Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Friday, February 26
By Rev. Frank M. “Bob” Bostick, April 6, 1979
Preparation Through Giving?
Read: Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
When a friend saw me eating only a salad for lunch, she asked, “It isn’t Lent yet, is it?” “No! It isn’t.” (The date was January 18) “Then why aren’t you eating more?” “Not because I’m not hungry for sure, but because I must lose 7 pounds before March.” Wonder why we associate Lent with less than normal!
During Lent, we prepare ourselves for the celebration of God’s sacrifice of Jesus; we make ready our minds, our practices, our life styles to be more fitting to accept such a gift of salvation. But, “giving-up-something-for-Lent” is really absurd if we live in a state of desire for the day after Easter so we can begin to abuse ourselves again.
Many of our Lenten practices are Pharisaical: We keep the law but allow the intention of the law to be missed. It’s like a child being nice just before Christmas so a lot of goodies will be under the tree or in the stocking, but on the day after Christmas becoming sassy and obstinate once again.
No! A proper preparation for Good Friday and Easter is not in playing games with giving up candy, or alcohol, or bad habits for only a short time – and wishing time would rapidly pass. It is only as we become new persons, striving to serve God on a permanent basis that Easter morning will present its fullest glory. No sham – no games – only true justice, deep and abiding loyalty, and genuine humbleness are the desires of God for His people.
May our mental, spiritual, and behavioral preparation yield new life!
Prayer
Oh God, help us seriously seek, prepare with perseverance, and thus with the direction of your Spirit awaken to new life. May the resurrection faith be spread abroad in the world of turmoil through the committed efforts of thy people. Amen.
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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.
Today – As You Make It
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Sunday, February 28, Morning
By Grace Parkhill, February 27, 1980
Today — As You Make It
Read John 10:10b
“…I came that they may have life and have it more abundantly.”
“Every morning lean thine arms awhile
Upon the window sill of heaven
And gaze upon thy Lord,
Then, with the vision in thy heart,
Turn strong to meet the day.”
(author unknown, but a favorite poem of Mimi Murphy)
I read a newspaper article the other day which commented on the first thoughts of the morning as setting the tone for the day. Several persons had given their first thoughts on awakening which ran the gamut of unlovely thoughts to very lovely ones; and so was their day.
I have found that as each day begins if I, (1) open myself to the presence of God; (2) use my awakening thoughts as one of thanksgiving; (3) and then wait for His Spirit, that my day is beautiful because I will it so. And then I can go forth with a good spirit and with power to serve, to fight wrong and to love. The morning dawns bright even though the sun may not shine because I have the feeling of being alive and of belonging.
Each day can be powerful as we find ourselves in tune with the Master Force, doing His Will and His Work. Our day depends on us.
Prayer
Dear Lord, your great prophet, Isaiah, has said “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and they shall walk, and not faint.” We want this for your children today; help us to learn to open our hearts and wait for you each new day; and give us strength to meet the challenges that come with each new day. Amen.
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The Companion
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Saturday, February 27
By Gene Flinter, April 2, 2017
The Companion
Read: John 14:15-17 NIV
“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
Our world is in turmoil. However, with the assistance of Christ and the Holy Spirit in opening our hearts and minds, we may visualize a healed planet.
Find a quiet place, sit or stand, take some deep breaths and then perform the following visualization:
Visualize our church and its staff and members in an embracing silver light and then filter in a golden light. Hold for a minute or so… Expand the same sequence to the residents of our state, country and world (continent by continent)… Then, embrace our planet in the silver/golden light with its oceans, forests, jungles and deserts. Include the sea and mammal life that also inhabits the earth.
Prayer
Come Holy Spirit, kindle our hearts and minds with a heavenly fire, so that we may open them to renew the face and health of our world. Inspire us to avoid anger and judgment to all persons that we may encounter. Instead, let us embrace them with love and kindness. With Jesus, the hierarchy of angels and the Father and Mother of the world, we request your blessings throughout our lives. Amen.
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Preparation Through Giving?
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Friday, February 26
By Rev. Frank M. “Bob” Bostick, April 6, 1979
Preparation Through Giving?
Read: Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
When a friend saw me eating only a salad for lunch, she asked, “It isn’t Lent yet, is it?” “No! It isn’t.” (The date was January 18) “Then why aren’t you eating more?” “Not because I’m not hungry for sure, but because I must lose 7 pounds before March.” Wonder why we associate Lent with less than normal!
During Lent, we prepare ourselves for the celebration of God’s sacrifice of Jesus; we make ready our minds, our practices, our life styles to be more fitting to accept such a gift of salvation. But, “giving-up-something-for-Lent” is really absurd if we live in a state of desire for the day after Easter so we can begin to abuse ourselves again.
Many of our Lenten practices are Pharisaical: We keep the law but allow the intention of the law to be missed. It’s like a child being nice just before Christmas so a lot of goodies will be under the tree or in the stocking, but on the day after Christmas becoming sassy and obstinate once again.
No! A proper preparation for Good Friday and Easter is not in playing games with giving up candy, or alcohol, or bad habits for only a short time – and wishing time would rapidly pass. It is only as we become new persons, striving to serve God on a permanent basis that Easter morning will present its fullest glory. No sham – no games – only true justice, deep and abiding loyalty, and genuine humbleness are the desires of God for His people.
May our mental, spiritual, and behavioral preparation yield new life!
Prayer
Oh God, help us seriously seek, prepare with perseverance, and thus with the direction of your Spirit awaken to new life. May the resurrection faith be spread abroad in the world of turmoil through the committed efforts of thy people. Amen.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Evening Prayer – February 25
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
February 25, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Changeless One, it seems strange that you are also the Author of Change, but as evening glides in on its dark expansive wings, we ponder what particular changes you may be asking us to consider this season. Should we stay the course? Are you standing at a crossroads pointing to new possibilities? Should we take that bend in the lane that leads to unexplored landscapes? Naturally you would never presume to make the choice for us, so great is your respect for our free will, so grant us your wisdom in discernment and your courage if and when we take those first tentative steps. And even if we choose wrongly, you will use the road we take to your good purpose.
You know, Dear Friend, that we are frequently victims of our own narrow thinking and choose the more convenient route. Forgive our shuffling gait, Lord, and help us shake off our sins of lethargy as the dust from our shoes. Sensitize us to others whose opportunities are much more restricted than ours: those who are confined by joblessness, poverty, language barriers, emotional and physical infirmities. Their prison walls are simply too steep for them to scale. Is there not a wide passage that leads to those held captive? If so, point the way, and our Lenten pilgrimage may become a quest to break down the barriers stifling the lives of the dispossessed. May our compassion increase, turning into prayers with hands and feet.
Thank you for guiding us in our desire to become stronger disciples. And for the instances this day when we did set aside our own agenda to help another, we offer them to your glory working through us. Keep watch over all your flock at Church Street, and each these friends who offer their heartfelt gratitude to you and their prayers for help and healing:
As we take our rest, O Vast and Blessed One, give us deeper insight into the ways we might fulfill your holy purpose. And as we sleep, give a peaceful night to all our friends and family, enfolding all who seek to serve you in the name of Christ, 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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Young Goodman Brown
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Thursday, February 25
By Dr. Allison R. Ensor, April 7, 1977
Young Goodman Brown
Read: Romans 12:21
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
One of my favorite nineteenth-century short stories is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” Set in or near Salem, Massachusetts about 1692, it is a story of a naïve young man who journeys into the forest for what he believes will be a one-time-only encounter with evil, after which he intends to cling to the skirts of his wife (“aptly named” Faith) and follow her to heaven. Things do not, however, work out as planned: Brown meets a Satanic figure in the forest who guides him to a “wild witch meeting” attended – or so Brown believes – by all the good people of the community, even the minister and his own wife. As a result, Brown’s faith in mankind is lost; he comes to look upon everyone in his village as a hypocrite in league with the devil, and he is never happy again.
I believe that it was Brown’s own involvement in evil which led him to think that everyone else was as guilty as he, and that as Hawthorne says elsewhere, “Such loss of faith is ever one of the saddest results of sin.” Brown was mistaken to have believed that he was the first of his family ever to do anything evil, but he was equally mistaken to think that, as Satan tells his assembled worshippers, “Evil is the nature of mankind.” I take it that Hawthorne’s point is that we should recognize the evil that exists around us but having recognized it we should not become obsessed with it or overcome by it. It is an inevitable part of an imperfect world, but it need not ruin our lives or make us unduly pessimistic about our fellow mortals.
Prayer
Father, help us to resist the temptation to give way to despair when we encounter evil or when we find ourselves and others failing to measure up to the best that we might be. Help us to know that the world has not really been given to the devil but that it is still under your control and that there is much good left in it. Amen.
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Evening Prayer – February 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
February 24, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
We can just make out the remnants of this pristine day through the last of the mottled clouds on the skyline. We thank you that you do not keep winter’s beauty to yourself, but share it so freely with us. Forever Friend, all our moments belong to you and you call us away from our day of entanglements to sit with you in the sundown hours. What better way to end this day of gifts than to share our gratitude with the One who cherishes our friendship? We shall take it and file it in our treasure chest of memories.
We confess, oh Lord, that we listen too closely to the seductive tunes of power and possession that the world plays. During this season of re-centering, touch our ears that we may hear the songs of our Savior. We confess there was a biting edge in our remarks today; touch our lips that we might speak only gentle words. We confess that we hold onto our bitterness and hurt; touch our hands that we might release the dead past. And once healed, may our gift to you be the service we render our sisters and brothers whose hopes and dreams you have asked us to carry. Receive now, we pray, the joys in the hearts of your people, as well as their innermost concerns:
O One Who Neither Slumbers Nor Sleeps, may your warm stars burn away those misgivings we are harboring and give us a restful sleep. Attend to all who are dear to us, and hold all your children in the strong arms of Jesus, 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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The Privilege of Prayer
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Wednesday, February 24
By Mrs. June Ferguson, March 4, 1977
The Privilege of Prayer
Read: Matthew 7:7-8
“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”
Has it ever occurred to you when we kneel in our place of prayer that we have been given the privilege of being used of God to change the lives of men and nations? God has literally made available to us a vast reservoir of power, wisdom, and grace beyond words if only we are willing to believe in Him.
God said to Jeremiah, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Prayer brings us to the starting point of the great discovery of God in our personal life. Prayer does not bring God down to us but brings us near to God. When our soul draws near to God in prayer, the ground beneath our feet becomes holy ground.
Our heavenly Father waits to bestow upon us the fullness of His blessings. It is our privilege to drink at the fountain of infinite love. God is ready and willing to hear the sincere prayer of the humblest of His children. Even the angels of Heaven love to bow before God and love to be near him. It is our privilege to walk in the light of His Spirit and enjoy the companionship of His presence.
Prayer
Our gracious heavenly Father, I thank you for the privilege of prayer. Thank you for your Prayer Promises in Your word. Thank you for my strength and my Salvation. Give me more love, understanding, and wisdom and help me to be more Christ-like. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
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Evening Prayer – February 23
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
February 23, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Perfecting One, at twilight time, we remember how you came to us in surprising ways in the daylight hours. You didn’t give us what we wanted; instead, you gave what we needed. We aimed for success, but you began teaching us acceptance. We wanted to be admired and appreciated, but you kept asking us to love even those we do not like. We longed for an easy road with no snags, but you presented detours that challenged our own capabilities. It seems that when we prayed that we might grow in our faith this Lenten Season, you took us seriously. We really did mean it, Lord, so in the tomorrows that come, help us set aside our sniveling and get on with business — Jesus’ business — of perfecting our souls.
Steadfast One, in our Christian journey, we confess that there are times when our feelings resonate with the psalmist who said: “I am like an owl in the wilderness, like a little owl of the wasteland, like a lonely bird on the housetop.” It isn’t that we feel abandoned necessarily, but it seems that the good we do is so insignificant in a world that threatens to implode. We feed one and twenty more hungry ones take his place; we sit at the bedside of the ill friend, only to find three others have died alone in the night; we help stabilize one family, when across town entire neighborhoods are being torn apart by violence. We know that nothing is impossible with you, O God, so come to us in our weakness. Reassure us that your desire is for us to stay the course and serve as best we can as long as we can.
Thank you for making room in the shaded hours for our honest conversations. Even when we have no words, the apostle reminds us to pray without ceasing. And so we humbly place the praises and longings of our own hearts at your feet . . . . . . . . . . and also these sincere petitions from our church family:
May the Re-Creator, the One who makes all things new, enter our souls this night, granting us a restorative rest. And with morning light, may we arise refreshed in spirit, ready to walk that more demanding trail that awaits all true friends of Jesus:
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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Better Than Christmas
Featured, lentDaily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC
Tuesday, February 23
By Jim Lees, March 19, 2017
Everyday Temptations
Read: Psalm 46:10
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Lent is a moment in our calendar each year, set aside by persons in our distant past. They were reaching out to God, no doubt seeking help, to find a way to remind us of the magnitude of the gift we all received in the sacrifice of Jesus. This 40-day time was and is an exciting solution now and through the ages. A period when we can really prepare for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, a time to spread the news. Those who first set aside the time for Lent were right in their desire and in their choice. Now it is our time.
This 40-day period of Lent has been modified from time to time. Recommended fasting on special days, of making Sundays not count during this period, of recalling our baptism, of calling to mind the gift so freely given. It is a truly joyful time to share with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We now realize we are speaking with God when we pray. We realize we can call out to Him. He is listening to us. We are in his presence. God cares for you and me. In this very special time of Lent, we can reach out and be thrilled by being in God’s presence.
Prayer
Dear Lord, how wonderful to know you and be in your care. To feel your touch in everything around me. For the gift of life, the beauty of this day, the love of my family, and our church. Above all, thank you for your Son. Amen.
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Evening Prayer – February 22
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
February 22, 2021
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O One Who Tends our Souls, your magnificence beams upon us each day, but in spite of your gifts of wonder, we confess that we often set our minds, not on divine things, but on human things. We scramble for the paper goods and seize every dairy item in sight at the grocer’s when someone whispers “snow!” And should we get wind of an increase in gas prices, we race to join the line up at the pumps. Anxiety is contagious, and when we catch that fever of uneasiness, we grab far more than we need, doubting your loving provision. Forgive us for allowing ourselves to become tangled again in that knot of fear that has plagued us all our lives. Teach us to trust during this season, Holy One, and write the apostle’s words upon our hearts: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
O Divine Parent, surely we are an embarrassment to you when we shrink from living as your disciples. And given the many times we have wounded you, it is astonishing that you put up with us at all. Particularly we recall these personal slights we have inflicted upon you and upon others this day: . . . . . . . . . . We humbly open ourselves to your forgiveness, trusting that you might show us how to claim that power of which the apostle speaks.
These have been days of unease for many of your people, Comforting God, and those trapped by riveting troubles. Be with all those who are trying to recover from deadly winter storms and send willing hands to assist with reconstruction. Give hope to the afflicted, we pray, that they may not give in to despair. You hear the cries of all whose hearts are unsettled, who bear pain of body, mind and spirit. Energize our own community that we might bring the evil assaults on our young people to an end. Touch each one, we pray, whose names we now whisper . . . . . . . . . . . . And also attend to these requests that spring from the souls of our church members:
O Breath Within Our Breath, quiet our souls in the evening hours as we take our rest in your enduring love. Meet our worries and our fears at that mysterious point in the night when your grace somehow blossoms into blessing. All these prayers and petitions we leave with you, in the name of our Redeemer, 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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