BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 31, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
God has said: “Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5b
At times, O Holy One, we come to you in prayer in the wrong spirit. Forgive us. Now and then we seek a guarantee that all our tomorrows will be safe, that little will be required of us, that misfortune will never block our future plans. We frequently ask that our strength alone will be sufficient to carry us through all the days ahead. But in your holy wisdom, you recognize that our own power is not enough; and through your support, you are teaching us in our human need. Grant that we might ask for sustenance for this one day only. May we envision Christ standing beside us at this one moment, inviting us to lean on his shoulder. And when we do accept his invitation, we find that there is strength enough – not ours alone, but power from on high.
O Constant One, hear our prayer.
This is another day, Faithful Companion, and with broken hearts, we admit that it is much the same as yesterday and the days before. You have created us for community, but our streets and neighborhoods are filled with hate and brutality, with mayhem and murder. The evils of racism and bigotry continue to eat away the soul of America. Heal us, Lord, before we destroy ourselves.
O Constant One, hear our prayer.
Companion, we pray, all those affected by Hurricane Laura, for each one working for their restoration. And, as we suffer the pandemic with our brothers and sisters across the globe, we give thanks for those working tirelessly on our behalf, for those seeking a cure. In your mercy, continue your watch, care over those in poverty-stricken regions everywhere who struggle with the illness, particularly in Spain, Brazil, and Iran. Give us your perseverance to continually work for the good of all who are in pain, depression, or suffering. And may we begin today.
O Constant One, hear our prayer.
O Voice of Silence, we sense your quiet ways and give witness to your hand of benevolence moving so quietly across our lives. Our hearts spill over as we recall those times when you have blessed us immeasurably . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; and we are enveloped with solace as we recall the favors you have visited upon members of our church family. Receive once again our thanksgivings and our concerns, for you wait silently with open hands:
- Gratitude: Gallbladder surgery turned out well, prayers appreciated
- Thankful that one is recovering steadily from breast surgery
- Prayers appreciated: a father’s medical tests revealed no problems
- Praises: God’s diverse creation has paved the way for us to embrace diversity in humankind, that we might view & accept all others as we accept ourselves
- Thankful that promising new caretaker for Sterchi Lodge has been hired
- Grateful for prayers: cherished father died peacefully with family beside him
- Dear friend in ICU is improving
- Prayers for calm & courage to surround 2 members having surgery today
- Protection of daughter & husband living near violence in Kenosha, WI
- Hope & healing for 2 members with pain & nausea associated with cancer
- Prayers for one seeking peace from extreme anxiety & depression
- Prayers for healing: 2 fathers with Covid-19, safety for their families
- Young father searching for effective cancer meds, comfort for his family
- Healing of dear friend diagnosed with auto-immune disease
- Prayers for reconciliation between a daughter & ill father
- Continued healing of father recently divorced, for new doors to open
- Prayers for two babies in NICU; healing of one in ICU, multiple complications
- Close friend, healing of heart issues; healing for young burn victim
- Lifting of depression for a young mother-to-be
We are never sure why, but many of us carry great burdens. We do not wish to shift our load to any other backs, however, for they are ours alone to deal with. But we simply bring them to you, for we know you care. Help us to bear our burdens with grace, without self-pity, but always with trust in the One who will never leave or forsake us. In the spirit of friendship, demonstrated so perfectly in Jesus, we now offer his 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.
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 – September 1
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
September 1, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23
If only, if only . . . Lord, we too often fall into the habit of reducing our problems to one single element. If only my parents had been more loving; if only I could have afforded college; if only my spouse hadn’t left me; if only that disease had not overtaken me; if only I could have received that promotion. We spend our lives feeding that one thing that has clouded all our days. Though it is difficult, help us to understand that life, in all its complexities, cannot be reduced to one single influence. We live in the Now. And you are here with us, offering your assurance: “It is never too late for a new beginning.”
God of Newness, hear our prayer.
As we begin this day, you know, O Lord, that there will be instances that will test us, and that our weaknesses may again overtake us. In hastiness, we may speak that unkind or untrue word. In our confusion, we may err in our judgment. In our fatigue we may make victims of friends and loved ones. And though our day may be marked by false steps, we pray you would redeem whatever we do amiss and repurpose it for the greater good. And if that old “if only” mantra runs through our minds again, set us free to turn down the volume, through your miraculous grace.
God of Newness, hear our prayer.
Thank you, Good Lord, for your continued concern for our church family during these anxious times. We bring again our trials and pain to your doorstep of mercy, as you have so invited us to do. But as you breathe your newness into our pain, also receive the breath of gratitude we ourselves offer, for your mighty works have not gone unnoticed:
God of Newness, hear our prayer.
Strengthened by the Spirit, grant that we might rise to serve Christ this day, setting aside our old ways, and singing the song of the God of New Beginnings:
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 – August 31
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 31, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
God has said: “Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5b
At times, O Holy One, we come to you in prayer in the wrong spirit. Forgive us. Now and then we seek a guarantee that all our tomorrows will be safe, that little will be required of us, that misfortune will never block our future plans. We frequently ask that our strength alone will be sufficient to carry us through all the days ahead. But in your holy wisdom, you recognize that our own power is not enough; and through your support, you are teaching us in our human need. Grant that we might ask for sustenance for this one day only. May we envision Christ standing beside us at this one moment, inviting us to lean on his shoulder. And when we do accept his invitation, we find that there is strength enough – not ours alone, but power from on high.
O Constant One, hear our prayer.
This is another day, Faithful Companion, and with broken hearts, we admit that it is much the same as yesterday and the days before. You have created us for community, but our streets and neighborhoods are filled with hate and brutality, with mayhem and murder. The evils of racism and bigotry continue to eat away the soul of America. Heal us, Lord, before we destroy ourselves.
O Constant One, hear our prayer.
Companion, we pray, all those affected by Hurricane Laura, for each one working for their restoration. And, as we suffer the pandemic with our brothers and sisters across the globe, we give thanks for those working tirelessly on our behalf, for those seeking a cure. In your mercy, continue your watch, care over those in poverty-stricken regions everywhere who struggle with the illness, particularly in Spain, Brazil, and Iran. Give us your perseverance to continually work for the good of all who are in pain, depression, or suffering. And may we begin today.
O Constant One, hear our prayer.
O Voice of Silence, we sense your quiet ways and give witness to your hand of benevolence moving so quietly across our lives. Our hearts spill over as we recall those times when you have blessed us immeasurably . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ; and we are enveloped with solace as we recall the favors you have visited upon members of our church family. Receive once again our thanksgivings and our concerns, for you wait silently with open hands:
We are never sure why, but many of us carry great burdens. We do not wish to shift our load to any other backs, however, for they are ours alone to deal with. But we simply bring them to you, for we know you care. Help us to bear our burdens with grace, without self-pity, but always with trust in the One who will never leave or forsake us. In the spirit of friendship, demonstrated so perfectly in Jesus, we now offer his 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.
Seek Joy …
YouthWe’ve made it to the weekend! Way to go, friends! I knew you could do it. Time always feels warped in the midst of transitions – flying by or dragging on or somehow both? But either way, it is Friday. And Fridays are good.
We’ve spent the week looking at different ways to adjust to the start of the new year. We’ve consider taking things one step at a time, being still, quieting our souls, and making room for grief. (If you missed any of those posts, click here to access the rest of the blog).
Today, we focus on one final mindset: seek joy.
If you’re like me, it’s far too easy to get stuck in the weeds these days. And if I’m not careful, I forget to look around and celebrate the good things that are all around. I want to be clear, seeking joy is not turning a blind eye to pain or ignoring the hard things in our lives and world. That is why yesterday’s post was all about making room for grief! No – seeking joy is about opening our eyes to the grace that sustains and delights in the midst of our ordinary lives.
Today’s resource is a simple practice, one we’ve talked about before. I call it gratitude journaling, but you could call it something else: thankful list, joy sightings, you get the idea. The concept is simple. Challenge yourself to document the things that bring you joy each day. Here are some different ways you can practice this:
This is not an exhaustive list, it is merely a starting place. This practice can be tweaked to fit your life in a multitude of ways. Make it your own. Whenever I am consistently practicing this, I am always surprised by the way my mind is transformed. I start to see joy popping up all around, even in the most unexpected of places.
There is joy to be found, I believe that with my whole heart. And honestly, I think seeking joy while we’re walking through darkness is one of the ways that we become more Jesus.
Our scripture today comes from Romans 15:13:
These are some of Paul’s closing words to the Roman church. For the past 14+ chapters of this letter, he has been diligently teaching about the truth of the Gospel to a body that is viciously divided. The Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians simply cannot get on the same page, and the division is wearing them down. Paul painstakingly reminds them that, at the end of the day, it’s all about Jesus and allowing Him to change our hearts, rather than being chained to rules and regulation.
And what does he say as he approaches his “In conclusion…” paragraph? “May the God of hope fill you with joy and peace.” Oh, let it be so.
Let’s seek joy. This simple act might just change everything.
Grace and peace,
Jenny
P.S. Need one more tangible way to seek joy these days? Join us for the YOUTH KICK-OFF on Zoom on Sunday night at 6:00. Use this link to sign on with us: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83344427793
Make Room for Grief …
YouthFor most of the past few months, I have been mostly ok. Doesn’t that seem strange? The world has felt like it was crumbling most days, and I have been ok. That’s not to say I haven’t felt sad from time to time or had my heartbroken by the news. Or that everyday feels like a joyful adventure. I’ve found myself feeling square in the middle most of the time. If you asked me “How are you?” I would probably respond, “I’ve been better, I’ve been worse.” The middle. No man’s land.
But last night, I had to go to Church Street to do some brief preparation for our online Kick-Off Sunday night. (P.S. Do you have it on your calendar?! See you on Zoom at 6:00!) I walked into our worship room and it hit. The last time I was in that room on a Wednesday night was in March. MARCH. And we still have a long road to walk before we can safely join back together. I was so surprised by the ache that I felt. Because in the grand scheme of all that is happening in our lives and the world, walking into an empty room isn’t such a big deal. But it was the step that woke me up a little bit inside. That reminded me that there is more going on under the surface of my soul than I realized.
So, what is our theme for today? Make room for grief.
What are the things that feel heavy in your heart? Name them. No matter how big or small.
Are you sad about a virus that continues to spread, even though you’ve had to give up so much to it already? Are you aching about the racial injustice we are seeing nationwide? Are you fearful about being back in school? Are you disappointed because you are learning at home? Have you lost a loved one and not been able to honor their life the way you’d like? Has it been far too long since you’ve seen friends or family who live out of town? Have things that bring you joy (graduations, performances, recitals, sporting events, family traditions, etc.) been put on hold? Does your faith feel like it’s slipping through the cracks without the rhythms of worship and youth group to keep you going? Are you frightened by violence and anger? Are you sad, but you aren’t even sure why?
Name it. And hand it to our friend, Jesus.
In the Old Testament, there is a book called Lamentations. And you probably guessed this by its title, but it is a book of lament, of sorrow, of heartbreak. The author is writing it retroactively – so he is reflecting on what has already happened. And he writes a series of poems telling the horrendous story of Israel’s fall to the Babylonians and the exile that followed. The entire book is one of pain, except for three short verses, found in the middle of the third chapter. You’ve probably heard them before. Lamentations 3:22-24 reads:
These are the only words of hope in the whole book. But the truth there is enough, even when we’re walking in darkness. This passage has inspired one of the most beloved hymns of all time, and it is our resource for today. Great is Thy Faithfulness is a powerful song that praises God for His provision in the midst of our weakness and our grief. One of my favorite lines says, “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.” That single line has been a stone of remembrance to me during the past few months. When things feel hard and heavy, I’ve thought, “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,” and it has helped to carry me through.
Below, I’ve included one of my favorite recordings of this hymn. It is sung by singer/songwriter Sandra McCracken who also wrote one of our youth group favorites, In Feast or Fallow. Her take on this well-known hymn is simple and beautiful, and accompanied me on my drive home last night, reminding me that our Hope is in Jesus. Yes and amen.
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Wherever you are on the spectrum of joy and sorrow, I hope you’ll make room for your grief. Let’s name the hard things and then turn them over to the One who can carry it all. If you ever need to talk, just say the word. I’m all ears.
Grace and peace,
Jenny
Prayer for Today – August 27
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 27, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweigh them all.
II Cor. 3:22-24
O Divine Parent, most assuredly the apostle’s words hit home to us who feel hemmed in on many levels. The months go by and we sense that we are losing ground – one step forward and two steps back. We thought we had mapped out our lives so well, only to look in the mirror and find that the passing years and all those unanticipated complications have taken their toll. Where is that sublime span of ease we had marked on our calendars? Will there ever come a time when we can kick back and enjoy the fruits of our labor? We tumble so frequently these days and find that we are not as strong as we thought. Sadly, our faces tell the tale. But could that be your voice we hear in the distance, Jesus? “Blessed are those who fall, yet rise and begin again.” Yes, it must be, for who else would applaud such plodding as ours?
Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.
O God Beyond Knowing and Naming, you take little notice of the outward appearance, but concern yourself with the contours of the heart. What changes do you note within us at this point? Have those inner fields of mercy shown signs of new growth? Is the shallow river of compassion now widening its banks? Are the valleys of forgiveness a lush green, as weedy personal slights are being expunged? And those peaks of praise – are they becoming taller as we more frequently glorify your name? We pray these evidences of renewal are indeed taking place, though unseen by human eye. And if so, we will cease our fretting about the superficial and the fleeting. Instead we will rejoice at the rejuvenation within.
Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.
As always, Caring One, we remember the specific blessings you have delivered during this week at hand . . . . . . . . . . And as your mercy knows no end, we offer our thanksgivings into your keeping, and also these concerns of your people at Church Street:
God of All, thank you for receiving our concerns and for your willingness to be at work on our behalf. Fill us with that peace that passes all understanding this day. And open wide the windows of our souls that your mist of holy peace and transformation will flow over us, spreading out across this land, binding up bitterness, moving across the oceans, raining down love, and enfolding your cherished people everywhere, even in lands we do not know.
Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.
Collect all our prayers, Dearest Friend, just as you gather the pleas and praises of all your followers around the globe. We entrust them to your care, knowing you will guard them as sacred longings from your children, and that they are brought to you in the name of our Redeemer, 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Join us for a Midday Devotion!
Click here to join us on Facebook at noon today for a devotion led by Youth Intern Ramsey Owens.
Quiet Your Soul …
YouthHappy Wednesday! You’re halfway through the week – way to go!
Most of us are operating with a low-grade sense of anxiety always lurking in the background. Even if things are going great for you, they are different. And adjusting often causes us some stress. If things aren’t going great for you, this is even more true. Today, we are talking about what if might look like if we operated differently.
What would happen if we decided to quiet our souls?
I had a conversation with Pastor Jan recently asking her about ways to use our breath to calm our souls. She reminded me of a favorite verse of hers from Psalm 131: 2 – but I have stilled and quieted my soul. We are going to turn it into a simple prayer:
Our resource today is a type of prayer called breath prayers. It is a way for us to use something that we do all day, everyday to draw us back to God. Here are some simple ways for us to practice breath prayers in our lives.
Reflecting on breath is one of my favorite ways to remember God’s presence. In Genesis, scripture says that God’s Spirit hovered over creation. The Hebrew word used for “Spirit” is the same word that means “breath.” God spoke and things came to be. It was the power of the Spirit, His breath, that put the world into motion and sustains life today.
This means our breath is a reminder for us that the Holy Spirit dwells in each of us, and that we are never alone.
We can use breath prayers to start or end our day, as we’re walking through the hallways, when we are feeling stressed, or when we sit down to read our Bibles and pray. They are simple yet powerful, and we can carry them with us wherever we go.
Grace and peace,
Jenny
Prayer for Today – August 26
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 26, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved
and will come in and go our freely and find pasture. John 10:9
O Keeper of the Keys, in the dampness of morning, there comes a certain clarity of thought that eludes us during the cluttered day. Here as the fog lifts we can see how far we’ve come by your grace, and just how many times you have opened doors for us to pass through. Along the passageways of rejection, despondency, anxiety, and grief you have unlocked doors of hope for us, revealing newness on the other side. We travel another corridor of confusion in the present time, as that is the way life is in this realm; but even now, if we are very still, we can hear your latchkey turning in the lock on the door of fear. We wait with patience, knowing we will find freedom on the other side.
Gracious God, hear our prayer.
Divine Gateway, we have seen time and again how you point the way to the portal of forgiveness. You do not keep score of our sins, nor record our pock-marked past; but our confessions sweep the threshold clean, that we may step through your doorway unencumbered to newness beyond. Grant us truth and boldness as we recall and name the ways in which we have not helped, and have even harmed, our brothers and sister in Christ . . . . . . . Relegate these scrapped thoughts and deeds, we pray, to the dustbin of worthlessness, never again to be brought to light. And leaving all these remnants behind, clothe us in grace as we take up your banner of hope and walk on.
Gracious God, hear our prayer.
Enduring Entryway, as we remember your everlasting mercy in our own lives, we lift up all your people who are caught up in disaster, disturbance, and disease. Continue to strengthen the people of Iowa as they recover from tornado-like storms that have affected millions; watch over those in the path of Hurricane Laura on our southern coasts; assist those who have fled the wildfires in Colorado and California, watching in horror as their homes and businesses are destroyed; diffuse the anger and bitterness that has infected our major cities; send your comfort and healing to the suffering millions in Spain, Italy, England, and Iran — each pommeled by the virus, job losses, and hunger. To these we add these personal concerns (and also the joys) of members of our church family:
You receive our prayers, Lord, spoken or unspoken, clumsy or eloquent, vague or explicit; for yours is a piercing love which knows what we need and what we desire long before we can frame the words.
Gracious God, hear our prayer.
And although we remain distanced, we are close together in the heart of God, and we now join our voices in the chorus of all who serve you, praying the ancient prayer 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.
Have a Prayer Request?
Submit your prayer request confidentially by clicking here.
Prayer for Today – August 25
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 25, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O One Who Calls, we heard Jesus say, “Take up your cross and follow me.” These are not words we particularly want to hear, and we wonder just what our own particular cross might be. Could it be enduring the thankless job we do every day, tolerating the grumpy co-worker, or putting up with the annoying relative who repeats the same story at every gathering? In our self-pity, are we reducing the gravity of Jesus’ command? When Jesus told the crowds “Take up your cross,” we remember how many troubled followers turned away. Perhaps they understood the true cost of discipleship far better than we. Will we continue to speak for Christ when all other voices have gone silent? Are we really ready to be twisted and broken, bent and bleeding upon a cross? God willing, should such times come, may our answer be a resounding “Yes!”
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Empowering One, has the world ever been this convoluted, we ask? Has evil always been this pervasive? Have divisions ever been more bitter? Our earth seems to groan with the heaviness it carries. Bear us up on angel wings today, we pray, that we might lightly touch others who are most in danger of sinking into the bog. Help us drop your gentle seeds of hope, for sometimes a mere whiff of your glory is all one needs to awaken to life afresh, to resist the downward tug of darkness, to spring to freedom.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Heart of Hope, strew your seeds of hope on each one we carry in our hearts this day, for we believe in your power to change us, to make our relationships new, to save us from despair, to give us courage and strength. You meet us where we are, knowing we are of fragile frame. Forgive us for repeating our prayers for help, but we ask us to be patient in our waiting, and we try to be. Hear first our most recent thanksgivings, those benevolences you have brought our way:
O Lord, you live in that kingdom of kindness, a world where love rules over all, a world where enemies embrace, where distinctions between friend and foe evaporate in the light of your mercy. Through Christ, we have a vision of what your home is like, and somewhere in this day, may we glimpse a bit of that kingdom on this earth. And rejoicing in that hope, we offer the prayer of Jesus who taught us about that place where our will and your will are the same:
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 – August 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Prayers for the Church Street Family
August 24, 2020
Rev. Dr. Jan Buxton Wade
O Beauty of Holiness, we are a tense people, eagerly answering the world’s cry for productivity. But you stop us in our tracks with the startling beauty you have sown around us. Lead us to touch the grass today, to treasure its sacred scent of greenness, to bless the dewdrop seeping into the hydrangea leaf, to praise the crimson geranium, to cherish the bowing leaves, chilled by the breeze. Your creation breathes a silent re-creation within us whenever we give it a chance. Make us new this day, make us holy.
Hear us Lord, for we trust in you.
God of All Kindness, because you gave us your only Son to share your love and to become our example, we know that you value us more deeply than we can comprehend. Therefore, we bow the knee of our hearts to ask anew for your deliverance of our nation. We are battling a fierce virus, bracing for elections, endeavoring to carry on our work, attempting to educate our children, and seeking ways to protect the older and most vulnerable among us. There are surely harsher challenges washing upon other shores, but we are grasping the frayed ends before us, wondering if our stamina will hold. Keep our hands and hearts steady, we pray, for we believe in your own time you will bind all things together for our good.
Hear us Lord, for we trust in you.
O One Who Travels With Us, we walk your road of mercy, knowing that you will lead us past fear to find hope, past loneliness to find companionship, past anger to find resolution, past suspicion to find trust. In that knowledge, we turn our thanksgivings over to your joy, our concerns over to your mercy, knowing you will keep our feet firm along the way:
Loving God, thank you for the way you give us hope and courage beyond ourselves.
Hear us Lord, for we trust in you.
Gather up our prayers for our own church today, and for the church universal. And though we are separated, we remain one single body, united in spirit and in purpose, offering the words Jesus taught his first disciples:
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.
Join us for a Midday Devotion!
CSUMC member and writer, teacher and storyteller Laura Still shares a midday devotion with us at noon today on our Facebook page. Click here!
Just Be Still …
YouthIt’s Tuesday – in my opinion, the most challenging day of the week. There is nothing wrong with Tuesdays at all. But they often leave me feeling overwhelmed. It’s still early in the week, so the weekend feels far away. And to-do lists often seem impossibly long. But rather than allowing the stress of a Tuesday to win out, I’m learning – slowly, but surely – of the power of silence and stillness.
So, today we reflect on ways to just be still.
I have two resources to share with you today, instead of one. Both are apps.
The first is called the Centering Prayer app. I use this every day as part of my quiet time routine, but it can also be used as a stand alone practice or visited more than once a day. The thing I have really loved about this app is that is provides customizable structure and makes space for silence and stillness. When you open the app, you can adjust it to your needs by choosing prayers, scriptures, sounds, and the length of your stillness (anywhere from 1-99 minutes!). It is based on the teachings of Thomas Keating and has been SUCH a gift to me.
Centering Prayer app
The second is called the Pause app. Jordan uses this app to provide him with a way to pray and reset – especially if anxiety is trying to take hold. This app was developed by author John Eldredge and his team as a way to cultivate a culture of stillness in their lives and in their workplace. This is another customizable option, but is very straightforward. It offers simple statement prayers, quiet pauses, and beautiful images to help calm our weary spirits.
Pause app
It is easy to jump back onto the hamster wheel as school ramps us – regardless of the way you and your family are learning this year. The hope we have in Christ reminds us that we don’t walk through challenges alone. Stillness reminds us of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, and provides a space to lay our fears and our worries at the feet of Jesus.
As you might know, Moses is one of my favorite people in the Bible. His story is so remarkable, and he, in so many ways, was so ordinary. He was flawed and made mistakes, but his faith was big (at least most of the time). And God used him in mighty ways.
After the first Passover, Moses leads the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. All seems to be going well until they get to the Red Sea. The Israelites start to fear and complain as Pharaoh and his army approach – they even wish they had stayed slaves and never left Egypt. But Moses says in Exodus 14:14 –
That is a beautiful reminder to me in this season of life. God is for us. He will fight on our behalf. He only asks us to be still.
Whether you use these apps in the morning or at night, while you brush your teeth or walk down the halls, there is an opportunity for us to weave stillness into the fabric of our everyday lives. And I hope it is a gift to you the way it has been for me.
Grace and peace,
Jenny