Weekly Prayer – December 18, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 18, 2024

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

 

O God, we know your love came before any calendars!

We church folks want to dig in our heels and say, “The twelve days begin on December 25! We’ve got plenty of time!” But, we know the world will not wait. Family is coming. Workers have scheduled time off. Plane tickets have been bought. And the tree is quickly losing its needles.

We will not pray the same prayer we prayed this time last year, O God. Remember? The one that began with, “O God of Advent, give us patience to look for your coming … let us not fall prey to the Christmas Rush the world puts before us….”

Christmas is Wednesday – a week from tonight – for some families it will be over by 10 a.m. that morning! And we have a sense of panic tonight. We know better, God. We really do!

So, we will pause tonight, and say, thank you God for tonight. Thank you for the people I love. Thank you for hot tea from the hospital cafeteria. Thank you for new windshield wipers on a rainy evening. Thank you for your Holy Spirit that whispers comforting words when we have run out of words to use. Thank you for the child at the store who was having a giggle fit. We pray for the parents who looked so tired, but started giggling too.

Thank you for the ability to look back over the day and say, “It is good to give thanks.”

Forgive us, God, when we take your son’s name in vain by cursing how quickly Christmas is coming. May we celebrate the birth of Love into our lives each day, regardless of the date on the calendar. We do thank you for cookies that were brought to the office and for left over apple cider that can be heated later. Christmas is coming, O God, and we are thankful.

Christ is coming! Let us give thanks!

Christ is with us! Let us give thanks!

 

We pray for….

  • One who has been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer
  • One in midst of radiation treatments
  • All families who are dealing with cancer diagnosis and the unknown; waiting for more testing and seeing which treatment options are offered.
  • Family members and friends who are having a difficult time
  • Members of a Sunday School class who are holding one another close in prayer
  • People in other countries who do not know about the Christian faith; a prayer request specifically for China
  • A friend beginning treatment for stage 4 esophageal cancer
  • Successful heart bypass surgery at Cleveland Clinic
  • A mother who has pneumonia and is in hospital
  • Answers from doctors
  • The school community in Madison, Wisconsin

 

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Beautiful music from our Parish Adult Choir last Sunday – and the brass, tympani, and organ!
  • School being out soon!
  • A couple who is expecting! Prayers for a healthy pregnancy!

 

We continue to pray for….

  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • A member who is going through radiation treatments
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care whose parents are in hospice care

 

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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Advent Devotional Week 3 – Joy

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Joy
Monday, December 16
By Laura Still
_____________________________ 

“In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” 

John 1:4-5

 

You’ve got to be kidding, joy? Right now?

When Catherine asked me to write an Advent devotion about Joy, I was not in a good mood. It was a gray, gloomy day that turned suddenly cold, making the short hours of daylight even shorter. I had an evening event that I felt insufficiently prepared for, I had been chilled all day, and it was spitting rain. And the state of the nation and the world—let’s not even go there, except to say I’d been in a struggle with existential dread most of the year, looking for light in a tunnel that keeps stretching away into the darkness.

And yet, even in the deepest shades of night, there are points of light, far away like the stars. But also near, sparks kindled and candles lit by others who are on the same journey as I am, trying to find a way forward. Small as they are, these tiny glimmers form a chain that lets me put one foot in front of the other, looking for that next glow of radiance that lifts up my soul. So, on a day when I’m dragging my feet, feeling my way along the wall in a black funk, here comes Catherine, reaching for my hand in the dark, and holding out a candle, to rekindle the fire I’ve let go out.

Joy is like that. It appears ephemeral, a brief glow, a warm moment. But it’s really like a string of bright beads, each adding its particular color and brilliance to illuminate the whole. It is contradictory because it somehow takes intention and work, but it is also unexpected, appearing in circumstances no one can foresee. It cannot be forced or caged, but it can find its way through every barrier, physical or mental, and ignite in the lowest places of the spirit.

It can happen without warning, anywhere, at any time, but it comes most often in the presence of others. Of people reaching out to lift up someone else. Joy cannot exist without love, which means focusing not on ourselves and our own needs, but finding ways to help those around us. We become the people of God in community, not by being brilliant in ourselves, but by reaching out in the night to take someone’s hand and pass the light along the chain.

 

A candle goes out

but its light is not gone.

Changed, it rises

carried by currents

we cannot see,

expands

from existing in one place,

one time,

into all places, all times.

 

A transformation

not seen but felt,

in our deepest darkness

we hold the spark

inside us

join hands to form

the chain of light

darkness

cannot

overcome.

~~~

Prayer

Dear Lord,

Let me remember your word is a light on my path and a lamp to my feet, and you are beside me every step of the way.

Open my heart to your gift of unfailing love and the joy you offer in Christ in all times and all places, in doing work to glorify your name.

Amen.
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Weekly Prayer – December 11, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 11, 2024

Written by Rev. Tim Best

Below is a prayer based on Prayers used in “The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer.” This selection comes from “Week 2: Peace” and incorporates the Morning Prayer of Petition and the Evening Prayer of Gratitude. Peace is the theme of the second Sunday of Advent.

Holy God, your son is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, an Prince of Peace. Today I pray for peace, plead for peace, and ask you to fill the places in my life and in our world that need your peace:

• I pray for peace in my inner spirit where I am distracted and anxious.

• I pray for peace in my relationships with family, friends, coworkers, neighbors.

• I pray peace in my community, city, and country where divisiveness seems to reign.

• I pray for peace among people globally, especially where conflict and war are an expected way of life.

• As we prepare to celebrate the coming of your son into the world, may the peace He embodies and offers be made real on earth as it is in heaven.

Gracious God, as I look back on this day, it is too easy to focus on places of discord and division. Instead, I give you thanks for the ways you are working in my life for peace and wholeness. Today God, I thank you for:

• The ways you are working to bring peace to my emotional and mental being,

• The way you are working my relationships, especially those that are strained or fractured,

• The ways you are offering a picture of peace in my church or community.

As I rest and look forward to a new day tomorrow, may I have the eyes to see where you are at work for peace in the world, and may I have the courage to join you in that work (1).

Help us to trust in your peace that we may with confidence and hope pray the prayer your Son Jesus taught us to pray, Saying:

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.

We pray for….

  • Complete healing from cataract surgery resulting in corneal swelling.
  • Healing from recent surgery and good prognosis.
  • A father’s surgery and all of the medical staff
  • Feelings of guilt for not being able to alleviate pain of loved one; prayers for peace of mind
  • One who asked for an ‘unspoken’ request; Lord, hear her prayer and comfort her.
  • The women at Susannah’s House and their babies. Grateful for this ministry of healing from addiction!

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Good report from neurologist for a member living with Parkinson’s. Thankful for no new progression in the past eight months!
  • Being at home after surgery!
  • Family being able to travel this season.
  • Our new Preschool director! So glad we are opening soon! Praying for children we will welcome!

We continue to pray for….

  • A young mother of three who is awaiting breast cancer surgery
  • A member’s mother who fell and has two broken vertebrae; prayers for healing and ease of pain.
  • A family member whose dementia is progressing rapidly. Prayers needed for direction regarding his care.
  • A member’s cousin who has been hospitalized; awaiting liver transplant
  • One to have a successful journey on his path to sobriety
  • Family members and friends who are going through a difficult time
  • Family making decisions about long-term care for parents
  • Our church members dealing with cancer treatments
  • A man who was involved in car accident; fractured four cervical vertebrae
  • A four-year old waiting on a heart transplant
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia
  • A member who is going through radiation treatments 
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • Friends and family members going through difficult times.

(1) Miofsky, Matt, Ed. The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer, Abingdon Press, Nashville 2023. Pg. 7

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Advent Devotional Week 2 – Peace

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Seeking Peace, Offering Peace
Monday, December 9
By Steve Richardson

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Read: Luke 1:67-79

 

Angels proclaimed to the shepherds, “Peace on earth…”

Hmmm? Realizing century after century of war, since that Bethlehem night, will that ever happen? Can it ever happen as long as freewill-driven mortals have dominion over the earth?

Even on a personal, individual level, thieves of peace are always lurking: Stress, pain, fear, uncertainty, guilt, separation, deadlines (just to name a few).

Despite all this, faith and prophecy give us confidence that peace spanning the earth and among all people is inevitable, when God’s ultimate will for all creation is done. In one of this week’s lectionary readings, Luke recorded Zechariah’s (father of John the Baptist) pronouncement that echoed prophets before him and foretold later Biblical writers: “…the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

In the meantime, until these things happen, each of us knows moments of inner spiritual peace. Thank God for that! Some of the ways we find that spiritual peace include:

Reading scripture and sacred writings

Prayer and meditation

Worship

Interacting with nature

Quiet time

Movement and exercise

Playing or listening to music

Creating or contemplating art

For ourselves, all these are fine ways to find peace. But what about extending peace to others? What about living out acts of peace? These are some good starting points: Forgiveness, compassion, inclusivity, respectfulness, justice, kindness and benevolence.

This Advent season, this Christmas and this coming new year, consider giving yourself special gifts: Peace through acts of helping others. It’s one of those harmonious win-win-win expressions of kingdom living – a way to love God, to help our neighbors and to experience spiritual peace for yourself.

~~~

Prayer

Lord of peace, for the peace we pray for, give us the grace to labor for.*

*With gratitude to Sir Thomas More for this prayer
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Weekly Prayer – December 4, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of December 4, 2024

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

Loving God of Advent, we pause on this cold Wednesday evening to ….  

Honestly God, is it okay if we just pause? 

No words.  

Just a quiet pause to remember that we are not alone. That we are in God’s world. That you love us.  

Have we paused at all today, O God? 

Thank you for an email from the church that causes us to stop, whether we read or pray to the end or not, it is a pause, nonetheless. We are reminded that there is a congregation, a church family, who prays for one another. Who cares about the week we are having. Who is looking forward to being together this Sunday. 

Thank you for other reminders that we have received that assure us your spirit is at work and moving through, in, and around us. The patience showed us by the clerk when the debit card didn’t ‘go through’ the first two times …. the joy we saw in children’s faces at the Advent Craft Festival and the bit of glitter we cannot shake from our sweater… the kind word from the nurse who pricked our finger for one more test …. 

Thank you, Loving God, for coming to us in so many ways. We sing, Come, thou long-expected Jesus … let us find our rest in thee ….  

We get weary this time of year and complain that we do not have time to pause. Some are good at taking intentional moments; others will notice looking back over the day that there were moments. 

Thank you for this bit of a pause O God, to hear us offer thanksgiving for the hope of this season. Thank you for this pause as we offer the prayer Christ taught us … 

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.

Thank you for this pause in our evening as we pray for one another … 

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • A promising report from Thompson Cancer Center
  • The doctor who has kept working to find cause of symptoms
  • Improved health … slowly but surely!
  • Successful open heart surgery and positive reports from surgeon and cardiologist

We pray for….

  • A young mother of three who is awaiting breast cancer surgery
  • A member’s mother who fell and has two broken vertebrae; prayers for healing and ease of pain.
  • A family member whose dementia is progressing rapidly. Prayers needed for direction regarding his care.
  • A member’s cousin who has been hospitalized; awaiting liver transplant
  • One to have a successful journey on his path to sobriety
  • Family members and friends who are going through a difficult time
  • Family making decisions about long-term care for parents
  • Our church members dealing with cancer treatments
  • A man who was involved in car accident; fractured four cervical vertebrae
  • A four-year old waiting on a heart transplant
  • All who are caring for a loved one – especially a spouse – with dementia

We continue to pray for….

  • A neighbor who is in critical care; prayers for comfort and support for her family
  • A young couple who is wanting so badly to conceive; Lord, bless them!
  • A member who is preparing for radiation treatments and meeting with oncologist
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • Friends and family members going through difficult times.

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Advent Devotional Week 1 – Hope

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Hope

Monday, December 2, 2024

By Elaine Eberhart

_____________________________

Read: Luke 21:35-36

 

This autumn was not easy for most of us. Regardless of the candidates my family and friends favored, there was uneasiness about what would happen. We waited for the next speech, the next prediction about post-election life, and we hoped for the best, whatever that meant for us.

 

Though I believe that God is moving in our world with justice and love, I had moments when the news I read brought despair. One night when I was unable to sleep, I realized that I was repeating the last line of a creed we often affirm as a congregation: In life, in death, in life beyond death, God is with us. We are not alone. *

When I can believe little else, I cling to those words. And if I watch, I see those words come to life even on the most difficult day, sometimes through a simple kindness that I did not expect. Hope in God’s abiding presence enables us to see signs of love reborn in us and in our world each day. Hope in God’s future empowers us to live faithfully, knowing that God will be present in whatever that future brings.

We who are united by our call to follow Jesus, and are sustained by the Spirit, are not alone on the road to Bethlehem this Advent. God is with us.

Thanks be to God.

~~~

Prayer

Holy One, enable us to wait with hope, watching for signs of your transforming love and aligning our lives to the movement of your Spirit.

Amen.

 

*”A Statement of Faith of The United Church of Canada”, 1968

 

~~~

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Weekly Prayer – November 27, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of November 27, 2024

Written by Rev. Tim Best

Gracious God,

On the eve of Thanksgiving, we offer our gratitude to you for your mercy and love over the last year. It is good that our nation, our community, and our families set aside the last Thursday of November each year to give thanks. The traditions and rhythms of this holiday are important to us for so many reasons. Help us to always be mindful of all that for which we should be ever thankful and exude gratitude year-round.

We pray for those who will travel this week. Grant patience for those stuck in airports, those who will navigate traffic, and those who work to ensure the safety and reliability of our infrastructure. We are thankful to live in a place where we may move freely to see relatives and friends. We are thankful for systems that work to regulate and maintain our highways and airspace.

We are thankful for the work you give each of us. Labor can allow each of us to feel accomplished, to provide for those we love, and to tend to the needs of our neighbors. We offer thanks for all of those who will be able to rest from their work this week. We pray for those who do not have meaningful work, those unable to work, and those who work and so rarely have rest. Be with those that will work tomorrow. We pray for those in the service sector, for firefighters, police, and other emergency workers, and for those who will rise early to work retail. May they all know our thanks and gratitude for their willingness to work while others rest.

Gracious God,

See the needs of each of our hearts. As many prepare to fill themselves with turkey and stuffing, fill us with humility and mercy. Tend to those who are brokenhearted, guide and direct those filled with energy and joy. Use your church, including all of us connected to Church Street UMC, to show the world how being a people that gives thanks daily, transforms hearts and changes the world.

We offer prayers for those who suffer from illness, loneliness, disease, or oppression. We trust that you see the needs of all your people, and work for the good of all creation. It is with that trust that we offer these concerns of our community to you now:

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • A promising report from Thompson Cancer Center
  • Our Knox County teachers! May they have a good Thanksgiving!
  • Family being able to visit this weekend.
  • A new job for my son!
  • All the people who helped make the Thanksgiving blitz possible
  • A grandmother who was able to be here for her granddaughter’s baptism

We pray for….

  • Family members and friends who are going through a difficult time
  • Everyone who is traveling this weekend; prayers for safety!
  • A family making decisions about long-term care for wife/mother
  • Our church members dealing with cancer treatments
  • Caregivers who feel extra stress this weekend; especially from family members who show up once a year! Lord, have mercy!
  • A young couple who is wanting so badly to conceive; Lord, bless them!
  • A neighbor who is in critical care; prayers for comfort and support for her family

We continue to pray for….

  • Our young adults and college students who are under so many pressures
  • Young people struggling with anxiety and depression
  • One who is grieving after the death of her pet; prayers for comfort as she misses her companion
  • A member who is preparing for radiation treatments and meeting with oncologist
  • One who has been in hospital with heart issues; prayers as doctors discern best medications and next steps
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • A member who will have open heart surgery early in December; prayers for peace as she waits
  • The homeless in our community; especially those who were housed at Magnolia UMC and Vestal UMC

And now we join our hearts with Christians the world over as we pray the pray Jesus taught us…

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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Weekly Prayer – November 20, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of November 20, 2024

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

We give you thanks, O God! 

Many are “practicing gratitude” this month as preparation for Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. Gracious God who has given life to us, we are sorry that we must remember to give thanks and ‘practice’ saying thank you! 

O God who gave us the ability to experience so many things, may it be our habit to say and “thanks be to God,” first before we utter any other words. May our spiritual discipline be to say “thank you,” so regularly that we do not have to be reminded to practice it. 

So, we begin this evening, with “Thank you!” 

Thank you for the beautiful sunrise this morning! 

Thank you for a job to drive to or volunteer activities to do or tasks at home that give us meaning! 

Thank you for the freedom we have to worship you! 

Thank you for family members – all of them! The ones who are near and dear, the ones who cause us a little grief, the ones who have hurt us, and the ones who show love beyond all measure! Thank you for putting us into a community of family and knowing we have roots. Thank you for the ability to look objectively at our past and learn how we want to be now and in the future. 

Thank you for friends and special relationships! We thank you for those people who are special in our lives; those who accept us as we are and encourage us no matter what. Thank you for strangers we have encountered today who brought a smile to our spirit. Thank you for surprises along the way … a scampering chipmunk, a toddler who waved at us while in line at the store, and the bonus French fry in the bottom of the fast-food bag.  

Thank you for the gift of prayer! We thank you for the gift of sharing our deepest hurts, our fears, and our regrets to you. Thank you that in sharing with you, our spirits are nurtured and healed.  

Thank you for hearing the prayers we offer on behalf of others ….  

We share these concerns and thanksgivings from our church family….. 

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Colleagues who are collaborative
  • A wonderful SLA retreat for our youth. Prayers of thanksgiving for Pastor Tim and interns for planning such a great weekend!
  • A promotion at work

We pray for….

  • Our young adults and college students who are under so many pressures
  • Young people struggling with anxiety and depression
  • One who is grieving after the death of her pet; prayers for comfort as she misses her companion
  • A church member who has had a stroke; prayers for family as they make decisions
  • A member who is preparing for radiation treatments and meeting with oncologist
  • One who has been in hospital with heart issues; prayers as doctors discern best medications and next steps
  • A member whose husband is in hospice care
  • Those whose parents are in hospice care
  • A member as he adjusts to a new living arrangement
  • A member waiting on results from PET scan
  • Friends and family members who are going through a difficult time
  • A member who will have open heart surgery early in December; prayers for peace as she waits
  • A wife, mom, grandmother who has been hospitalized for over a month; prayers she can be released soon and begin cancer treatment
  • The homeless in our community; especially those who were housed at Magnolia UMC and Vestal UMC
  • Families who will be receiving Thanksgiving baskets this Sunday!

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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Weekly Prayer – November 13, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of November 13, 2024

Written by Steve Richardson

Praise and thanks to you, God, from whom all blessings flow. Praise and thanks to you for being the source of all our gifts. Praise and thanks to you for your Holy Spirit and for Jesus, whose power uplifts. Alleluia! 

With the coolness of mid-November, we’re now getting used to the shorter days and longer nights. We anticipate (some eagerly, some apprehensively) the arrival of Thanksgiving and Advent and Christmas. These days have quickly have moved to the forefront of our minds. Help us know your presence through the season’s traditions, hopes and opportunities of meaningful connections with one another.  

Through this collective prayer of our church community, Gracious Lord, we ask for your strength and comforting presence for those who grieve, those who hurt physically or emotionally due to illness or injury, who despair, who have relationships being torn apart, who face financial adversity, who don’t have adequate food or needed medical care, who are vulnerable, who suffer from injustice, who are oppressed. We especially pray for your sacred breakthrough love for all those who have chosen to separate themselves from you, God, our creator and sustainer. 

We continue prayers for our nation, state, county, city and neighborhoods. Even though the results of our elections were posted over a week ago, social edginess still lingers. Free us from succumbing to notions that a person’s identity is tied to some sort of political ideology. Instead, help us strive for identities that center on our relationship with you and loving one another. Gracious Lord, through your spirit of love and universal goodness, bind us together in holy wholeness. Make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world.    

Your church, including Church Street United Methodist particularly, has such a vital role to fulfill in care and support for people in need. Thank you for Church Street’s leadership that is already doing this in so many ways. Renew our energy and passion to keep carrying out these meaningful ministries, and to inspire fresh ideas and efforts. 

And now, God of Peace, hear these needs and prayers of others in our congregation. Embrace all represented here with your loving presence and comfort… 

We pray for….

  • Safe travels for those on international trip
  • A sister who has seizure disorder; prayers for continued improvement
  • A member who is having testing at Thompson Cancer Center
  • One who is hurting emotionally
  • A member who has been diagnosed with metastatic cancer
  • Healing of a member who has a GI bleed
  • One who has moved to assisted living
  • A member recovering from a stroke
  • Friends and family members who are going through a difficult time

We continue to pray for….

  • A family who experienced the suicide of a 15-year old; prayers especially for his younger sister.
  • A member who is facing open heart surgery; prayers for strength, peace, and healing
  • A member who is in rehab; prayers for strength as she prepares for cancer treatment

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • A successful knee surgery
  • A member who has returned home after a lengthy hospital stay; continued prayers for healing
  • A promotion at work

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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Weekly Prayer – November 6, 2024

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of November 6, 2024

Written by Rev. Tim Best & Rev. Catherine Nance

God of mercy and peace, 

We went to bed last night with the relief that regardless of outcome, “this election will be over.” Some awoke to joyful news; others are shaken and despairing. There are those who feel that there are no ‘winners.’ We have been exhausted these last weeks by political rhetoric and accusations and ads with scary music in the background. We wanted this to be over, so we can move on. 

But we feel stuck, O God; unable to ‘move on’ because there has been a lot of hurtful conversations. So, our prayer is that we will move on in your grace and love and wisdom. As we come together in the aftermath of division, we pray for unity, not based on agreement, but on your love and understanding. Teach us to see one another through your eyes—eyes full of compassion, patience, and hope. Help us to remember that we are brothers and sisters, and that even in our differences, we are united in you. We place our fears and our hopes in your hands. We surrender our anxieties, our desires, and our doubts to your infinite wisdom and love. 

We pray for President Biden and Vice-President Harris as they finish their term. We continue to pray for peace in our world. May their leadership be a reminder to world leaders that our values reflect respect for all people. 

We pray for President-Elect Trump and Senator Vance as they prepare to lead. Give them good health and bestow your wisdom on them. May they be guided by what you desire – to love mercy, show kindness, and to walk humbly with you. May their leadership be a time of healing. 

Lord, fill this church with your presence. Let Church Street UMC be a place where love is tangible and where your light shines brightly, calling others to experience the hope that only you can give. Strengthen our resolve to be agents of peace and reconciliation in a world too often marked by conflict and division. 

We lift our prayers to you, knowing that you are present with us in every circumstance, every season, and every struggle. We ask that you breathe your comfort into those who are hurting, providing not only physical healing but also emotional and spiritual renewal. For those who suffer in silence, who carry burdens no one can see, wrap them in your grace and let them know they are never alone. 

We pray for….

  • A young mother whose pregnancy ended at 36 weeks; prayers for peace and healing
  • A sister who is suffering with a seizure disorder; prayer for her neurologist
  • A family who experienced the suicide of a 15-year old; prayers especially for his younger sister.
  • Those who grieve after the death of a good friend; especially her daughter and granddaughters
  • A member who is facing open heart surgery; prayers for strength, peace, and healing
  • Those who are feeling afraid

We continue to pray for….

  • A member who had surgery (thoracotomy) early this morning; will be in hospital for several days.
  • A member who is recovering from surgery to remove brain tumor; prayers for her as next steps are determined.
  • A dear friend who has glioblastoma and is choosing to fight this cancer; prayers for strength and encouragement
  • Members who are in rehab; praying for strength and healing so they can return home.
  • One whose sister is now in hospice care; prayers for peace for her and her family.
  • A member whose mother is in hospice care.
  • All of the men and women in the military.
  • Those who are caring for family members who have dementia.
  • Members who have cancer and are going through the ups and downs of treatments. 
  • Healing of anxiety.
  • Adult children who are facing hearings; for parents who are navigating legal issues.
  • Our country; prayers that we will be kind to one another

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Trusting Jesus is a healing savior
  • Many blessings; small surprises throughout the day.
  • Family
  • Friends who understand
  • Family members who arrived safely home after international travel

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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