BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Daily Prayers of the Church Street family

June 24, 2020

Pastor Jan

 

O Generous One, this day we lift our eyes to the heavens and offer our praise. As scripture tells us, you cause the rain to fall on the just and the unjust alike. So too you offer freely your drifting, translucent clouds, your shimmering rays of sunlight, your bracing breezes. You are a spendthrift God who lavishes goodness without restraint. Teach us, your people, to be as excessive in our own distribution of blessings. May we offer grace to the just and the unjust, to those whose beliefs and politics offend us, to those whose appearance and habits we find improper. You are leading each of us homeward, so let us be gracious to those who are traveling in the same direction, if only by another road.

God our helper, hear our prayer.

Sometimes throughout the day we become lulled by the routine and move slow-footed through the hours. Give us wake-up calls along the way, O God, else we will remain unaware of the secret ways you are at work around us. Call our attention to the mystery of an encounter, the blessing of a moment, the whiff of your presence. Your most precious gifts are often hidden in the mundane, so keep us awake, we pray, lest we miss your quiet glory.

God our helper, hear our prayer.

We open our hearts, that our compassion might mirror your own. We lift up those who wait: for the medical test results, for the divorce decree, for the loneliness to end, for the new job, for the illness to pass, for death to draw near. Watch over all of us who wait in hope, O Lord, and also over these church friends who ask to be remembered:

• Grateful for prayers: member received grade A to finish her graduate work
• Prayers appreciated – member’s colon lab tests were clear
• Ill member is grateful for all prayers for his recovery
• Gratitude: the life and example of a cherished brother who died last week
• Thanksgiving for prayers: a brother’s heart tests called for no surgery
• Families who are mourning great losses; members hospitalized
• Prayers that a niece may fly home safely from Kosovo today
• Healing for dear friend newly diagnosed with stage 4 cancer
• Those working to secure able caretakers of Sterchi Lodge to help carry out the ministries of the church
• Peace and clarity for one whose medical tests are explained today
• Courage and success for a young adult moving away for employment
• Peace to surround a member having knee surgery on the 24^th
• A son and daughter-in-law moving cross country, for traveling mercies
• Member asks for strength to help her mother move to TX

Eternal Guide, we ask for your forgiveness of our sins, particularly these private offenses . . . ; and also we confess our collective sins of rampant greed, exploitation of the poor, careless use of your creation. Turn our minds toward the reality of our actions, and turn our hearts to the truth 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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BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Daily Prayers of the Church Street family

June 22, 2020

Pastor Jan

 

O God of Compassion, open wide the doors of our hearts that we might receive the wounded souls who pass quietly by. We see them so near our threshold, but we rarely invite them in to see how they are feeling, what pains they might be carrying. Perhaps we fear that if we look straight into their eyes, we will recognize our own fear of being as wounded and vulnerable as they. It is not easy to follow your open-door policy, Lord, but give us courage to unlatch the deadbolt and see what meaningful encounters might come to pass.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

We are at it again, O Patient One. Morning arrives and we reach for that dreaded list of duties. It’s a pattern we fell into so long ago that we hardly remember a day when our notepad was blank. So many projects clamor for our attention that we become unfocused. At least, help us to attend to one task at a time, attempting to live in the present moment. This moment is all we are promised, but we readily destroy it by dwelling on the past and the future. You were with us in our yesterdays, you breathe within us in the present, and you will remain with us in whatever tomorrows we may have; so give us grace to embrace what we have right here, right now.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Reviver of Souls, we bow before you today, bringing our praises for your willingness to enter our lives as our Companion and Keeper. For the riches you bring us each day our hearts fill with gratitude. If we have overlooked any favor you bestowed, receive them now as we reflect upon your benevolence . . .  And receive also, Good Lord, these celebrations and concerns that fill the hearts of your people at Church Street:

• A couple celebrates their recent purchase of their first home
• Young man is thankful he has completed his first college year with honors
• Gratitude: a professional who has received an honor for her leadership
• Thankful for fathers & father figures, for their love and support
• A happy couple celebrate their marriage
• Wisdom and strength for husband in caring for his wife with memory loss
• Guidance for pastors throughout our conference: those who are moving & all those who are anxious about reopening their churches for worship
• Guidance for our new pastors and families: Catherine Nance & Tim Best
• Continued healing mercies for one recovering from cancer surgery
• Healing mercies for dear friend in pain & her sister, victim of a stroke
• Calming of a wife’s anxiety about her husband’s health
• Courage for father-in-law in hospice care at home in Florida & his family
• For a job opening for a husband, depressed by lack of work
• Beloved brother facing critical heart tests tomorrow, courage for his family
• Grace & courage for one facing another surgery & another round of chemo
• Easing of worry for undergoing medical tests tomorrow
• Courage for one in lengthy recovery & his family offering support

The old hymn states so simply, “What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer.” Grant that we might never treat that favor lightly, O Listening Ear, for we know your concern for us is what keeps us from falling.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In the infinite and redeeming power of Christ we make our prayer this day:

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?

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BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Daily Prayers of the Church Street family

June 18, 2020

Pastor Jan

 

God of Knowing, you have plans for us, plans for a future filled with hope. Our path is often uncertain, for we see only through the eyes of this earthly realm. Yet through your eyes of eternal love, you envision a clear road and a place where prosperity and peace can abide together. Show us how to become part of your overarching vision; and even in our doubt and uncertainty, lead us to that place of clarity.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

O God Ever at Work, sometimes we think we in the church must do all your work alone. Your people come to us needing comfort and solace, but we place them on committees with spaces to fill. We crowd our calendars with meetings, making certain we are well-organized and efficient. We keep a frenzied pace, making sure the church functions as a well-oiled machine. Forgive us for our feelings of self-importance and believing we must save the whole world ourselves. You have many flocks laboring in your name, O Holy One, so slow us down. Grant that we might simply rest, breathe in your grace and breath out your love. For you alone are in the saving business.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Quiet Friend, we have been told many times that idleness is the work of the devil. How odd Jesus would have found this teaching. This One weaned on the scriptures would have remembered his Father’s command through the psalmist: Be still and know that I am God. Only when we quiet the soul and push aside the noisy inner clutter do we make room for the Holy.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

And now, from the depths of our hearts, we lift up these pleas and these praises that are offered today by our church family:

• A family is thankful that they will have a week of well-earned vacation
• Faithful member celebrated a joyful 91^st birthday
• Gratitude for the ministry of Rev. Chuck Starks
• Member offers thanks for the clergy team for support of the church family
• Healing & protection for a son in Austin having heart surgery today, calming his own anxiety and his mother’s
• Peace, clarity, patience, understanding & healing for all feeling overwhelmed & uncertain in this extraordinary time
• Courage for a friend & his wife – his brain cancer is beyond treatment
• Husband having medical tests today, that treatment may be possible
• Healing mercies for dear friend with cancer diagnosis
• Prayers for a dear brother with a serious heart condition & for his family
• Calming anxiety as one completes her work assignment in a PA lab
• Continued healing & patience for an ill member recovering at home
• Grace & guidance for a cancer victim facing surgery soon

We have received mercy and you have noted all our cares in your book of remembrance. Thank you for working on our behalf.

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

In your grace, may we go into this day lifting up praise to you, O Lord, for you entrust us to bless your good earth, to proclaim your name, and to offer our petitions 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. 

 

Have a prayer request?

Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.

Join us for a Noon Devotion!

Church Street lay leader Steve Richardson leads us in our midday devotion today. Click here to join us at noon.

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Daily Prayers of the Church Street family

June 16, 2020

Pastor Jan

 

The old preacher tells us there is a season for everything under the sun. Yes, that is true; and yes, this is a season for weeping. Our tears flow freely as we consider what we have lost in our nation. We are far more fragile than we assumed. We will never forget windows crashing in the night, sirens screaming, rushing crowds chanting retribution, looters taking advantage of the chaos. All point to the bitter unrest within our souls. Forgive us, Good Lord, for the part we have played in this pent-up frustration. If all the tears of the grieving were collected, there would be more than enough to drench the earth.

Father in heaven, hear us.    

O Good Shepherd, your sheep have all scattered and have gone their own way. Some huddle in little groups trying to map out a way to get back to the fold. Others plot a different course entirely. Still others are too weary to travel, and some carry only vague memories of home, having even forgotten who they are. Give us courage and wisdom, we pray, to find the highway of hope that leads to your door. And once we step upon it, even the weakest among us will hear your voice calling. Then we will remember we belong to your holy flock, and you will not rest until each is accounted for.

Father in heaven, lead us home.    

Eternal One, this day we remember the mercy your Son showed to those who existed among the unrelenting shadows in your day – the ones in pain of one sort or another. We, as they, want instant healing from all that ails us, but sometimes we have to live through the pain in order to find your grace as we endure. And on the other side, you are there to celebrate with us. Still, as Jesus asked, we lay our present cares and burdens before you, knowing we are not forgotten:

• Two college graduates celebrate their new jobs
• Thankful for prayers – signs of healing appearing within a family
• Thank you for prayers – dear friend’s malignancy seems to be improving
• Gratitude for prayers: a head wound is healing appropriately
• Easing of a member’s side effects from cancer treatments
• Three struggling with depression, please pray for healing
• Calming grace for a mother undergoing important medical tests soon
• Courage for a sister in San Antonio having surgery today, that all may go well
• Continued healing & patience for an ill member recovering at home
• Guidance for a professional, making decisions about future employment
• Prayers for our incoming pastors: Rev. Catherine Nance & Rev. Tim Best
• A couple searching for a one-level home & the husband with heart issues
• Prayers that a home remodel will be completed soon, patience for owners
• A family struggling to make it financially
• Two friends who are mourning the deaths of mothers & grandmother

Father in heaven, heal us.

Where would we be, O Greatest Friend, if you were not with us? For you are our Everlasting Hope, always receiving our prayers and praise, and always remolding our souls to more closely resemble the flawless soul of your treasured Son, 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 request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.

BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE

Daily Prayers of the Church Street family

June 12, 2020

Pastor Jan

 

O Taproot of our Being, sink our roots deep and deeper still in the nourishing soil of your strength. We are like saplings, buried in shallow ground, and we sway in every direction when the smallest wind of unease blows through. We regret our weakness and pray you would give us a firmer foothold for our lives in this era. May our fragile roots move closer, merging with your indestructible one, that our faith might become as stable and secure as a might oak.

Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.    

We would be trees, as those planted by flowing streams, bringing fruit in due season, having leaves that do not wither. May we be as those who offer the gift of greenness to others whose lives are somber gray. May we bring life to those whose hopes are ebbing away and may we become shade for those who have no roof of protection. Not of our own power will such things come to pass, O Loving God, but through your grace alone.

Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.    

Arbor of Peace, may we weary ones find rest and renewal under your beautiful branches of healing. There is room enough in that glade for those of us who are ill, defeated, lonely, tired, and worn. Watch over us there until we have recovered from the wounds of the world. And especially we lift up these church friends who offer their own burdens and thanksgivings to you:

• Gratitude: a father is improving, now moved from ICU to a regular room
• Thank you for prayers – procedure for one with brain cancer was a success
• Family offers praises for the love and joy brought by their first grandchild
• Gratitude: all who continue to work to protect us during this Covid-19 era
• Prayers for our incoming pastors: Rev. Catherine Nance & Rev. Tim Best
• A couple searching for a one-level home and the husband with heart issues
• Continued prayers for a member adjusting to her new home in assisted living
• Prayers that a home remodel will be completed soon, patience for owners
• Courage and healing of a mother with leukemia and prayers for her family
• A mother with memory problems; patience for daughter who cares for her
• Correct diagnosis & treatment plan for a member having extensive breathing tests in Colorado and prayers for her husband who stands by

Your very nearness brings the reassurance for which we thirst.

Hear us Lord, for your mercy is great.    

Tree of Life, we thank you for listening and for accepting our prayers and reflections today. Remind us, as we go through the hours ahead, that only by your grace do we have life; and help us live as those who are rooted in 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. 

 

Have a prayer request?

Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.