BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 10, 2020
Pastor Jan
Mothering God, we are each created in the womb of your love and you have nurtured us to this day. Many were raised in loving households, as you intended, though others of us spent our early lives in homes where bitterness, resentment, and neglect prevailed. Nevertheless, you were with us even then, and in your own way, you used deprivation for our good. As a mother comforts her child, so have you comforted and cared for us throughout the years. And as we pray for mothers everywhere, we also offer gratitude for those women and men who became parents to us at one point or another. Above all, we are grateful that we are treasured members of your very own family, and that you are always waiting at the gate until we arrive safely home.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty One, in the mystery of tragedy and disaster, we always look to you for an explanation to satisfy our minds and hearts. This prevailing pandemic is no different. Why? is our daily question and it surely reverberates through the heavens. Our grief runs deep, not just for ourselves, but for all whose wounds are too deep to comprehend: the ill and dying, the bereaved and frightened, the depressed and lonely, those anxious for medical results, those who worry about their safety and the safety of loved ones. We entrust all these burdens to your grace. And perhaps the answer to our nagging question is that there is no burden we face that Christ himself did not also endure.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Loyal Parent, you recognize our voices whenever we call in the night. Soothe our brow with your hand of love and listen as we whisper the secrets of our hearts . . .
May we open our souls to your grace and be born again through your mercy:
- Gratitude for a son who recently graduated from law school, blessings as he now studies for the bar exam
- Thankful: a dear friend (86) has had successful heart surgery and is now home
- Gratitude: celebrating a family business that is doing well, despite the virus threat
- Pray for a young daughter who awaits test results for Covid-19
- A mother with a few months to live, courage for her family who cannot visit
- That a vaccine for Covid-19 may be discovered & made available soon, that we all might gather again for worship and song
- Lift up a bereaved family, whose adored mother died yesterday
- Pray for a faithful servant with angina; wisdom for physicians in his treatment
- Healing of a father whose emotional issues have resurfaced
- A longtime member who is fighting depression, for her strength and healing
- Cherished mother who suffers from cancer, for relief of pain and healing
- Pray for strength and endurance for a daughter, primary caregiver for her father
- Two women awaiting results of recent medical tests
- Restoration of a member who has long suffered from debilitating back pain
Show us, O Lord, those situations where we might join with you in bringing healing comfort to these brothers and sisters; for whatever effort we make, you will perfect it and bring forth a blessing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
This Sabbath day, you desire that we create within us a quiet place in which we may set aside our tensions — a place where we recall that our salvation comes in returning and rest. Hold us there, in your peaceful womb of grace, where we hear only the reassuring heartbeat of your Loving Son, who taught us to pray:
Our father who are 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 Worship today!
Head over to our YouTube page at 10 am this morning (or anytime after) for our Sunday morning virtual worship service.
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 – May 10
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 10, 2020
Pastor Jan
Mothering God, we are each created in the womb of your love and you have nurtured us to this day. Many were raised in loving households, as you intended, though others of us spent our early lives in homes where bitterness, resentment, and neglect prevailed. Nevertheless, you were with us even then, and in your own way, you used deprivation for our good. As a mother comforts her child, so have you comforted and cared for us throughout the years. And as we pray for mothers everywhere, we also offer gratitude for those women and men who became parents to us at one point or another. Above all, we are grateful that we are treasured members of your very own family, and that you are always waiting at the gate until we arrive safely home.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty One, in the mystery of tragedy and disaster, we always look to you for an explanation to satisfy our minds and hearts. This prevailing pandemic is no different. Why? is our daily question and it surely reverberates through the heavens. Our grief runs deep, not just for ourselves, but for all whose wounds are too deep to comprehend: the ill and dying, the bereaved and frightened, the depressed and lonely, those anxious for medical results, those who worry about their safety and the safety of loved ones. We entrust all these burdens to your grace. And perhaps the answer to our nagging question is that there is no burden we face that Christ himself did not also endure.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Loyal Parent, you recognize our voices whenever we call in the night. Soothe our brow with your hand of love and listen as we whisper the secrets of our hearts . . .
May we open our souls to your grace and be born again through your mercy:
Show us, O Lord, those situations where we might join with you in bringing healing comfort to these brothers and sisters; for whatever effort we make, you will perfect it and bring forth a blessing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
This Sabbath day, you desire that we create within us a quiet place in which we may set aside our tensions — a place where we recall that our salvation comes in returning and rest. Hold us there, in your peaceful womb of grace, where we hear only the reassuring heartbeat of your Loving Son, who taught us to pray:
Our father who are 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 Worship today!
Head over to our YouTube page at 10 am this morning (or anytime after) for our Sunday morning virtual worship service.
Prayer for Today – May 9
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 9, 2020
Pastor Jan
We confess, Listening Lord, that we are happy existing within the spiritual walls we have constructed around ourselves. We are content with our own culture, our politics, our narrow views. None of these do we want to see splintered apart; yet these are the very things that hold us back from breaking into your new creation. In your own patient way, continue to chip away at the rigid surfaces of our souls until the marred remnants are all removed.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For in all honesty, All-Sufficient One, you don’t need our money or our good works. You aren’t impressed by our biblical knowledge or the fragments of our faith. The frightening truth is that you want not just pieces of us, but ALL of us. Capture the imagination of our hearts, we pray, that we might glimpse what life would be like if we surrendered all that we are, our whole selves, to you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Great Potter, take those splintered beings that we are and re-mold us into worthy vessels, according to your will. Once reclaimed and re-shaped, we will be ready for the time when you take us off the shelf, fill us to the brim with your grace, and use us to pour out blessings and healing to others who are broken in one way or another.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
For your abundant love, we are thankful. And we know you hear the sighs of each one who is perplexed, fearful, lonely, shattered or ill. Guide them to your place of wholeness, we pray, and also receive these specific prayers offered by our church family:
Help us to see that faith never comes in a form of human devising – it comes on your own terms. It is grace that leads us to faith and faith that will lead us in the end to the Potter’s House, your own heavenly home, where all is made new:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 8
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 8, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Fortress of Hope, throughout these unanticipated weeks of fear and unease, we have bid farewell to so many things: to normalcy in the home and workplace, the regularity of salary, freedom of movement, the human touch, and the penetrating loss of life. We barely absorb a loved one’s death before another cherished soul is also taken from us. We daily wonder why we ourselves are still standing. The answer lies only in your mysterious Beyond. Attend, we pray, to these open wounds created by our almost unbearable losses. Grant us peace and healing, until the time we too will pass through the veil. Once there, your purposes will mingle you’re your holy wisdom and will be made plain.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Great Silence, in spite of our losses, your love threads itself through our days. Forgive us, we pray, when we linger too long in the valley of distress, for you are already creating a better and brighter way. You work within the prayers of others to lift us up in our melancholy moments. There are cards received that remind us we have not been forgotten after all. Empathic friends offer a listening ear, when we know they have more important things to do. And we catch sight of giant bird wings sweeping down to touch the grass, then soaring upward to the portals of heaven.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
You call us to be Easter people, so this day may we live as those who trust in resurrection, despite the challenges we face. And in your goodness, receive all the prayers which come from our hearts, and also these particular ones offered by our brothers and sisters at Church Street:
In whatever form your grace comes to us, may it be sufficient.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
No matter how our days unfold, whether with strife or with peace, may we continue to work for the kingdom; for you have told us, Faithful One, that we do not labor in vain:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 7
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 7, 2020
Pastor Jan
Someone once said that our God is older than eternity, yet younger than our next breath. He remains unknowable, but he knows us each by name. Such a nature is beyond our comprehension, even though we have been drawn to this Holy Mystery from our earliest days. How astonishing to know that, through the life of Jesus, the nature of God is to love the unlovable, to touch the untouchable, to forgive the unforgivable, and to bestow worth upon the unworthy. We cannot grasp such benevolence, but only bow in awe.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We sometimes shudder, O Summoning One, when we consider your claim on our lives. We have answered your urging and we have promised to be true to our calling; but deep down we know our good intentions will always fall short. We long for a fuller faith but it seems an impossible dream. The apostle, however, reminds us that we always live in the shadow of your grace, and that through Christ, all things are indeed possible.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Accept our praise this day, O Lord, for all the ways in which you have blessed us . . .
And also show pardon for the ways we have erred in recent days . . .
Remove all that holds us back from becoming the disciples you desire, we pray. And may your tender care be felt in each of these situations lifted up by your family at Church Street:
Stay with us always, O Lord, especially when the dark hours come, for even the smallest glimmer of your light gives us strength to hold on.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Our souls are intertwined with yours, O God, for you created us, called us to your purpose, forgave us, and counted us as worthy disciples, ever ready to offer the prayer which Jesus taught us:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 6
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 6, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Divine Guest, come dine with us today. We need not set a place for you, however, as you are already dwelling in each receptive soul. From your seat of honor, you show us how to remain appreciative of what is placed before us; and that there is always enough nourishment to feed not only ourselves, but whatever hungry stranger desires to share our meal. Open the chapels of our hearts to serve those who are underfed in body and also those starved in spirit.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Divine Providence, quiet those fears that float just below the surface. There are surely more piercing concerns and deeper wounds that others bear, yet our familiar pangs of insecurity and self-doubt linger in the background, ready to strike when we least expect it. You know how our weakness overcomes us at times, which is why you ask us to bring our unease to you. So be at work, we pray, in our lesser selves, that we might become stronger through our faith in you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Our brothers and sisters at Church Street also deal with their own challenges. Believing that you are always near in times of trouble, receive their prayers; and also hear their thanksgivings – testaments that you are always working on our behalf:
Deal kindly with each involved in these circumstances, Lord of Healing, for we hold onto your vow to be with us until Time is no more.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With amazing grace, you bless our lives and enter our hearts. May all that we say and do this day, O Holy One, offer reassurance that we are a people striving to follow the teachings of our Beloved Savior, who taught us to pray:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 5
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 5, 2020
Pastor Jan
Eternal One, our joy lies in knowing that you send us signs of your love in a multitude of ways. Today, sharpen our senses, we pray, that we might feel your silent presence pervading every step we take. And along the way, may our gratitude spill over to those who walk by, that they, too, might recognize your bountiful love.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Rock of Ages, may we not place our trust in passing trends nor in the false idols of wealth and fame. Worldly glory is tenuous. We know this, but we confess that envy does color our behavior from time to time. We see what others possess and note the freedom their affluence offers them. Teach us how to be content with what we have, aware that prestige and prosperity bring troubles of their own. In the end, all these are rendered useless. Instead, may we cling to our Cornerstone, who ensures that all our needs shall be met.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gentle Companion, we do try to live blamelessly, but we admit that we have spoken harsh words, have held grudges, have been prideful in our actions, and we have not always spoken the truth. We repent of these trends this day, and seek your forgiveness. Clear away these impure fragments of faithlessness, we pray, and give us another clean start this very day.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
And as you encourage us to share our deepest selves with you, we place these needs and gratitudes before you, knowing you are never too busy to listen to even the faintest voice seeking your ear:
Watch over us now and in all our days to come, until we meet you face to face, joining with all your saints who dwell with you. And together we shall join the host of heaven in praying the words Jesus taught:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 4
prayer for today, UncategorizedBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 4, 2020
Pastor Jan
As our Welcoming Christ opens his arms to us from our altar, we know your arms also remain outstretched to us, Faithful One – ready to receive us, to embrace us, and to offer your unfailing love and care, each of which is beyond our understanding. Your graces are not earned, but are provided, as it gives you sheer joy to offer them. No return gifts are expected – only hearts beating our thanks.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Author of Time and Healer of the Earth, we look to you this day and all days, for each brings its own hurts, blessings, and challenges. Help us to savor the earth robed in splendor and the hope hovering over us. Each surrounds us this season and tell us how blessed is your creation.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In a culture which treasures activity and production, you offer a simpler path: the road that encourages us to simply BE. May we heed your call to slow down and rest, to welcome your peace that comes as softly as rose petals falling to earth. Soothe the worries of all who are in pain, we pray, those who have suffered loss, those who are confused. And especially cover with your mercy our church family, and these brothers and sisters who seek your guidance, peace and renewal:
Take all our prayers and gratitudes and mold them to fit the shape of your boundless mercy, we pray. And help us, O Welcoming One, to rise with confidence, searching for the face of Jesus in each one whom we encounter; for it is in his holy name we offer this prayer:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 3
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 3, 2020
Pastor Jan
“All we like sheep have gone astray,” attests the ancient prophet. As it was an apt description in his era, so does his assertion ring true in our own century. How closely we resemble the easily-rattled sheep. At the first sign of trouble, we waver, become confused, and feel our knees wobble. Often we wander aimlessly ahead, unmindful of the pitfalls that may exist. And when danger meets us on that lonely trail, we cry out for the Master to spring to our rescue. We know he is ever listening and his searching will not cease until we are returned to the fold, safe in his care. What wondrous love is this – so undeserved, yet freely bestowed?
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
This Sabbath, we celebrate that Good Shepherd who was wounded for our sakes, yet rose in splendor and majesty to become the Gate through which all must enter to receive his gift of eternal life. “Come,” he says, “take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden light.” He leads us beside sparkling streams, refreshes us with rest in his green fields, and restores our souls which we thought were lost forever.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Cleanse our thoughts and our intentions in this hour, we pray, as you are working to redeem us day by day. We know we will err again before nightfall, but in these moments, wash us with your purest water of grace; then we shall be fit to live in your wide pastures. And receive now these prayers and pleas offered by your flock, our brothers and sisters of Church Street:
This small effort of prayer we offer this day, knowing that our mere words break apart when we consider the depth of the Good Shepherd’s love; yet it is in his house of mercy we hope to dwell forever and ever:
Our father who are 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 Church Street for Worship today!
Click here for the direct link to our Sunday morning worship online, premiering at 10 am and available any time after that.
Prayer for Today – May 2
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 2, 2020
Pastor Jan
You know we aren’t very good at waiting, but are comforted to feel you are waiting with us, O Patient One. We’ve become accustomed to our microwave, the remote control, instant messaging, the prompt reply. They have their place, of course, but you ask us that we are to live in the moment — neither obsessing about the past nor fast-forwarding to tomorrow. We know you live in kairos time, and a thousand years in your sight are a mere day to you; yet our linear human thinking makes it hard to be content with only the present awareness. We are a people pledged to live more closely with you, however, so show us how to use our moments wisely. And perhaps we will discover what a valuable treasure you offer, second by second.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Although we are often slow learners in our Christian walk, Good Teacher, you send us vivid hints throughout our days. When we are sated with nourishing meals, we encounter those who have no food. While we have energy to exercise and have avoided the virus, we learn of vulnerable ones who waste away from malnutrition and disease. Just when we are contemplating the purchase of a new family car, we pass by the man sentenced to limping every mile on foot. We look at our bank balance, knowing we can count on the monthly deposit, but we are told there are millions who have lost everything in recent months. What would we really have, O Lord, if you did not give it? Ours is certainly a world of inequities, but daily the question haunts us: “Am I helping mitigate the situation, or am I perpetrating the disparity?”
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Thank you for giving us chance after chance to set things right, Dearest Friend. We trust that you never give up on us, and that you continue to welcome our prayers that come from our hearts, especially these we bring in this hour:
We are aware that these situations as already enveloped in your grace, Loving Lord. Work out your healing plan in whatever ways you deem best.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
As you understand our deep desire to be faithful, it is your love which helps us regain our footing each time we falter. Hear now these words taught us so long ago by that One who guides each soul seeking to follow:
Our father who are 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.
Prayer for Today – May 1
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
May 1, 2020
Pastor Jan
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. Help us to abandon our outworn ways of thinking. Grant that we might face the future with eager anticipation, not with cowering trepidation.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. Expand the horizons of our imagination, we pray, that we might awaken sleeping notions within ourselves, and instead dream of a new tomorrow. Who knows what is possible when we break down the barriers of fear?
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. You have traveled with us, giving us food and shelter throughout this long journey. Along the way you have been transforming us into people of the gospel, people who strive to love tenderly, act justly, and walk humbly with our God.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart. You notice our tangled needs at every turn, O One Who Neither Slumbers Nor Sleeps. You are the God who counts our tears and hears our sighs. Gaze now upon all your children who hold out their graces and their worries to your open hand:
As you have received all these petitions, accept also our most private prayers and concerns . . .
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart.
May it be said of us that we were carriers of your new vision – those who helped create a world where peace is ever laced with kindness and blessing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art;
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall;
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of All.
Amen.
Have a prayer request?
Submit your request confidentially online, and our prayer team will be in prayer with and for you.