O God, for you so freely listen and accept these murmured prayers, reflecting our dreams, hopes, and gratitude. Listen also, we pray, to these personal concerns and joys that live in the hearts of your people at Church Street:
Thanksgivings:
- Thankful for prayers for brother with cancer
- Prayers appreciated: Correct diagnosis made for young niece having seizures
- One healing well after a fall
- Knee injury is healing well
- Two offer gratitude for the gift of prayer shawls
- Family recovering from Covid
- Father offers gratitude for daughter’s academic awards
- Thanksgiving for generous friends supporting Beacon of Hope
- Injections are offering relief for back pain
- Grateful for prayers: one with back injury has returned to work
Concerns:
Lord of All, we, your wandering sheep, will travel roads both familiar and new in the days ahead. Stay close to us, through your grace, that our eyes remain open to your eternal truth; that our ears be open to your holy voice; that our minds be open to your love and comfort. And along the way, wherever we find ourselves, may our hearts beat in rhythm with the heart of Christ, who is the pulse of life itself:
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 – September 8, 2021
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 8, 2021
Written by Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
O God of Change, you are ever calling us to look for that new thing you are doing in our world, for you are the wellspring of all life. The turning of the season is in the air, showing us a future you are calling us to enter. We enter it solely by your grace, O Lord; our steps are tentative, for we are indeed a tired people. The tumult of the world has seeped into our psyche, the pain and losses we view onscreen every day have pierced our hearts, the widening division within our own nation has strained our spirits and sapped our energy.
Even so, O Message of Hope, your voice rises in the cool air sifting through the trees. Forgive us for leading such insular lives and for believing that we might live in this realm free of weariness and suffering. Forgive us for succumbing to inner despair. Forgive us for forgetting that, as long as you give us breath, you have a mission for each of us. May the surge of your life-giving force flow through us this very day, we pray, giving us renewed strength and hope to be your hands and feet in this world you love so much.
And should we set our disappointments aside, we would remember that everything we have is a gift you have freely offered. Indeed, were we to write our thanksgivings among the clouds, there would be no room remaining in the skies! Our very lives, our health, our families and friends, our talents and service, our individual paths that have led us to you, our place within a community of faith, are all offerings from our Savior who promises never to leave us.
And as those who have been called to be keepers of our brothers and sisters, we remember those who find themselves in harm’s way, particularly all healthcare workers whose energy is worn thin, all firefighters, flood rescuers, police, and public servants who face dangers unknown to us. We lift up those who are facing illness or more medical tests, those who are lonely, afraid, bereaved, or depressed. Especially today, we pray for . . . . . . . . . Comfort them and their families who care for them. Whisper your word of hope in each heart, we pray, letting all know they are not alone or forgotten.
To each of these, O Lord, we bring both the thanksgivings and the concerns that have been voiced by your community at Church Street. We offer these, for we have confidence you are moving in and through our lives:
O Voice of Heavenly Hope, even in the dimmest days, we cling to you: for you point to the light beneath the shadows, promise the harvest after scarcity, and offer the resurrection beyond the grave. It is in deep humility that we raise our heartfelt prayers to you, closing with the words 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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Weekly Prayer – September 1, 2021
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of September 1, 2021
Written by Rev. Tim Best
Father of lights, we praise and thank you for your good and perfect gifts. We recognize the sins and temptations of the world around us. Yet your creation is from the beginning imprinted with your purpose and truth. Your Word has entered our hearts and made us a new community, dedicated to the works of your Spirit. Direct us in our calling to be first fruits of your new creation.
In a world that suffers, let our prayers rise to you above. From our hearts call compassion to rise for those whose pain is far off and whose circumstances are a mystery to us. When our understanding and patience falters, let our hearts be softened by your merciful call, that we might love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.
Renew our minds that our thoughts would rise above our own self-obsession and think often of our neighbors. Let our thinking and speaking be transformed that we might share the mind of Christ. In our speaking, our leading, and our daily choices, may our minds always turn towards others in service and obedience to you.
The Book of James encourage us to raise our hands in service to your kingdom. We recognize that we cannot build your kingdom; You O Christ our Lord build your kingdom upon your own actions and grace. Yet, we are called to serve your kingdom. You have invited us to partner with you in the work of your kingdom. May we offer our service to the world around us in witness to your love. Let us raise our hands in service and in praise.
As we raise our hearts, minds, and hands in prayer this morning we are mindful of so much pain and need. We ask that you would continue to be with those who grieve and suffer in Waverly, TN. Be with the citizens of Haiti and all who work to serve them now. We pray for the victims of the hurricanes that have battered southern and eastern coasts. Guide us to action that we would not only react to natural disasters, but that we would work and serve to protect the earth, ensure safe homes for our neighbors, and protect the vulnerable from future disasters.
We lift up all healthcare workers. Give them strength as they seek to heal and comfort the sick. Guide our actions that we would be a support to those who tend to the pains and sufferings of others. As our health system is again stretched, let your love stretch beyond our weariness and the exhaustion of all those who give care. May all find rest in you, O God.
We pray for our leaders, for those who make decisions for our community, the nation and the world. We pray for Afghanistan and all those involved, from foreign leaders to Afghan families seeking safety or overwhelmed with fear. We pray for all those who died at the Kabul airport, including 13 Americans serving in uniform. We lift up all those who have died and suffered over twenty years of war.
Be present to all those who are grieving. We pray that your church would be a beacon of peace in our community and throughout the world. We lift in prayer these concerns and joys of our church family. React with compassion, we pray, to the prayers of your people.
May your loving Spirit surround each of these who reach out to you with their specific thanksgivings and their deepest prayers. It was the Apostle Paul who taught us to pray without ceasing; and even as we close with the Lord’s Prayer, let our hearts rise in prayer to meet the world you created and love:
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 – August 25
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Week of August 22, 2021
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
O God who is our armor, our defender, and our protection, the scripture admonishes us to “hang in there and pray for all believers.” Many of us older ones are used to hearing “persevere,” but the contemporary translation “hang in there” feels more appropriate: “Hang in there and pray for one another.” So here we are, O God, many of us feeling as if we are barely hanging in and not quite holding on. But we are thankful each time we gather as the body of Christ, in prayer or in person, remembering that it is you who holds on to us. It is your strength, your armor in which we wrap ourselves that allows us to keep calm and to carry on. We long to persevere, to do the work you call us to do. Hold onto us that we might be the people of God who exhibit faithfulness and not fear.
We long for the whole world to have this feeling of being put back together, O God. Your world is aching; it is aching, consumed by disease, wildfires, storms, and violence. It would be easy for us to hang our heads low instead of simply bowing them in prayer. Hanging our heads low in weariness and, if we are honest, despair. But you have told us to stay alert by hanging in there and by praying for each other.
We pray for those devastated and grieving as their cities are flooded; those affected by Hurricane Henri, and those in Haiti who are without shelter, those in danger and crisis in Afghanistan. We pray for all who work in our local hospitals which are stretched to their limits; and we pray for school personnel who are exhausted after just a week or two of classes.
And as we list our concerns, help us not to be discouraged, but faithful. For we know that your love, your comfort and abiding presence are a greater solace. We know that your resurrection power offers hope and a certainty that we too often forget. As we pray for others who celebrate or mourn, may our hearts be more open, more compassionate, and more understanding of each situation:
May we be moved to action, knowing that we have your resources at hand your armor of strength instead of our will; your truth instead of our misconceptions; your justice instead of our arrogance, prejudice and self-reliance. Thank you for your salvation, O Lord, that replaces the empty promises of success.
And as we face what seems like overwhelming powers and principalities, give us the wisdom and strength to face ourselves and our own powers, to choose the path of peace in all of our living. And may we be unified in the task of being faithful messengers of your word and your ways. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ who gave us this prayer for all seasons of life:
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 – August 18, 2021
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 15, 2021
Written by Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
O God, we call your Son the Prince of Peace, and yet we make war among ourselves, too often in your name. Forgive us, we pray. Our hearts are torn when the see the anguished faces of those who have lost everything, as they flee in search of safety, of peace. Dark frightened eyes peer out from veils, as if begging us not to forget them. Lord, have mercy. Shelter under your wings the weak and unprotected in Afghanistan; diffuse the evil retaliation that lives within the souls of the oppressors now in control. Lord, have mercy. And we pray your covering of security would rest upon the people of Haiti who have borne more destruction and upheaval than the human mind can comprehend or heart contain. Lord, have mercy. Supply sufficient wisdom, we pray, that prudent solutions may be reached in ministering to the refugees crossing our southern borders. May our hands join yours in the bold work of restoration and healing.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Candle of Compassion, shine your light upon all who are distressed by illness – either their own, or the sickness of loved ones. Ease their burdens, we pray, and give strength to those who care for the infirm. Particularly, we ask that you would bless the hands of all healthcare workers who labor to assist those afflicted with the Covid virus. We thank you for instilling medical professionals with courage and a sense of mission to ease the suffering around them. Give us wisdom, as people of God, to do all we can to shield from illness our brothers and sisters in your beloved community. And in whatever opportunity presents itself, may we keep your candle of hope burning brightly for those who are unwell or depleted.
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.
This week we remember how you have remained our Constant Hope, our strength and shield, and have brought goodness our way. We therefore name the private praises for the favors you have shown us in recent times . . . . . . . . . Glory be to you, the One who always offers hope. And with our personal gratitude, we also name the singular ways in which you have lightened the burdens of others in our church family:
Thanksgivings:
When we are wounded, we know your own heart bleeds for us. So direct your gaze, we pray, upon each of these ones who name their own sorrows and challenges:
Concerns:
Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.
Our feet are unsteady these days, Lord, with all that is happening in our world; and we confess we often waver in our commitments. Still, in your grace, we believe you accept even our smallest efforts and are already forming them into something wondrous and meaningful. We need not know all the intricacies of the Kingdom of Heaven, for we only pray that, in some mysterious way, we are on the right road to that holy province:
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 – August 11
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 11, 2021
Written by Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
All praise to you, O Living Bread, for you gave your own flesh and blood that we might know the essence of true life. You gave your heart, mind, spirit, hopes, dreams, and concerns that we might understand the love of the Father. Ah, the manner in which you wish to abide within us is a great mystery; yet once we have felt you in the very sinews of our souls, we never wish to live without that sustenance that allows us to thrive in this difficult world.
God of Goodness, hear our prayer.
Lord, we remember it was Jesus himself who wore the robe of Teacher, knowing full well the distinct challenges such a calling would bring. Therefore, we pray this week that insight and stamina be given to all those who educate students at every level, that they might be sufficiently equipped for the ministry to which you have called them. Bless all the young people in our church family and within our community who wait to be taught, to be encouraged, to be understood, to grow in knowledge and wisdom. Be at work in the homes of every family, attending each young one physically and spiritually, that they might trust Christ as their Teacher and their Eternal Guide.
God of Goodness, hear our prayer.
O Merciful Spirit, only you can erase the bruises which our failures have left upon our hearts. You alone know the desires and hopes buried deep inside us. We trust that you would find within us a profound longing to live a godly and upright life. Such a yearning, we know, cannot happen without your underlying direction. Give us hearts to practice daily scripture reading and reflection upon your word, to become disciplined in listening for your voice, which often comes as a mere whisper. Assist us in remaining faithful to the commitments we have undertaken this season for the sake of your church: to contribute generously, to greet, to teach and guide, to plan, to pray, to oversee, to build and repair, to chair a committee, to feed the hungry, to visit and transport the infirm.
God of Goodness, hear our prayer.
We lift up those within our own church family who are in sorrow, pain, sickness, or other hardship, and also those who are close to our hearts. Throughout this week, may each receive your light of reassurance. Steel us with courage to face our burdens, so that in the end we may be counted among your faithful:
Thanksgivings:
Concerns:
O God Who Listens, we thank you for receiving our praises and petitions this day, knowing your hand will be upon us. Hear us now as our voices and hearts join together in offering the words of your Beloved, the Bread of Life, 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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Weekly Prayer – August 4
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of August 4, 2021
Written by Rev. Jan Buxton Wade
O God Who Opens Wide the Door, each day you draw near & call out to us, your children. “Come and be filled!” you say. At times, remembering your boundless generosity, we heed your call. We open wide our hearts & hands to receive your rich food of love, purpose and resilience. We cross the threshold at your invitation, knowing your companionship will be sufficient for every need. But at other times, we confess we are content to remain inside, tightly closing our hearts and hands around our own desires, plans, and interests. Forgive us, we pray, for those instances when we ignore your voice, when we seek that which does not satisfy. For deep down, we know when we reject your call, we are starving our very souls.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.
And still, your grace flows widely today, Benevolent One, for you have once again drawn close. As you fed the hungry on that hillside long ago, you daily break the bread of life in our midst, a reminder that we cannot live authentically without your love. We pray for those who are blinded by grief this day, for those who are ill, weak, disillusioned, those facing major life challenges. We pray for our nation, and all nations once again in the throes of a dangerous virus, and for all healthcare workers who are already over-extending themselves on our behalf. Hear the cries of all who call out in your gracious name, especially these believers within our own church community:
Thanksgivings:
Concerns:
Continue to nurture each of these with your grace, we pray; and thanks be to our Savior who gathers up even the broken pieces of our lives, so that nothing is lost.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.
You have filled us with abundance, Lord, with beautiful faces of children that brighten our day, with our vibrant youth who eagerly work for the disadvantaged in our community, with music and voices that penetrate our hearts, with a worship space that truly says welcome, with devoted servants whose lives model the Christian way of life, and with a rich legacy of faith which continues to witness to the sovereignty of Christ throughout our region.
Lord, in your goodness, hear our prayer.
May all our thoughts and undertakings this week be dedicated to your glory, O Lord. Let us step out into the world with the Bread of Heaven in our hands, ready to share Christ’s living grace with each one we meet. All this we ask in the name of the Son who nourishes and sustains in every hour, 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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Weekly Prayer – July 28
Featured, prayer for todayWeekly Prayers for the Church Street Family
Week of July 25, 2021
Written by Rev. Catherine Nance
O God of Invitation, scriptures tell of folks who are far away being brought near by the grace of Jesus Christ. We thank you for the gift of worship that brings us near to you. Some of us have felt far away in recent days – some literally because of travel. Some are far away because of health concerns or fear of being in crowds, some are far away because of guilt or shame or depression. Even when we gather in person, there are those sitting on our same pew who still feel far away. What a gift worship is, O God who gathers us in. Our time of worship draws each of us near to you, and as we each draw closer to your throne of grace, we sense the presence of our brothers and sisters who also long to be near you.
Thank you for gathering us into one body, into one family. Today we bring our fragmented hearts and our broken spirits and you make them whole again. All praise to you, for you welcome all into your household; thus so, may we eagerly greet one another with compassionate spirits each time we are together.
When we bow before you in prayer, our hearts open and our petitions spill out. In speaking aloud to you the worries, the hopes, the anguish, and the joy that are in our hearts, we know you have already turned a listening ear towards us and are already breathing your Spirit into these petitions. Open our ears, O Loving God, that we may hear how you desire us to respond, to think, to act, to dream.
As we pray for people who are far away — citizens of countries worn down by years of oppression and deprivation, citizens whose lives are disrupted by violence, for citizens in our own country who yearn for a return of order and safety, citizens of our northwestern states as forest fires and heatwaves continue. Though all these are distant to us in miles, they are near to us in spirit, for you are the one who joins us all together.
We thank you for this church, for this particular congregation of the body of Christ and for the ministries and opportunities to serve. We give thanks for children who have learned new songs and for youth who have given of their time and energy; we are thankful for Sunday School classes meeting in new ways and reuniting in old rooms. We pray that the church that meets in this building knows full well that their hearts, their arms, their love, and, their awareness moves well beyond the walls to places we may never know.
We are indebted to you, O God, for you so freely listen and accept these murmured prayers, reflecting our dreams, hopes, and gratitude. Listen also, we pray, to these personal concerns and joys that live in the hearts of your people at Church Street:
Thanksgivings:
Concerns:
Lord of All, we, your wandering sheep, will travel roads both familiar and new in the days ahead. Stay close to us, through your grace, that our eyes remain open to your eternal truth; that our ears be open to your holy voice; that our minds be open to your love and comfort. And along the way, wherever we find ourselves, may our hearts beat in rhythm with the heart of Christ, who is the pulse of life itself:
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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