Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Friday, April 1, Morning
By Mrs. Laura White, March 17, 1978
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
“O Sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;
How pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn!
What thou, My Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain;
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend,
For this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.”
UMC Hymnal #286
One of the most beloved of all the Lenten hymns is “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.” The language of the hymn is intensely personal, as each believer is invited to consider the suffering of Christ for mankind’s salvation. The pictorial details of the first stanza are very graphic, almost as if the viewing of a picture of Christ on the cross prompted the poet’s words. He sadly views the grieving figure and notices the crown of thorns, the pale countenance, and the mournful expression. In the second stanza the speaker addresses this dying Christ with the realization that the pain suffered by his Savior was patiently endured even though the transgression and sin belonged to another. The third stanza turns to a note of thanksgiving and dedication, as the poet purposes his own life and love to be directed to this One whose life was freely given that man might have an access to God each day and a hope of life with Him forever.
Prayer
O God, in this Lenten Season, may we also “see” our suffering Savior. May we realize that His victory over suffering has made it possible for us to experience His resurrection power in our lives today. As we receive greater insight into His suffering, may we see our sin and His provisions for salvation in the Cross.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
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.
When We Don’t Understand
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Friday, April 1, Evening
By Esther W. Bare, March 12, 1976
When We Don’t Understand
Read Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 13:8-9
We Americans are a people who want to know. Indeed, the genius of Western man, some say, has been that he was determined to push the limits of his knowledge as far as he could and then put that knowledge into action. As individuals, we follow a somewhat similar path as we grow up: we try to understand ourselves, our families, other people, and the world beyond, and as Christians we try to relate our knowledge and understanding to God and his plan for us and for the world. Surely it is good to attempt this, for we remember that Jesus expanded the Great Commandment of the Old Testament – “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy strength” – to include loving God with all our minds.
But there is a point at which understanding ends. No matter how wonderfully satisfying our relationship with God may seem at times, sooner or later most of us are brought face to face with realities we cannot reconcile with our faith, situations that jar the foundations of our beliefs. And it is here that we may turn away and abandon our faith. Or we may look at Jesus on the cross.
Our hearts shrink from His suffering, yet we must hear the words: “My God, my God why has Thou forsaken me?” For his agony was not only of the body, it was the pain of despair, of non-understanding, of alienation from the Father to whom he had dedicated his life.
Christ on the cross gives us the answer, too; not so much an answer, though, as the way in which we may follow: “Into Thy hands I commend my spirit.”
Prayer
Help us to place our spirits into Thy hands, in times of joy and in times of despair. Save us from relying too much on knowledge and from making progress our god. Help us to realize our weaknesses, that we may seek Thy guidance always, in the name of Jesus who showed us the Way. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
prayer for todayDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Friday, April 1, Morning
By Mrs. Laura White, March 17, 1978
O Sacred Head, Now Wounded
“O Sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, thine only crown;
How pale thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish which once was bright as morn!
What thou, My Lord, hast suffered was all for sinners’ gain:
Mine, mine was the transgression, but thine the deadly pain;
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ‘Tis I deserve thy place;
Look on me with thy favor, vouchsafe to me thy grace.
What language shall I borrow to thank thee, dearest Friend,
For this thy dying sorrow, thy pity without end?
O make me thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to thee.”
UMC Hymnal #286
One of the most beloved of all the Lenten hymns is “O Sacred Head, Now Wounded.” The language of the hymn is intensely personal, as each believer is invited to consider the suffering of Christ for mankind’s salvation. The pictorial details of the first stanza are very graphic, almost as if the viewing of a picture of Christ on the cross prompted the poet’s words. He sadly views the grieving figure and notices the crown of thorns, the pale countenance, and the mournful expression. In the second stanza the speaker addresses this dying Christ with the realization that the pain suffered by his Savior was patiently endured even though the transgression and sin belonged to another. The third stanza turns to a note of thanksgiving and dedication, as the poet purposes his own life and love to be directed to this One whose life was freely given that man might have an access to God each day and a hope of life with Him forever.
Prayer
O God, in this Lenten Season, may we also “see” our suffering Savior. May we realize that His victory over suffering has made it possible for us to experience His resurrection power in our lives today. As we receive greater insight into His suffering, may we see our sin and His provisions for salvation in the Cross.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Lent is a Time for Preparing for Living
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, April 1, Evening
By Dorothy & Asa Bishop, February 21, 1980
Lent is a Time for Preparing for Living
Read Mark 14:32-42
“And they went to a place which was called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here, while I pray…Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak’…”.
Lent is that period of time set aside on the Christian calendar when we direct our thoughts toward the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This is the high point of the Christian year, and a special emphasis is required to make the proper preparation for this rapturous occasion. Although we should make an emphasis each day of the year to use our daily devotional period to help us in deepening our personal commitment to the living Lord, we may sometimes neglect to carry out this daily time of preparation throughout the year.
Through the use of the Lenten booklets prepared by fellow Church Streeters, we began a daily family devotional period which now prevails in our home throughout the year. The special emphasis on preparation during Lent stimulated us to continue our family devotionals. In this time of sharing, praying, and Bible reading, we are made more aware of how God lives and speaks through each person in our family circle. As we prepare for Easter this year, we will be looking for some additional emphasis to assist us in our daily celebration that Jesus Christ lives within us and in the world which surrounds us.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, as we prepare our hearts and minds for the death and resurrection of Your son, Jesus Christ, help us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Forgive us for the many times we deny Thee daily and give us courage and strength to live in accordance with Thy will. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
April Youth Info
YouthSunday Morning Worship
In-Person NightLife
Senior Spotlight: Anna Grace Cathey
YouthOne of our favorite things about the spring semester each year is celebrating our graduating seniors. And this year, we’re a special Senior Spotlight series on our blog. Our seniors answered interview questions earlier this spring and it has been so much fun learning their answers! Check back in each week to get to know our seniors better and help to cheer them on as they wrap up high school and prepare for their next steps!
Meet Anna Grace Cathey!
Do You Wait for an Answer?
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, April 1, Morning
By Mrs. Elizabeth Reagon, March 28, 2018
Do You Wait for an Answer?
Read John 18:38, 17:17 (KJV), Matthew 24:35, 7:7 (KJV)
Pontius Pilate’s life may have been dramatically changed had he waited for an answer. The crucifixion scriptures tell us, “Pilot saith unto him, What is truth?” But the Scriptures continue, “and when he said this, he went out . …”
Jesus answered this very question a few hours earlier. As He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane for his Disciples, he asked his Father, “Sanctify them through thy truth: thy Word is truth.” The Word is also eternal in Matthew 24:35 when Jesus said, “… my word shall not pass away.”
Jesus told us in Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it shall be given; seek and ye shall find …” But do we ask and fail to wait for an answer or do we ask as Pilate did and then move on? Perhaps more important, do we wait expectantly? Do we anticipate an answer?
Do we allow time to sit quietly and meditate on God and His Word and give God a chance to communicate to us? Wouldn’t we give a friend a chance to respond to an inquiry?
No answer, yet; perhaps God prefers to reply through his Holy Word.
Scripture speaks and can deliver definite messages when we are attuned.
Reverently peruse the Scriptures, read slowly, prayerfully, frequently, meditating on it and you will have answers and also a light to direct your life.
Prayer
Righteous God, sanctify us, enable us to love you and your Word more, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Evening Prayer – March 31
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 31, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Under soggy skies we make our way homeward, thankful that a dry dwelling is waiting to welcome us in the evening hours. Shapeless clouds have lingered low throughout the day, providing none of the inspiration of the yellow sun. Within the dullness, however, we have sensed your working on our behalf, Forever Friend, particularly in these instances: . . . . . . . . . . And as you have been cleansing and revitalizing the earth with your spring droplets, you have been widening impassable avenues and opening doors shut tight. Praise be to you!
Suffering Servant, these final days of Lent are hardest for us, for as we draw closer to your suffering, we realize we need more Lenten time to conquer our own weakness. We still lack the courage to stand up to the naysayers; we fear our own rejection by the crowds; and, deep down, we know that we too are capable of deserting you in your final hours. In the end, though, we remember you did not forsake your fickle friends, but strengthened them and turned them into faithful disciples. By the immensity of your grace, transform us also into strong and useful vessels, we pray, pouring out courage and fortitude to all timorous ones, that together we might boldly proclaim you to the world as Redeemer and Savior.
As Mary stood weeping beside the empty tomb, you know all those whose tears still flow today. Touch those everywhere, we pray, who are too traumatized to even utter your name. Steady those who are shaken by natural disasters and those whose dreams are shattered. You are in the business of making all things new, so implant your assurance in each hurting soul, we pray, that this Easter Season may be a time of rebirth for all. Have mercy, O Christ, upon all who are in need of your presence, especially your children at Church Street UMC:
May your holy rest encompass us this night, and all whom we love, Dear Lord, for we turn over to you all our cares and anxieties. And somewhere in the shadowed hours, remind us that we still belong to you, no matter what we may have done or failed to do. In that assurance, we shall sleep soundly, praying as Christ himself 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Affirmation of Faith
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, March 31, Morning
By Laura Still, April 20, 2019
Affirmation of Faith
Read John 13:1
“Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.”
If you begin a sentence with who, what, where, or why, then the sentence should end in a question mark. We all learn that. During the season of Lent, there are many questions we ask. Why did Jesus have to die? Why did Jesus pray? Let this cup pass? What happened to Jesus’ body? Did Jesus always know he was going to be crucified? Why did Jesus cry out, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ These are questions asked in every Lenten study I have been a part of, and I have attempted to answer questions to the best of my ability in sermons and in lessons.
One of the first Lenten hymns I remember learning is “What Wondrous Love Is This” (#292 in the United Methodist Hymnal). It was just a decade or so ago that I paid attention to the missing question mark! The title is not a question but an exclamatory sentence! An affirmation.
What wondrous love is this!
This discovery coincided with my own spiritual growth and understanding. I had worked so hard to explain all the different atonement theories and make sense of the crucifixion. I wanted to be able to answer satisfactorily the questions people would ask in studies.
There is a freedom to accept God’s love and grace when we can exclaim, ‘What wondrous love is this!’ I encourage asking questions and I know full well that is an important and necessary part of our spiritual development. But, at some point, it became more important to me to be embraced by God’s love than being able to explain it.
What wondrous love is this!
Prayer
O God beyond all reason yet so accessible, we thank you that you love us and call us into a new understanding of life through your love. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Among Us
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, March 31, Morning
By Laura Still, April 20, 2019
Among Us
Read John 1:14
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
I confess this is my favorite verse of the Gospel, but I am still finding out what it means. When I was young, I daydreamed about what it would be like to be one of the people who met Jesus during his three years of ministry on earth. Surely if I had actually seen him, in the flesh, all my questions and doubts would disappear and I would have become one of the disciples, leaving everything behind to follow him.
However, as a teenager and young adult, my certainty faded as all the complications of the living damaged my self-confidence, and failures ate away my faith. How could I follow Jesus in a world that pulled me apart? There was no sudden blinding light for me, but there were tiny flashes: kind words, laughter, the soaring trill of birds at the moment of twilight. Little sparks sent to remind me he did not leave us alone; he promised he would always be with us. In the gray winter days, the sun is hidden, but we can feel it above the clouds. Lent comes to remind us the Spirit is with us every day, still among us, still full of grace and truth.
Prayer
Dear Lord, give us eyes to see your light when it is hidden and hearts to feel your presence within us. Let us be led by your Holy Spirit in all we do.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Evening Prayer – March 30
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
March 30, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Here in the shadowed silence, our thoughts turn to you, Blessed Lord. Another day of grandeur you have provided out of your own benevolence. There were moments when we were speechless when we beheld the spring glory. And even if we passed by the marvels of the daylight, Brother Moon, round as a saucer, has kept watch from his chosen corner these first evenings of Holy Week. We praise you for your visible presence, Unfailing Friend, though we long to be those who live by faith alone and not by sight.
Anointed One, in your final days in this realm, we member how Mary stole soundlessly into the home of Simon, and how, out of her deep love for you, she poured the costly ointment upon your feet at suppertime. Hers was an extravagant gesture of risk, yet she boldly demonstrated where her devotion lay. Her courageous actions are a template for the cost of discipleship. As we move through these sacred days, may we be bold enough to ask ourselves if we would give up our most precious possessions, our status, our independence and control to follow our Savior. We pray that our private meditations this hallowed week might lead us to answer with candor and humility, and that our communal worship services might be counted as fragrant offerings to you.
Gracious Lord, as you touched so many with your grace during your final days of your earthly walk, we ask that you would ease the hearts of those who suffer this day, and particularly accept the gratitude and the concerns and offered by members of our church family:
As we close our day, we thank you, Most Holy God, for gathering us into a beloved community, for in your wisdom, you knew we would need one another as we traveled this long Lenten journey. Cast your warm moonlight over us as we rest this night, anointing us with its creamy glow. We would be made whole for Christ’s sake, and we offer these prayers in his name, praying as he 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.