At the start of each summer, Church Street participates in a special hands-on mission project in conjunction with the Holston Conference. In an unprecedented year, the need was greater than ever, and the task more challenging than ever.
Within the Holston Conference, projects in Liberia and Zimbabwe are supported by the fulfillment of buckets full of food and school supplies. For the past two years, Church Street has supported the Zimbabwe-based project Ishe Anesu, which is designed to provide education to under-resourced children. This is accomplished through the payment of school fees and the purchase of required school uniforms, books and stationery.
“American schools are funded by the state,” Associate Pastor Rev. Palmer Cantler says. “Many public schools in African countries are not free and require families to pay for the education of their children.”
The Ishe Anesu project also offers Christian education and values, family and social ethics and recreation while providing two meals a day. Those meals are supported in part by the Church Street congregation.
In the two years Church Street has supported Ishe Anesu, Rev. Cantler has set a goal of fulfilling 50 food buckets. In 2019, the Tennessee Valley region of the Holston Conference sent 716 buckets to Zimbabwe. So far in 2020, 220 buckets have been sent.
Each bucket is filled with 1 bag (4-5 lb.) sugar; 1 bag (4-5 lb.) self-rising flour; 1 bag (2 lb.) rice; 1 bag (2 lb.) dried beans; 1 powdered milk (10 oz. or less); 1 box (18 oz. or less) quick/instant oats; 1 bottle (48 oz. or less) cooking oil; 1 box (50 count or less) Splenda/sucralose; and canned ham (2 lb. total).
The 5-gallon bucket must be packed strategically, Rev. Cantler says, because if one thing is off, it can be flagged by customs on its way to Zimbabwe and the whole shipment could be delayed.
Before the pandemic, buckets would sit in the breezeway of the church, waiting for members to take them home and fill before returning on a specific day, or members could support the project financially. Volunteers would then check each bucket to ensure that each was packed correctly before sealing with a lid and loading for shipment.
But as time for the annual hands-on project approached in 2020, Rev. Cantler was unsure of how to move forward with the buckets in a safe way, let alone fill 50 appropriately with a food shortage. Missions chair Katie Heatherly sparked confidence and the team decided to give it a try.
Opting to ask the congregation to support financially, it was nearly a week before the donations from members funded 70 buckets, surpassing the annual goal of 50 buckets in record time.
In addition to the financial giving from members, a church member affiliated with Home Depot learned about the project from the church newsletter and approached the missions team about donating the buckets for packing. Rev. Palmer also connected with a Kroger and Walgreens partner to order the appropriate food. Each partner coordinated the best way to safely order and transport supplies to the church.
Masked and gloved, the missions team packed 70 buckets in one night, working socially distanced in an assembly line style. The buckets were packed and sent off to their recipients in Zimbabwe.
“It was really amazing that we were able to do more,” Rev. Cantler says. But, little did she know when she received the updated numbers the next week that donations for the project had jumped to about $5,000— almost double what was received in the first week.
In addition to learning that donations had far exceeded what she expected, Rev. Cantler felt confident that the team of volunteers could fill the gap caused by COVID-19’s impact on other churches in the Tennessee Valley region. She ordered more food, asked her contact at Home Depot for 50 more buckets and on Saturday, Nov. 7, volunteers packed 50 more buckets. This brings the total for the Holston Conference total to 270.
“I hoped for 30 at the beginning of the year,” Rev. Cantler says. “120? I was astonished.”
This miraculous act of giving by the Church Street congregation reminds Rev. Cantler of her word for the year: Flexibility. Early in 2020, events happened that began to be clear signs that God was showing her how to have flexibility in her life, and the Zimbabwe food buckets are no exception.
“A big lesson in 2020 for me is God is abundant,” she says. “God has continued to show up in abundance and generosity and shown generosity in this congregation.”
What started as a goal of 50 more than doubled, and it created quite the impact on the Ishe Anesu project as founder Maria Sabino Humbane and her team continue to support the immediate needs of the poorest of the poor. They can provide more opportunities for continued growth through vocational training and outreach programs to educate and empower mothers of Ishe Anesu children.
“I just keep praying for abundance and flexibility and staying out of the way,” Rev. Cantler says. “No matter what, God will provide.”
Want to become involved with Missions at Church Street? Learn more 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.
Prayer for Today – November 16
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 16, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
If thou wilt suffer God to guide thee, and hope in God through all thy ways,
God will give strength, whate’er betide thee, and bear thee through the hardest days.
We offer praise to you, Lord God, for our church family. We thank you for all those who came before us, those who built our structure and dedicated it to your purposes, for those saints who guided us in walking in Jesus’ steps. We know that we are reaping what these other witnesses have sown – those who also lived through hard times. And like them, may we faithfully love, work, and serve your people, that even those yet unborn may benefit from our own labor. For we take comfort in knowing that when you call us home, we will rejoin that larger Church Street family, and indeed all your devoted servants, in that realm that has joy beyond our perception.
Sing, pray, and keep God’s ways unswerving; so do thine own part faithfully;
And trust God’s word, though undeserving, thou yet shall fine it true for thee.
And even though we must be away from our beloved physical structure during this time of widespread virus, we believe you are holding us together in the invisible web of your love. You, O Unknowable One, are above and beyond both steeple and spire, both archway and font, both pulpit and altar. These merely point to your heavenly goodness. So while we are physically apart, let us imagine our house of worship permanently planted within our hearts. And with each heartbeat, we will be continually singing as one, lifting up those ageless hymns, celebrating the One who claims us and who will lead us safely back to Henley at his appointed time.
Watchful Savior, we pray for our created world and for all its inhabitants, each of whom you know intimately. We focus far too intently on what has gone wrong in our lives, and in the lives of others. But ever so often, turn our attention to what we have received already through your untold generosity. One great gift is your invitation to offer our celebrations and our burdens, so hear now these sentiments that rise from the souls of your people at Church Street:
Only be still, and wait God’s leisure, in cheerful hope, with heart content,
To take whate’er thy Maker’s pleasure and all-discerning love hath sent.
Gentle Jesus, you once promised: “Ask and it shall be given.” And so we ask for these gifts: for the courage to be brave in this time of stress; for the strength to carry out with hopeful hearts the ministries to which you have called us; for the tenacity to hold on, even when others are giving up; and for the love that moves us to be still and patient, and yet prepared, for whatever befalls. All these things we pray in your blessed name, just as you 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.
Church Street UMC doubles mission giving to Zimbabwe in 2020
Featured, MissionsAt the start of each summer, Church Street participates in a special hands-on mission project in conjunction with the Holston Conference. In an unprecedented year, the need was greater than ever, and the task more challenging than ever.
Within the Holston Conference, projects in Liberia and Zimbabwe are supported by the fulfillment of buckets full of food and school supplies. For the past two years, Church Street has supported the Zimbabwe-based project Ishe Anesu, which is designed to provide education to under-resourced children. This is accomplished through the payment of school fees and the purchase of required school uniforms, books and stationery.
“American schools are funded by the state,” Associate Pastor Rev. Palmer Cantler says. “Many public schools in African countries are not free and require families to pay for the education of their children.”
The Ishe Anesu project also offers Christian education and values, family and social ethics and recreation while providing two meals a day. Those meals are supported in part by the Church Street congregation.
In the two years Church Street has supported Ishe Anesu, Rev. Cantler has set a goal of fulfilling 50 food buckets. In 2019, the Tennessee Valley region of the Holston Conference sent 716 buckets to Zimbabwe. So far in 2020, 220 buckets have been sent.
Each bucket is filled with 1 bag (4-5 lb.) sugar; 1 bag (4-5 lb.) self-rising flour; 1 bag (2 lb.) rice; 1 bag (2 lb.) dried beans; 1 powdered milk (10 oz. or less); 1 box (18 oz. or less) quick/instant oats; 1 bottle (48 oz. or less) cooking oil; 1 box (50 count or less) Splenda/sucralose; and canned ham (2 lb. total).
The 5-gallon bucket must be packed strategically, Rev. Cantler says, because if one thing is off, it can be flagged by customs on its way to Zimbabwe and the whole shipment could be delayed.
Before the pandemic, buckets would sit in the breezeway of the church, waiting for members to take them home and fill before returning on a specific day, or members could support the project financially. Volunteers would then check each bucket to ensure that each was packed correctly before sealing with a lid and loading for shipment.
But as time for the annual hands-on project approached in 2020, Rev. Cantler was unsure of how to move forward with the buckets in a safe way, let alone fill 50 appropriately with a food shortage. Missions chair Katie Heatherly sparked confidence and the team decided to give it a try.
Opting to ask the congregation to support financially, it was nearly a week before the donations from members funded 70 buckets, surpassing the annual goal of 50 buckets in record time.
In addition to the financial giving from members, a church member affiliated with Home Depot learned about the project from the church newsletter and approached the missions team about donating the buckets for packing. Rev. Palmer also connected with a Kroger and Walgreens partner to order the appropriate food. Each partner coordinated the best way to safely order and transport supplies to the church.
Masked and gloved, the missions team packed 70 buckets in one night, working socially distanced in an assembly line style. The buckets were packed and sent off to their recipients in Zimbabwe.
“It was really amazing that we were able to do more,” Rev. Cantler says. But, little did she know when she received the updated numbers the next week that donations for the project had jumped to about $5,000— almost double what was received in the first week.
In addition to learning that donations had far exceeded what she expected, Rev. Cantler felt confident that the team of volunteers could fill the gap caused by COVID-19’s impact on other churches in the Tennessee Valley region. She ordered more food, asked her contact at Home Depot for 50 more buckets and on Saturday, Nov. 7, volunteers packed 50 more buckets. This brings the total for the Holston Conference total to 270.
“I hoped for 30 at the beginning of the year,” Rev. Cantler says. “120? I was astonished.”
This miraculous act of giving by the Church Street congregation reminds Rev. Cantler of her word for the year: Flexibility. Early in 2020, events happened that began to be clear signs that God was showing her how to have flexibility in her life, and the Zimbabwe food buckets are no exception.
“A big lesson in 2020 for me is God is abundant,” she says. “God has continued to show up in abundance and generosity and shown generosity in this congregation.”
What started as a goal of 50 more than doubled, and it created quite the impact on the Ishe Anesu project as founder Maria Sabino Humbane and her team continue to support the immediate needs of the poorest of the poor. They can provide more opportunities for continued growth through vocational training and outreach programs to educate and empower mothers of Ishe Anesu children.
“I just keep praying for abundance and flexibility and staying out of the way,” Rev. Cantler says. “No matter what, God will provide.”
Want to become involved with Missions at Church Street? Learn more here.
Prayer for Today – November 12
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 12, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Silent Companion, we are again apprised of the numbers — numbers representing the ill ones, breathing souls who are beloved of God. When did it happen that our days were clouded by statistics? Numbers are meaningless when we must peer through a window to blow a kiss to that one cherished relative, when we must refrain from hugging that one hurting friend, when we attend to the needs of our own family member who has contracted the virus. “How long?” asked the psalmist whose own heart was breaking, and we fatigued ones put forth that same query: How long before this uneasiness is banished?
Forgiving One, in this vexing time of separation, we tend to heap our complaints and questions high, leaving them in little piles across your path. But you listen calmly as we offer them, and even lend your ear when we hand out advice on how you should fix what has been broken. We confess that we are full of hubris and lack the patience of the faithful. Give us that perseverance of the saints, we pray, that we, as they, might endure our inconveniences and misfortunes with grace.
Though the time of freedom remains uncertain, somehow, kindness and thoughtfulness thread themselves through our days, offering us their wisdom. It may be that the road stretches further than we can imagine, but the Suffering One walks with us, bearing hope. And even when the winds of dullness and routine blow rattle the windows of our lives, even when doubts hunker down deep within, his love becomes a blanket that tenderly wraps itself around every stone-cold heart.
Wrap all our hearts in your blanket of love, we pray, and especially these ones whose personal burdens are too heavy for them to bear alone:
Turn our eyes upon Jesus, Good Lord, for his life mirrors what we ourselves hope to become. In all his ways he acknowledged you, so bear with us until we also arise each morning singing praises for all the goodness woven into our lives; and lying down each evening in peace, knowing it is Christ who is our Eternal Rest:
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.
Prayer for Today – November 11
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 11, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Great and Gentle God, you seem to know that this is a time when we need your brightness more than ever, and that is why you have bequeathed us this strand of dazzling days. In the brightness we can more easily detect your presence and are even more aware of those gentle gifts that come our way: a meal delivered, a timely phone call, the quiet loyalty of a spouse or loved one, the sudden insight that makes all the difference in our faith, the word of wisdom that comes from the aging friend, the memory of a past blessing, a note of encouragement. You come to us in little nudges, new every day, O Lord, urging us to move on, showing us that life is worth the living.
You see our hearts, dear Lord, and the painful memories and regrets that abide therein. There are the harsh words we spoke yesterday that cut as sharp as a sword; there is the face of one who longed for a word of gratitude, yet our lips were silent as stone; there was the frivolous purchase that we made in a casual manner, forgetting the transaction itself could have fed a family of four. Forgive our insensitivity, we pray, for we want to be free of all our flaws. May tomorrow bring another set of hours, another cleansing beam, and other chances for us to set things right.
And there are many who need a fresh touch of grace: our public servants who keep order; those who work diligently for a cure for the dreaded COVID-19 virus; depleted healthcare workers whose hours are long and whose lives remain at risk; educators who trudge forward, balancing virtual and in-person teaching responsibilities; those for whom infirmity has become a way of life; those who have no family to help them bear their burdens. All these, and the special ones in our hearts we lift up to you in these moments: . . . . . . . . . . . We can picture you wearing our burdens as a yoke upon your shoulders, O Christ, and we are humbled that your desire is to ease our souls.
In your mercy receive all that we offer, asking that you also accept these special concerns and joyful thanksgivings which come from the hearts of your Church Street family:
We pray all of this, holding fast to the hope that you are our Sovereign and the Sustainer of our lives. And even though we cannot put into words just what it is that we believe, we pray through your Spirit, laying everything before you in the name of your Son, as we pray together:
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.
Prayer for Today – November 10
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 10, 2020
God of Today and Every Day, we are fragile folk and we confess that we have allowed fear to control our lives. Our hearts are tattered and our minds race as we wait for the next blow: “What if…… happens?” we ask ourselves. Calm our trembling notions, we pray, as we face the unknown. Even in the throes of governmental change, even in midst of a pandemic, even when lawlessness has become commonplace, even when we live in the shadows of a broken world, you are with us. Today and every day, Good Lord, speak your peace to our restless souls. We long to remain firm in the faith that we have openly confessed. And what we have confessed may we practice boldly.
Thank you for planting desire in our hearts—a desire to know you, a desire to be better people. You show us the faces of so many living on the edge, the homeless and mentally ill, those who are going through the motions of living, existing amid oppression and denied a chance to realize their dreams and talents. Our efforts to rectify seem insignificant in the frame of such great need; but as they have crossed our path, we know they are precious in your sight, and you intend our hands to hold out your grace and hope to each.
As we pray for all those souls who search for an open door, we also offer the prayers of our inmost hearts, our thanksgivings, our burdens and our desires known only to you . . . . . . . . . . And as your mercy envelopes all, continue to guard these who also offer their joys and their deepest desires to your care:
Lead us, Gracious God, to live in the way of Jesus, who was engaged with the world, but who was not of the world; who took on the form of a slave, but has since taken his rightful place beside you in glory. By his blessed example may we live out our days, for it is in his name we pray all these things:
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.
Prayer for Today – November 9
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 9, 2020
This is my commandment,
that you love one another as I have loved you.
Great Teacher, you ask of us a hard thing. Our experiences are limited, for many of us have never lived in foreign cultures nor have we been deeply exposed to the personal or collective histories that have shaped the mindsets of those who live on other shores. Our perspectives are as diverse as our understandings of your sacred goodness; and yet you command us to love each and all. And as you know, we even find it hard to live in love with our own kin, with those who bear our own resemblance and share our common history.
Ah, but then how far-reaching is your wisdom; for you are aware that when we concentrate on understanding the lives of others, when we focus on building our regard for the other, we will have far less time to dwell on our own petty concerns. You are the Bridge-Builder, and if we too are to become wise, we will join in your labor, putting into place one small plank after another. Then you shall fasten them all together into your holy design and we shall all move freely across that platform of trust that stretches across the world.
All Renewing One, in this disquieting era of racial, cultural, and economic brokenness, we pray that your selfless love might bear fruit in our nation. We pray that you would implant your holy wisdom in the minds and hearts of both new and returning national officials just elected. Burn away our disrespect and disregard for the most vulnerable among us; melt the mistrust and misunderstanding that erodes the spirit. Renew the soul of our nation, and anchor our faith in you, that we might find a way for all to live out the life of freedom you plan for all.
Holy Comforter, we lift up all who face illness and adversity this day. Comfort those who are afraid; and give strength to those who love and care for them. May your holy peace wash over them, reminding them they are neither alone nor forgotten. Hear also these prayers that come from the hearts of your people at Church Street:
Spirit of Heavenly Hope, as you promised you would never leave us, may your brightest hope and love take root in our hearts, so that even during the dimmest days we will feel your empowering spirit stirring within. In the name of Christ we make our prayer:
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.
Prayer for Today – November 5
UncategorizedBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 5, 2020
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.
-Psalm 31:24
Be still my soul: the Lord is on your side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain, leave to your God to order and provide;
In every change, God faithful will remain.
Your hope, your confidence, let nothing shake.
-Katharina von Schlegel
New every morning is your love, great God of light,
and all day long you are working for good in the world.
-from An Order for Morning Praise and Prayer UM Hymnal
God of this new day, we lift our hearts to you. The morning light has broken through the darkness of the night once again, and fresh possibilities and new beginnings await us. As the harvest sunrise demands our attention, sending its penetrating rays into our homes, it is impossible not to take notice. The wonders of your creation surround us and, in the changing of the seasons, we are reminded of your faithfulness throughout all generations.
Gentle and merciful God, you know how quickly we move from amazement and wonder to being overwhelmed by the worries of the day. We grow discouraged too easily, finding ourselves either immobilized by fear, or frantically rushing around, mindlessly latching onto quick fixes and easy solutions. Forgive our blindness to your presence. Free us from ourselves, Loving God, that we may fully experience the joy of life lived in relationship with you.
You know all the things that we face each day, the trials and hurts that are a part of living and loving. And, yet, you call us to a place of peace and calm in the midst of the storm, trusting that you never leave us alone. You ask us to wait patiently, leaning on your everlasting arms, and trusting in your infinite wisdom to direct our steps, all the time knowing that such a request is contrary to what the world would have us believe. Waiting is so much a part of our lives and often distracts us from the hope that is ours in Jesus Christ. We wait for test results, election results, job offers, anticipated promotions or raises, impending deaths for those in Hospice care, justice too long denied – the list is never-ending. Even still, your word to us remains constant –
Be strong, let your heart take courage, and wait.
And so, with the assurance of your great compassion, we place before you all that keeps us from abundant living, trusting that you hear our cries, comfort us in our need, and renew our strength:
Gracious God, may we be daily surprised by your creation, hourly startled by the depths of your love, and every moment amazed by your care. All these things we ask in the name 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.
Special thanks to Rev. Pat Clendenen for contributing to this week’s prayers.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Prayer for Today – November 4
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 4, 2020
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear…
Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations; I am exalted in the earth.
-Psalm 46:1-2a, 10
All-Knowing God, in whom we live and move and have our being, we come before you this day with hopeful and trusting hearts. On this morning after an election that may continue to divide us as a nation, we bow before you in complete surrender, searching for your compassionate and healing presence to guide us in our life together. Although the final outcome may still be uncertain, we know that “a house divided against itself cannot stand.” How do we move into your future with new eyes, new ears, new ways of being?
Merciful God, grant us patience in this time of waiting, for it is not only we who wait, but the entire world. What happens here not only affects us as a nation, but all your children everywhere. You call us to be a witness to your reconciling power, an instrument of healing in a broken, hurting world. Open our hearts and minds to the realization that we are part of a global village, a richly diverse gathering of all your children, yearning for your shalom – a world of peace with justice, where equality is more than a dream and peace is more than the absence of war.
Compassionate God, remind us that, in this time of anxious waiting, there are others who do not have the “luxury” of spending hours glued to the media coverage of unfolding results and events. Open our hearts that we may hear the cries of those in need – those without work, struggling to keep a roof over their heads and put food on their table; those whose lives have been shattered by a pandemic that will not end; those who live on our streets, longing for a friendly face and a word of hope; those who live in isolation, hungry for the touch of another human being; those who fear for their lives, uncertain of a future filled with so much racial tension and unrest. All these and more, though invisible to us, are in plain sight to you. Watch over these, your children, and also hear the concerns from your Church Street family:
Break our hearts, O God, as your heart is breaking, and bring us to new understandings of what it means to be a true follower of Jesus Christ. Emblazon on our spirits our baptismal vows – “to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves.” Free us from all that keeps us from joyful service and strengthen our resolve to walk the paths you place before us, secure in the knowledge that we do not walk alone.
Reconciling God, whatever the final results of the election, give us the grace to accept the leaders we as a people have chosen, and the willingness to work alongside them to bring hope and healing to your world. May they be open vessels, putting aside their own agendas to hear your still, small voice calling them to a life of servanthood. Keep ever before us that a life lived in service to others is the only life worth living. Following the example of Christ who modeled for us a life of servanthood that knew no bounds, we offer the prayer 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.
Special thanks to Rev. Pat Clendenen for contributing to this week’s prayers.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Prayer for Today – November 3
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 3, 2020
Make me a channel of Your peace;
Where there is hatred, let me bring Your love;
Where there is injury, Your pardon, Lord,
And where there’s doubt, true faith in You.
Where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope;
Where there is darkness, only light,
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.
O Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console,
To be understood as to understand,
To be loved as to love with all my soul.
-Sebastian Temple
We greet you this morning, Welcoming God, trusting in your divine presence and infinite wisdom to guide us throughout this day. This is an important time for our nation – we, the people of the United States of America – for on this day we will elect leaders who will take us into the future. May those we elect be ones whose guiding principles reflect a vision of shalom – peace with justice for all your children, both here and around the world.
As your beloved children, created in your image, we long to be channels of your peace, to stand above the fray as witnesses to the transforming power of your love. But how do we sing your song in the midst of all the chaos? It seems that we have lost our way, no longer able to celebrate the amazing diversity that defines us as a nation.
Throughout today and in the days to follow, may our thoughts, words, and actions be reflections of Christ’s love for each of us. Turn our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks that we may be agents of your healing peace and uniting love.
In the midst of all that seeks to consume us this day, may we not forget the hurting, the lost, the lonely, the outcast, the grieving, the ill, the dying, the dispossessed, and the disenfranchised. For many of these, the election may not be in the forefront of their lives, and voting may not even be a possibility. Yet, it is these, first and foremost, for whom Christ came, those whom we are called to serve in his name. Remind us that, as people of faith, it is for them also that we cast our vote.
And as on all days, we share our deepest joys and perplexities with you, knowing that it is your grace that upholds us all:
God of grace and glory, you have told us through your prophet Micah what you require of us – to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with you. As “required” people, empowered by your Spirit, flood our hearts and minds with your vision for your world – the Beloved Community – and give us the courage and strength to walk into the future as channels of your peace, trusting that the Risen Christ goes before us to prepare the way. And so, as people of the Resurrection, we confidently offer the prayer 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.
Special thanks to Rev. Pat Clendenen for contributing to this week’s prayers.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Prayer for Today – November 2
prayer for today, UncategorizedBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
November 2, 2020
Great is thy faithfulness, O God…
Morning by morning new mercies we see.
O Holy One, with the sounds of the bells still faintly ringing in the distance, we find ourselves still longing to linger in yesterday’s celebration of All Saints Day. As we worshipped together, though physically separated, we found comfort and assurance, strength and hope. Your presence came to us in so many forms – the magnificent processional, the glorious sounds of the organ and singers, the read and spoken word. We could not help but feel that great cloud of witnesses standing with you and flooding our hearts and minds with love and peace.
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.
O Faithful One, we are surrounded by so much uncertainty, and it is so easy for fear and anxiety to take hold, causing us to forget who we are and Whose we are. Help us to breathe deeply in your Spirit, opening our hearts to the many ways in which you reach out to us, and assuring us that, in those times when we stumble, you will carry us.
Comforting One, we lift to you this day the many concerns and needs within our church family, our community, our nation, and our world. Where we can be your hands and feet of comfort, assurance, and hope – whatever form that may take – gently nudge us and send us forth in the name of Christ.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow…
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.
O Renewer of Life, send us forth into this new day with renewed hope and renewed spirits, reminding us that the great cloud of witnesses we celebrated yesterday are ringing bells for us on our life journey. May our thanksgiving for the lives they lived among us become thanksgiving, that we too may faithfully walk the path you set before.
In sure and certain hope of your constant presence and abiding love, we offer the prayer Christ 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.
Special thanks to Rev. Pat Clendenen for contributing to this week’s prayers.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.