BINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020
Pastor Jan
Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever;
Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death!
O One who set the sun in the heavens to light up the earth by day and the moon by night, you sent Jesus Christ to shed light into our broken world.
When you shattered the darkness of Calvary, we learned that love and light can never remain buried; we learned that nothing can ever separate us from the flame of your eternal love. Shine your light over us, in us, and through us, we pray, that we might shine all our days as Easter people.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever;
Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death!
O One of Peace, your resurrection is a daily celebration over fear, our greatest enemy. For when we are afraid, we do foolish things: we turn our thoughts inward; we take more than our share; we obsess about the future. Beginning this day, O Risen One, we pray you would give us the peace to live with uncertainty, with questions and doubts. Then the world shall know we are believers in the Son who displayed no alarm, even when his ghastly sentence was pronounced. Let us place our hope in the resurrection of our Lord!
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever;
Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death!
Because of the miracle of the cross, O Author of New Life, we know that nothing is impossible with you, so bend your ear close and receive with kindness these petitions offered by our faith community:
- A Wesley House grandmother offers thanks for kindness and thoughtfulness of church members during these trying times
- Gratitude for church staff who make communications possible
- Thank you for prayers: sister in Cleveland who had delicate heart surgery has been released a few days early
- Safety for NY physicians and healthcare workers who serve at great risk
- A cousin in a KY nursing home; he and 41 others tested positive for COVID-19
- Continued protection for a friend in poor health who lives alone
- That we never lose sight of the hope and love of Jesus Christ
- Safety for all who unselfishly work on the front lines to provide food, medical care, and daily services to protect and sustain our communities
- Loved ones locked in nursing facilities, gratitude for their caregivers
- Appalachian Service Project home repairs have been closed until August, a major blow to the poor who depend upon volunteers
Visit all our homes this day, bringing a ray of peace and bright blessing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hail thee, O Reason for the Festival, we know our Savior hears the pleas of even the smallest lamb, so we lift up all our prayers in your name, that we might live in the gladness and grace of Easter all our days:
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 Easter Worship! Sunday, April 12 at 10 am
Join Church Street on YouTube at 10 am! An order of worship email will be sent prior to the service so you can follow along.
Prayer for Today – April 13
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 13, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Love Ever Blooming, these April showers cannot dim the marvelous story of Holy Week. The love you planted in the garden took root at Calvary, ripened as the stone was rolled away, and blossomed with sweetest perfume in the hearts of your followers everywhere. May we who live today continue to tell that story by the way our spirits grow in reflection of your love and grace.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O God of the Empty Tomb, as your days were troubled, you know that our past days have been difficult. We have been unable to visit our loved ones, hug our parents or grandparents, play with our grandchildren, gather for worship, work, celebrations. Some of us have lost our jobs, and our nerves have become frayed. But there are lessons to be learned from this time apart; may we search for them with hungry hearts. And let us not grow weary, for we know that better times are ahead, as spoken by the Lord through the prophet: Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress; instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle; and it shall make a name for the Lord, an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Patient Listener, we confess there are many instances in which we have not lived up to your dreams for us, so hear us as we make our private confessions . . .
We feel your stream of mercy washing us clean and we know you accept us as we are, just as you accepted the thief upon the cross.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hear also, we pray, these sincere offerings from your people in our own congregation:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Even when our doubts begin to surface, they are always subdued by the underlying knowledge that we are rooted securely to the Living Vine, who supports, strengthens, and sustains us. It is in his name we 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 live devotion at noon today on Facebook!
Join Church Street on Facebook.
Prayer for Easter Sunday – April 12
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020
Pastor Jan
Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever;
Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death!
O One who set the sun in the heavens to light up the earth by day and the moon by night, you sent Jesus Christ to shed light into our broken world.
When you shattered the darkness of Calvary, we learned that love and light can never remain buried; we learned that nothing can ever separate us from the flame of your eternal love. Shine your light over us, in us, and through us, we pray, that we might shine all our days as Easter people.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever;
Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death!
O One of Peace, your resurrection is a daily celebration over fear, our greatest enemy. For when we are afraid, we do foolish things: we turn our thoughts inward; we take more than our share; we obsess about the future. Beginning this day, O Risen One, we pray you would give us the peace to live with uncertainty, with questions and doubts. Then the world shall know we are believers in the Son who displayed no alarm, even when his ghastly sentence was pronounced. Let us place our hope in the resurrection of our Lord!
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hail thee, festival day! Blest day that art hallowed forever;
Day wherein Christ arose, breaking the kingdom of death!
Because of the miracle of the cross, O Author of New Life, we know that nothing is impossible with you, so bend your ear close and receive with kindness these petitions offered by our faith community:
Visit all our homes this day, bringing a ray of peace and bright blessing.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Hail thee, O Reason for the Festival, we know our Savior hears the pleas of even the smallest lamb, so we lift up all our prayers in your name, that we might live in the gladness and grace of Easter all our days:
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 Easter Worship! Sunday, April 12 at 10 am
Join Church Street on YouTube at 10 am! An order of worship email will be sent prior to the service so you can follow along.
Prayer for Holy Saturday – April 11
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
Holy Saturday, April 11, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Lord, today is a day of holy silence, as Jesus rests lifeless in the tomb, and as the sentries keep vigil. Help us also to keep vigil as the world mourns the heinous crucifixion of your Beloved Son. And when the silence completely envelops us, may we become aware of our own brokenness and weakness. All the while, may we grow in our belief that death never has the last word.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Eternal Hope, today we remember Mary, who mourned but did not despair. She may have sensed something stirring deep within the silent earth. And given our present circumstances this Holy Saturday, she reminds us that it is never too late for a new beginning. So when our work is deemed “nonessential,” when our purses are almost empty, when a virus stalks our neighborhoods, when our loved ones are shuttered away, when we long for a human embrace, when the expected becomes the unknown, we turn our eyes toward the One who loves us and is already preparing a new road for us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Great Restorer, we reflect upon our recent misdeeds . . .
and again seek restoration.
We also remember the graces you have showered upon us . . .
Thank you, Good Lord. Now receive also, we pray, these earnest petitions from our church family:
Embrace all who watch and wait for your promised deliverance.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Almighty One, whose only Son rose from the silent grave to glory, grant that all of us, who were buried with him in baptism, might also be raised to eternal life.
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 Easter Worship! Sunday, April 12 at 10 am
Join Church Street on YouTube at 10 am! An order of worship email will be sent tomorrow morning so you can follow along.
Prayer for Today – Good Friday, April 10
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
Good Friday, April 10, 2020
Pastor Jan
Today we pause to remember your sacrificial love, O Savior of the World, even though the message of the cross is difficult to take. We struggle with your teaching that strength is found in weakness, for we are weak ourselves; and we have long envisioned a mighty Savior who would create a world without strife, without injustice, without pain, without fearful illness. But we remember you said faith the size of a mustard seed is sufficient, so we turn to you this day, O Suffering One, with our fragmented faith, for you alone have the words of life eternal.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Wounded One, on that darkest day, the sky turned black and purple. We wonder how an innocent and righteous one had so few defenders – for only three or four brave ones huddled close at the foot of the dreaded cross. Some say the torrents that drenched the earth that day were really the tears of angels. May our own tears mingle with theirs, O Lord, for deep down we wonder if we ourselves would have had the courage to remain faithful, or would we also have run away? Could we have witnessed such agony?
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In spite of our tentative ways and our sporadic commitment, your apostle reminds us to pray without ceasing. And so we humbly place the praises and longings of our own hearts, and also these sincere petitions from our church family, at your feet:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Sacred Head Now Wounded, we bow to you this day, as it was you alone who brought hope out of devastation, triumph out of sorrow, life out of death, and who also 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.
Good Friday Passion & Chorales, Today at Noon
Join Church Street on YouTube at noon for the story of Christ’s Passion. Presented by Terri Ward and Edie Johnson.
Prayer for Today – April 9
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 9, 2020
Pastor Jan
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found. The words of the hymnist were never more evident than on this Maundy Thursday, O Lord Most High. On that long-ago Thursday, we remember that the tenderness of Jesus poured out meaning and mercy to the very disciples who were to deny him. And in his stunning grace, your Son also overlooks our own failures, choosing to cover them with his love. At table, he shared the Passover meal with his band of brothers.
Thus, we remember our own sins . . .
and we know they will soon be swept away from your memory. We also bow our heads and open our hands to gladly receive the bread of heaven and the cup of salvation.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found. And after supper, we recall how Jesus stooped to wash the feet of his friends. Wash not only our feet, Merciful Savior, but wash our hearts, our souls, our hands, and our wills; then we will be strengthened to follow your new mandate: Love one another as I have loved you.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found. Open wide our eyes this day, O Lord, that we might find new ways to address the needs of the world. Is there a card or a donation we might send? Is there a phone call we could make? Is there an errand we might run for a homebound friend? Are there more prayers to be offered? And as we continue our prayers for others, may the world come to know we are Christians by our love. Hear these most recent prayers offered by our church family:
Wherever charity and love prevail, there God is ever found.
Brought here together by Christ’s love, by love are we thus bound.
As we are indeed fed by your love and bound to you by commitment, we boldly lay all our prayers at the feet of our Savior, 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.
Maundy Thursday Holy Communion, Tonight at 7 p.m.
Join Pastor Palmer live on our Facebook page or on YouTube at 7 pm for virtual Holy Communion.
Prayer for Today – April 8
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 8, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Astonishing One, you come to us in surprising ways. We ask for success, but you teach us acceptance. We ask to be loved, but you ask us to love others. We long for the easy road, but you offer detours and challenges. Somehow you know what is best for our growth in faith. So we reach out our hands today and place them in yours, knowing that your faithfulness never falters and that, in spite of unexpected byways, you are traveling with us.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
We recall the loud Hosannas we offered just a few days ago — so the world might hear of Jesus’ glad arrival. Yet we remember his ride to Jerusalem ended in unimaginable suffering. In the days ahead, we pray for courage, lest we desert, as did those first disciples. For resolve to stay the course, we trust in God as our strength and the Holy Spirit as our comfort.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Suffering Servant, at this half-way point on your own path of anguish, we turn to you with our own concerns. You know our situation is bleak, and too many are in pain throughout the world. We pray for our brothers and sisters everywhere, particularly those who unselfishly serve the ill, grow our food, deliver needed supplies, stock our shelves, and those working for a cure for this deadly disease. Hear also these petitions from members of our own church family:
Even as we offer these situations on our hearts, help us to know, Caring God, that you are already cutting a trail through our thickest fears.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Holy One, may your own grace and tenderness be made known through each of us, as we rededicate ourselves to reaching out to help the hurting ones in our community, for this is the way of your Son:
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.
Holy Week Worship Online
covid, FeaturedThough we won’t be able to join together in person during Holy Week, Church Street offers several offerings online that will honor these most important days of the Christian year: Jesus’s death and miraculous resurrection.
Our YouTube Channel is linked here.
Holy Week Worship Opportunities:
+Stations of the Cross: A new display of 14 masterworks is available for your private viewing and spiritual meditation throughout Holy Week. Each painting depicts a gripping event in the final drama of Jesus’s life on earth. Premieres on Sunday, April 5 on YouTube.
+Holy Week Devotion: Live on Monday, join Pastor Palmer as she follows the lectionary with greetings, scripture from the daily lectionary, a short message, and prayer. On the Church Street Facebook Page at noon, and afterward on YouTube.
+Holy Communion on Maundy Thursday: Join us at 7 pm on Thursday, April 9 on our YouTube channel for a virtual communion table with our clergy. We encourage you to use items in your home already (do not go to the store and risk illness). Preferred items are grape juice and baked bread, but any juice or liquid, along with bread or crackers will work to take part in this spiritual practice.
+Good Friday Program: In remembrance of Christ’s Passion and death, this contemplative program will feature the Passion account from the Gospel of John read by Terri Ward, interspersed with organ chorales played by Edie Johnson. Premieres on Friday, April 10 at noon on YouTube.
+Easter Sunday Worship: Join us for worship on Sunday, April 12, as we celebrate the risen Lord! Premieres Sunday, April 12 at 10 am on YouTube.
+Daily Prayers: We hope you are enjoying Pastor Jan’s daily prayers. If you would like to receive them by email, contact communications@churchstreetumc.org.
Prayer for Today – April 7
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 7, 2020
Pastor Jan
Come, Holy Spirit, and visit us in our homes, workplaces, or wherever we find ourselves this day. May your personal touch be upon each one caught up in this mysterious virus malady and turn our thoughts to you as our Anchor. As your Son showed authority over wind and wave, bring peace and calm to each one who is troubled or in danger, we pray. Brush away those burgeoning clouds of dread and despair that hang too close above us. May we hear again those words you spoke so clearly in the presence of your first disciples: “Peace be still!” And it was so.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Especially, Gracious Lord, ease the hearts of those who suffer this day, and particularly accept these concerns and gratitudes offered by members of our church family:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
With the quiet breath you yourself breathed into us, in these moments of calm, we now reflect upon our most recent regrets . . .
Forgive us, O Merciful Father, wash us clean, and remember our sins no more.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
Thank you, Most Holy God, for gathering us into a beloved community, for your blessings too numerous to count, and for hearing our prayers, as we offer them in the name of Christ Jesus, who lives and reigns with you forever and ever:
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 – April 6
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 6, 2020
Pastor Jan
O Master of Life, your glories abound in the springtime. Your wonders are the treasure found in the field. Trees are covered in green lace; cascading blossoms dance in the air. We give thanks for this sacred awakening of the earth. And there are personal blessings that also remind us of your growth within us. We now silently give thanks for your generous personal benefits which you have provided, even in our time of trial . . .
Create within us truly grateful spirits.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord of Mercy, we lift up to your light our loved ones who have recently entered into your kingdom. Embrace especially those dear ones whom we now name in the silence of our own hearts . . .
Wrap each in your cloak of grace and shine your light perpetual upon them. Grant solace to their families, we pray, and also touch each of our church members, especially those who are mentioned in these particular prayers:
In your own perfect way, O Beloved One, answer each and every plea.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, you are in the midst of us and we are called by your name. Show us ways to assist our brothers and sisters who may be in need at this time of confinement. Blessed are those who reach out in love and service, and especially all those who continually offer prayers on our behalf.
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 – April 5
prayer for todayBINDING SOUL AND SOURCE
Daily Prayers of the Church Street family
April 5, 2020 (Palm Sunday)
Pastor Jan
O Lord of All That Is, through this Lenten season we have made our weary way. Many times, however, we confess we have lost our direction, entangling ourselves in the brush by the roadside. But just when the shadows have become their darkest, we see the figure of our Savior in the distance. He rides not a great steed, but rather, he sits upon a lowly donkey; and we know this image itself is his message of humility. So we ourselves kneel and ask for pardon for all those times we have thought too highly of ourselves. We follow Jesus’ lead toward the road of return, but this time we do so with unpretentious and unassuming hearts.
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
“Hosanna!” the people cry. “Lord, save us!” Today we join our voices with all those who are weighed down by private sorrow and all who are unable to pray for themselves. We ask that you hold each one fast and sustain each in their suffering. Also receive both these prayers of gratitude and the pleas for courage and guidance from our church family:
Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.
O Lord, you know that we can be an angry and critical people, particularly when our needs are not swiftly met. But on this holy day, we do not raise a clenched fist. Instead, we raise the palm branch, the symbol of hope, triumph, and salvation; all these shall come to us in due time from the hand of your Blessed Son:
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.