Written by Steve Richardson

God in heaven and in our midst, thank you for these moments to pray and to seek your guidance and your help, especially with circumstances beyond our control. Instill your Holy Spirit’s divine presence in our minds, thoughts and actions. 

Thank you also for the grace-filled church community of Church Street United Methodist. Each of us comes to this church for different reasons. Whatever each person seeks and how the rest of us respond, we pray that every encounter and every interpersonal relationship is a reflection of your love and an extension of your holy kingdom. 

A few days ago, we were reminded of the horrible human-triggered tragedies inflicted one year ago in the Holy Land, plus the suffering and conflict that have since followed. We continue to lament that this land’s sacred grounds aren’t spaces of peace, rather fear and anxiety and warfare.  

And now our neighbors who live in states south of us are bracing against another destructive, life-shattering hurricane. They haven’t even had time to recover from the one just a couple of weeks ago.  

Our hearts ache. Our minds try to make sense of all this. Our souls yearn for a better existence. Yet solutions seem fleeting. What can we do, Lord? As individuals, we feel helpless. However, within in our own personal spheres of daily living, maybe the least we can do is to aspire to live out Saint Francis’ prayer: 

“Make me an instrument of your peace…Where there is hatred, let me bring love…Where there is despair, let me bring hope…Where there is darkness, let me bring your light…Where there is sadness, let me bring joy.”   

Those are things we can do. 

God of wisdom, ours is a noisy society, bombarded by messages and information. Most of these we don’t even seek or care to know. Yet we constantly find ourselves subjected to others who attempt to persuade and influence us to do things, to buy things, to shape our opinions, to define our aspired status, to “not miss out,” to hurry, to serve our own self-interests by yielding to the interests of the message senders. Amid this 21st century Babel, Lord, tune us to hear and find solace in your still, quiet voice. We know yours to be a voice of comfort, calm, inspiration and hope. You are our souls’ source of true wisdom, and may that wisdom generate senses of self-assurance and your peace. 

Free us from selfishness. Free us from apathy. Inspire us to serve one another. Strengthen us for grateful and joyful obedience to your way of love.  

With hopeful anticipation of your evolving creation, we ask, “What’s next, God?” Whether we lead or follow, equip and strengthen us to be ready to respond when we recognize your call. 

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… 

Written by Rev. Tim Best

This prayer was offered in worship on Sunday, September 29. 

We open our hearts in praise and prayer to you, God of heaven and earth.

You hear our prayers and tend to our needs. Hear us as we pray for our community and our neighbors. Over the last several days we have seen communities we know covered in the national news. Loved ones have been left without power. Roads and bridges have washed away while homes and businesses have flooded. We ask that you would guide us to support and care for our neighbors as they seek to rebuild and recover.

Hear us as we pray for those whose suffering has deepened over the last few days. We pray for those who were hospitalized and needing care, only to find themselves in danger in a hospital. We pray for those who have been lonely or afraid because they have been stuck by themselves, unable to call or travel. Make us mindful of all the ways that suffering is magnified in the midst of tragedy.

Watch over those who serve and lead. We pray for all who are working to restore power, those who are helping to keep others safe, and those already preparing to help people recover. We pray for all of our leaders. Help those who lead in all things and at all times. Guide them not just in emergencies, but in the before and the after.

See the needs of our world, gracious God. We are aware of the violence and warfare that continues in so many places. Make us be a people committed to your peace. Transform the hearts of those bent on violence, and remove from our hearts the bent towards anger and hatred. Even as we are so acutely aware of the suffering within our own community, help us to see the needs of all people, and give us courage to speak and act.

Almighty and everlasting God, hear us as we lift these concerns to you. See also our inner thoughts and feelings. See all those things that weigh upon our hearts, and see also our joys.

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

O God, we desperately need a word of peace! We need to feel your peace! 

Exploding pagers? What in the world are people thinking?  

Bomb threats at elementary schools? What is happening?  

A second assassination attempt on our former president? Lord, have mercy! 

O God who stilled the waters, we boldly and fervently pray for stillness. For calm. For sanity. For peace. We boldly pray for healing of hearts and minds that seem to be so bent towards violence and destruction. 

With so much hate and violence happening in the world it is difficult not to get swept into it. We do not want to fall prey to violent language ourselves; we do not want to hate those who are carrying out violence. Calm us down, Lord! Do not allow us to feed any hateful fires or repeat ugly language.  

Thank you for hearing our frustration and our fear. We are sorry for beginning with anguish and not thanksgiving, but that is where our minds are. You know that, O God who knows our every thought and sees our tender, breaking, and fearful hearts.  

We pause to give thanks for the ways we have connected with others today …. 

We pause to give thanks for the hint of cooler weather …. 

We give you thanks for texts from friends and unexpected phone calls…. 

We thank you for feeling your love and power as we look towards the mountains ….. 

Thank you for offering us glimpses of goodness, grace, and love throughout our days. 

Having taken time to say, “Thank you,” we now have strength of spirit to pray for individuals and communities who are hurting. Instead of stopping at anguish, we pray through with concern and empathy for those who have been targeted, those who are afraid, those who have been injured, and those who feel alone. We imagine other places in our world and country and know that your presence is there in others who provide help and rescue and water and bandages and safety. 

We cannot go to faraway places, but we can provide help and safety and comfort here. We do not want to spread anguish, only peace. We do not want to spread hate, only love. May our efforts where we are right now – in our homes, in our community, in our church – be pleasing to you, Lord of all Life. 

We think of church members and friends who have asked for prayer and offered prayers of thanksgiving. Thank you for this opportunity that collects us all in one heart and one mind as we pray for one another ….. 

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

Tonight’s prayer is copied from The Methodist Book of Daily Prayer. This devotional book begins with Morning Prayer of Petition and then an Evening Prayer of Gratitude. There are reflections each day, but throughout the week, the same petition and gratitude is used. 

 Here is an evening prayer of gratitude I will share with you. Allow yourself some pause for your own prayer between each petition …….  

Loving God, you are always at work for my well-being, not harm. Help me to trust that your commandments are for my good. Prick my consciousness so that I may see: 

• The people to whom you are calling me to be more attentive, 

• The areas of my personal life that I too often neglect, 

• Your nudges and promptings that I am ignoring or neglecting, 

• The joy and rest that you are offering to me. 

Shape in me a spirit of obedience to you and help me to remember that your precepts are perfect. Amen. 

And now we offer these prayers on behalf of our church family and community……. 

Written by Rev. Catherine Nance

What a difference the cool air made this morning, O God! 

The cool breezes last evening were such a gift!  

O God of changing seasons, we know that there will be hotter days ahead, but what a lift to our spirits “fifty-eight degrees” brought! We stood still for a moment and closed our eyes and said, “Aaaahhhhh.” Please hear the pleasant sighs as “Thank you, God!”  

Our brain knows that you do not sit at a weather desk in heaven and change the weather on a whim. We have watched meteorologists long enough to know about patterns, waves, heat indices, and currents. But we are thankful for cool breezes that catch us off guard and come to us as a joyful surprise. A simple reminder that you are the creator of the universe. It was you who set the moon in place to converse with the oceans. It was you who stirred up winds to carry seeds and life across the life. Forgive us when we forget that this earth, the whole cosmos is yours. What a gift it is! 

Lord, we want to carry that cool breeze with us throughout the day. Open our spirits and eyes to be aware of your surprises. Remind us of your goodness and sovereignty when we find ourselves pausing for a moment and saying, “Aaaahhhhh” in relief and joy. We want to be a people who lives out of gratitude. We offer to you a promise to remember to say, “Thank you, God,” when our instinct is to say Ahhh…. 

……. when a stranger exchanges warm greetings as we wait for the pedestrian signal to give us permission to walk 

….. when the goldfinch stays a little longer on the telephone wire and seems to wink at us. 

….. when a child at the store makes faces at us and giggles 

….. when the human-interest story on the news causes us to tear up and truly feel connected 

….. when we catch ourselves singing along with the music at the store and another person in the aisle says, “I love Karen Carpenter.” 

O God of little things and surprises, we are listing big items in our prayer concerns. Prayers for healing, for jobs, for reconciliation, for world peace. Sometimes, we offer these prayers and sit back and wait. Forgive us O Lord, for thinking that is how you work. As we wait for outcomes, may we see your work in the process. Make our spirits active in receiving cool breezes and smiles from strangers. May we know these are ways we can feel your presence and feel the gratitude we have for all of your good gifts. We pray that as we practice gratitude, you give us strength for the big things. That even in the big things, we see your mighty power at work in subtle ways.  

Now Lord, we offer these prayers of concern and prayers of thanksgiving on behalf of our church community ….