We’ve discussed that this quarantine is a BRILLIANT time to start or reset a quiet time practice. While we don’t have our normal daily routines, we do have some extra time on our hands, and this would be a great way to utilize the gift of time. Marcy and I have compiled some of our favorite resources in this post!
When looking at a quiet time routine, these are some basic tools that you can mix and match to build something that fits you well. (This is not an exclusive list, but a good starting place.)
- prayer
- silence/meditation
- scripture reading
- journaling
- devotion/book reading
- worship songs
- reflection/gratitude
When starting a quiet time routine, choose 2-3 of these and give them a try. If you don’t know what to pray, choose a Psalm. And if you don’t know what scripture to read, start with a Gospel and read through it a chapter or so at a time.
There are lots of different resources available to help you with quiet time. Here are some helpful reminders.
- Daily resources – devotions or reading plans that are matched with a day of the calendar year (correspond with a specific date)
- Topical resources – devotions or reading plans that are grouped by themes or ideas (joy, anxiety, forgiveness, grace, etc)
- Print media – physical resources such as Bibles, books, or journals
- Digital media – apps, podcasts, records, websites, playlists, audiobooks, etc
Below, you’ll find descriptions and examples for some popular resources that could be helpful for you!
Devotions
Jesus Calling: This devotion by Sarah Young is a daily reading that offers a meditation, scripture reading, and a prayer. This is a great introductory resource and can provide you with structure and content while you develop a routine that works for you!
The Blue Book: The Blue Book by Jim Branch is a weekly devotional on different topics such as “Fear” “The Dance” “Waiting” and about 49 other topics. His devotions include an opening and closing prayer, a psalm for the week, a daily passage, and different quotes, poems, and stories from people who have learned about the lord in this certain topic. Then, there is a song to listen to for the week, prayer, and journaling listed. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to further their intimacy and awareness of the Lord.
Every Moment Holy: This is a modern liturgy for everyday life. There are blessings and prayers for almost anything you can think of: dating, medical procedures, morning coffee, social media, and feeling awkward in social groups. This is yet another resource to show God is with you in your everyday life, even in modern context.
The Book of Common Prayer: This is a similar, lofty, perhaps, resource to give liturgy to everyday life. There is liturgy for the season of Lent, the Daily Office (prayers for different times of ordinary days), and many common places and occasions. This book is a great day to show that even long ago, feelings and prayers relate to our feelings and prayers today for the Lord.
Apps
YouVersion Bible App: YouVersion is a super common bible app including the whole Bible, a daily verse, and many plans to give you a devotional daily as well as a daily Bible Reading. This offers tons of topical and daily plans that you can subscribe to. It also has a feature where you can link up with friends and go through plans together!
Through the Word: Through the word is Ramsey’s favorite online resource to learn about the historical context, themes, and general explanation of books of the bible. There are about six minute segments on passages of the bible, taking you through whole books of the bible. There are additionally plans on wisdom, leadership, beginning, and other themes of that sort.
Podcasts
The Bible Recap – A daily podcast that corresponds with a chronicle reading of the Bible on the YouVersion app. About 6-9 minutes per day that helps you understand the scripture you just read!
The Next Right Thing – A weekly podcast about decision making from a Biblical perspective. Did you know the average person makes over 35,000 decisions a day? BONKERS. This podcast helps us see the small things of life as holy.
BibleProject – A weekly podcast that dives deep into scripture and provides in-depth conversations about the Bible and theology. There are also videos available at bible project.com
Books
The Liturgy of the Ordinary: This is a book all about taking regular things like brushing your teeth or eating leftovers and changing your perspective to see them as sacred. A completely transformative and very practical look at our everyday lives!
The Ministry of Ordinary Places: This book by Shannon Martin gives an account of everyday finding the Lord in small, ordinary places like cracked gravel or the moon in the morning. It is transformative in the way that God can lead you in daily life through paying attention.
The Chronicles of Narnia: An incredible, fantastical book series about the magical land of Narnia. It’s an extended metaphor/allegory about Jesus’ love for us. The characters are interesting and the stories are compelling. And C.S. Lewis is Jenny’s favorite theologian, you’ll see why when you read this series.
Mere Christianity: This C.S. Lewis classic is a compilation of essays that were pulled from his incredible WWII radio broadcasts and turned into one of the world’s most influential books on becoming a Christian. It is a bit dense and will require you to chew on the text – so it might take you a long time to get through it. But it is so worth it!
The Jesus Storybook Bible: This is actually a children’s Bible, but is designed to tell the stories of scripture like, well, stories. It almost reads the way fairy tales do. It might seem strange to have a kids book on the list, but reading familiar stories in this way will change the way you look at scripture!
Authors to Consider
- C.S. Lewis
- Henri Nouwen
- Frederick Buechner
- Emily P. Freeman
- Annie F. Downs
- A.W. Tozer
Do you have questions or other resources you’d like to add to the list? Email Jenny at jcross@churchstreetumc.org!
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 – April 1
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 1, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Attentive Friend, we confess we are prone to set ourselves at the center of the universe. Perhaps it is our human nature that causes us to consider our own desires before the dreams of our neighbors. But the truth is that your love calls us to expand the narrow confines of our individual concerns. Your love whispers the truth: that we have received grace upon grace throughout our lives; and all that we have results from your goodness or the generosity of others. May your Spirit work within us, particularly during this time of universal struggle, to deepen our compassion, to pray for the unlovable, to offer gifts, even to the ungrateful, without counting the cost.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Divine Parent, there are many among us whose hearts are unsettled, who bear pain of body, mind and spirit. So breathe your healing breath, we pray, upon those who need it most. Especially touch those whose names we now whisper in the silence of these moments . . .
And also attend to these requests written upon the hearts of our church members:
May each one know that he or she has not been forgotten and that your mercy and grace flow out in ways beyond our understanding.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We boldly place all these, our earnest prayers, before you, for we follow the One who taught us to pray without ceasing:
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.
Prayer for Today – March 31
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 31, 2020
Pastor Jan
O God Most Holy, deep within us is the very real desire to be in your holy presence this day. Accept us as we are, O Lord, for with our gratitude for your benevolence, we also bring with us our frailties and our faults. But still we come, for you have asked us to be faithful in bearing one another’s burdens, and in dreaming one another’s dreams.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Shining Light of Our Salvation, you are the stronghold of our life; therefore what shall we fear? In truth, we remain uneasy about many things. May those who are ill or frightened somehow know your hand rests upon their brows. May those in sorrow remember your tears mingle with their own. May those who feel lonely open your door of welcome. May those who are impoverished receive a generous sharing of what we ourselves possess.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
And also bend your ear to receive these earnest prayers of our church body:
As you are the Source of Life, we know you hear us and you will save us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Receive our ardent prayers this day, O Holy One, as your grace is our hope, your love is our joy, your will is our most sacred desire:
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.
Quiet Time Resources
YouthWe’ve discussed that this quarantine is a BRILLIANT time to start or reset a quiet time practice. While we don’t have our normal daily routines, we do have some extra time on our hands, and this would be a great way to utilize the gift of time. Marcy and I have compiled some of our favorite resources in this post!
When looking at a quiet time routine, these are some basic tools that you can mix and match to build something that fits you well. (This is not an exclusive list, but a good starting place.)
When starting a quiet time routine, choose 2-3 of these and give them a try. If you don’t know what to pray, choose a Psalm. And if you don’t know what scripture to read, start with a Gospel and read through it a chapter or so at a time.
There are lots of different resources available to help you with quiet time. Here are some helpful reminders.
Below, you’ll find descriptions and examples for some popular resources that could be helpful for you!
Devotions
Jesus Calling: This devotion by Sarah Young is a daily reading that offers a meditation, scripture reading, and a prayer. This is a great introductory resource and can provide you with structure and content while you develop a routine that works for you!
The Blue Book: The Blue Book by Jim Branch is a weekly devotional on different topics such as “Fear” “The Dance” “Waiting” and about 49 other topics. His devotions include an opening and closing prayer, a psalm for the week, a daily passage, and different quotes, poems, and stories from people who have learned about the lord in this certain topic. Then, there is a song to listen to for the week, prayer, and journaling listed. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to further their intimacy and awareness of the Lord.
Every Moment Holy: This is a modern liturgy for everyday life. There are blessings and prayers for almost anything you can think of: dating, medical procedures, morning coffee, social media, and feeling awkward in social groups. This is yet another resource to show God is with you in your everyday life, even in modern context.
The Book of Common Prayer: This is a similar, lofty, perhaps, resource to give liturgy to everyday life. There is liturgy for the season of Lent, the Daily Office (prayers for different times of ordinary days), and many common places and occasions. This book is a great day to show that even long ago, feelings and prayers relate to our feelings and prayers today for the Lord.
Apps
YouVersion Bible App: YouVersion is a super common bible app including the whole Bible, a daily verse, and many plans to give you a devotional daily as well as a daily Bible Reading. This offers tons of topical and daily plans that you can subscribe to. It also has a feature where you can link up with friends and go through plans together!
Through the Word: Through the word is Ramsey’s favorite online resource to learn about the historical context, themes, and general explanation of books of the bible. There are about six minute segments on passages of the bible, taking you through whole books of the bible. There are additionally plans on wisdom, leadership, beginning, and other themes of that sort.
Podcasts
The Bible Recap – A daily podcast that corresponds with a chronicle reading of the Bible on the YouVersion app. About 6-9 minutes per day that helps you understand the scripture you just read!
The Next Right Thing – A weekly podcast about decision making from a Biblical perspective. Did you know the average person makes over 35,000 decisions a day? BONKERS. This podcast helps us see the small things of life as holy.
BibleProject – A weekly podcast that dives deep into scripture and provides in-depth conversations about the Bible and theology. There are also videos available at bible project.com
Books
The Liturgy of the Ordinary: This is a book all about taking regular things like brushing your teeth or eating leftovers and changing your perspective to see them as sacred. A completely transformative and very practical look at our everyday lives!
The Ministry of Ordinary Places: This book by Shannon Martin gives an account of everyday finding the Lord in small, ordinary places like cracked gravel or the moon in the morning. It is transformative in the way that God can lead you in daily life through paying attention.
The Chronicles of Narnia: An incredible, fantastical book series about the magical land of Narnia. It’s an extended metaphor/allegory about Jesus’ love for us. The characters are interesting and the stories are compelling. And C.S. Lewis is Jenny’s favorite theologian, you’ll see why when you read this series.
Mere Christianity: This C.S. Lewis classic is a compilation of essays that were pulled from his incredible WWII radio broadcasts and turned into one of the world’s most influential books on becoming a Christian. It is a bit dense and will require you to chew on the text – so it might take you a long time to get through it. But it is so worth it!
The Jesus Storybook Bible: This is actually a children’s Bible, but is designed to tell the stories of scripture like, well, stories. It almost reads the way fairy tales do. It might seem strange to have a kids book on the list, but reading familiar stories in this way will change the way you look at scripture!
Authors to Consider
Do you have questions or other resources you’d like to add to the list? Email Jenny at jcross@churchstreetumc.org!
Prayer for Today – March 30
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 30, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Generous One, we bow before you this day, expressing our gratitude for your unfailing care. You have sustained us till this hour and have poured your endless grace upon us. Even in these unsettling times, help us to open our eyes that we might behold and name the immeasurable gifts you have showered upon us . . .
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Jesus, we know you as the Good Listener who never tires of your children’s voices; and no voice is too faint for you to detect. You have even invited us to cast our burdens upon you, for you care deeply for us. And so, in the silence of these moments, we offer our individual prayers of private pain and our haunting fears . . .
Listen also as we offer these appeals on behalf of our church family:
Remind us, Good Lord, that your love bridges any distance; and even in the most remote valley, our cries reach the ears of your heart.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
All these prayers we offer this day in the name of the One who is the author of our faith, our Faithful Friend, 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 LIVE Devotions each Monday and Thursday at NOON on Facebook!
Prayer for Today – March 29
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 29, 2020
Pastor Jan
We enter the Sabbath, O Holy One, remembering that you created this day to slow us down. In you holy wisdom, you knew that when we cease our mad pace, we are more likely to behold your work in the world, to listen for your voice, and to remember that you hold each of us in the palm of your hand. You alone have appointed the days and nights of our lives, so let us join our voices with the Psalmist who proclaimed: “This the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice & be glad in it!”
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Dear and Ultimate Good, your grace is not founded upon our worthiness; for if this were so, who could stand? But there is infinite mercy in you. You know the secrets of our hearts and you count every tear. Receive now these particular petitions, as shared by our church family:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We know you accept all our prayers, for we join our spirits with that Greatest Spirit who prays for us in sighs too deep for words. And we offer again the prayer your Beloved imprinted upon our hearts so long ago:
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 on YouTube for Online Worship at 10 am Today!
Prayer for Today – March 28
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 28, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Mighty Fortress, you are the God whose mercy never fails. We sail toward an unknown shore and your word is our only chart. The winds of transition have unsteadied our course, and we confess that we are anxious. And yet, you are already aware of the storms that rage in our personal lives. You well know the tempest voices that tell us our situations are hopeless. But when we quiet our souls, we always hear your living words speaking in our hearts:
Come to me, you say, and I will give you the composure for which you search. Come to me, you say, and I will calm the waves.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We lift up now these concerns of our church family. Keep these situations close to your heart, that each one may enter the gentle streams of your grace:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Mighty Fortress, receive our personal gratitudes . . .
And also our deepest regrets . . .
Wash us clean in the gentle stream of your grace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Mighty Fortress, when our journey ends, we will find you are still with us, just as you promised. And on that other shore, we will humbly bow and offer again that prayer you taught us long ago:
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 Online Worship Tomorrow!
Prayer for Today – March 27
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 27, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Holy Vision, some of us walk bruised, burdened, and blinded through the ways of the world. We continue to question the unease, the uncertainty, the unknown. The apostle said that we see through a glass darkly, as through a clouded mirror; he said that ours is not to know all things in this realm. Rather, we are asked to live by faith and not by sight. And we do, though it is sometimes frightfully hard. So in these pressing times, we ask for a tender memory of your loving promise: that one day we shall all see clearly, and then face-to-face. Until that grand shadowless day to come, may we trust in your sure and certain providence.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We lift up this day these joys & concerns on the hearts of our church family:
Hear now our private confessions and concerns . . .
And also our praises for the joys you have brought about in our lives . . .
For your watchfulness, for your forgiveness, & for your steadfastness.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Holy Spirit and Keeper, blow away from our minds the gloomy clouds of fear. Breathe into us all new life and new hope, for we know you as the Saving Sanctuary to whom our friend Jesus also prayed:
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 LIVE Devotions each Monday and Thursday at NOON on Facebook!
Prayer for Today – March 26
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 26, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Love Ever Present, now and again in our days apart from our community of faith, there are so many things that remind us of you in penetrating ways:
A cloudy shadow on an open field, blue mountains in the distance, a certain movement of the evening breeze, an anthem of hope from our choir that begins to stir in our hearts, the memory of little feet scrambling to the chancel steps for children’s time, the deep-down conviction that you will use this interlude of uneasiness for our good and for your glory.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Spiritual Physician, just as you renewed the life of your Beloved Son, cast your gaze among us who are pained in mind, body, or spirit. We long to dance, but our bones ache; we long for voices now gone from us; we carry troubles too deep for words; we worry that our faith is weak. Yet on this side of the cross, we know that nothing is impossible with you. So move your healing hand over us this day and touch us with your renewing grace. And in so doing, you will be reminding us that we are your people and you are our God.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We now lift up this day to your mercy these situations most recently expressed by our church family:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Accept all these petitions and prayers this day, O Love Divine, for they come from the very depths of our being:
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 LIVE Devotions each Monday and Thursday at NOON on Facebook!
Prayer for Today – March 25
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 25, 2020
Pastor Jan
O One Who Tends our Souls, we confess that we often set our minds, not on divine things, but on human things. When we are frightened, we sometimes doubt your loving provision, and we grab far more than we need. We forget the tender plan that you have for us, and we shrink from living as your disciples. But then, you are aware of our present angst, so we are confident that you will forgive us our selfishness and will wash us clean. And in these days of unease, teach us how to set aside our own concerns and focus instead on the riveting troubles that may be entrapping our neighbors.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We lift up this day these particular concerns of our friends in our church family who ask for our prayers:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Meet each of these petitions, we pray, and also those worries we each carry, at that mysterious point where your grace somehow blossoms into blessing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Faithful One, we know you have forgotten our past and promise that tomorrow is a new day. Therefore, we now place our hands in yours and offer the prayer your Son taught us so long ago:
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 LIVE Devotions each Monday and Thursday at NOON on Facebook!
Prayer for Today – March 24
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
March 24, 2020
Pastor Jan
O One of Infinite Mercy, the world of order and meaning that we cherish seems to be splintering apart. Shrill voices sound the alarm from daylight to dusk. Yet within this precarious era, we in your church are to stand firm; as we know it is your voice alone that claims us. So let us not trust solely in the pundits. Let us also fall at the feet of Jesus, for acknowledging our fear is the first movement of faith. And it is faith in our God that will see us through.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We lay before you these particular situations that are on the hearts of the people of Church Street:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear us, Good Lord, as we recall the blessings we have recently received . . .
And hear our private confessions to you, in the silence of our hearts. . .
And as you sweep away the deeds of darkness within us, plant in their place seeds of restoration, that our works might take root and flourish. We shall then loudly proclaim your name, not with our words, but with the living of our lives.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Gather up these prayers we bring this day, for we offer them in the name of the One who makes all things new, the Author of our Faith 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.
If you miss any of our worship moments or services throughout the week, head over to our CONNECT page of our website, and view all the videos in one playlist.