The Miracle of Waiting

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 26, 2023 — Evening

By Dona Bunch

The Miracle of Waiting

Read: James 5:7-8 RSV

“Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

I may be the world’s most impatient person. I drive everyone in my family crazy with my inability to wait. I am the person who, when a group of people is getting into a car, grabs the handle and starts pulling before the driver even gets their keys out. “It’s not unlocked yet,” my sister says, with a look that reminds me she’s said it dozens of times.

At my brother’s house, when he puts a coffee pod in the Keurig, I immediately start pushing the “medium cup” button repeatedly. “Stop it! You have to wait for it to heat up!” my brother literally yells.

As Lent approaches, all the talk of waiting makes me anxious. Waiting as a spiritual discipline seems nearly impossible to me. But it is precisely the ability to wait that opens our hearts and minds to the miracle of Easter.

Scientists say that when our minds are at rest, maybe taking a shower or going for a walk, our brains can make connections that they can’t make when they are perpetually working. We’ve all had the “ah ha” moment when an answer comes to us when we aren’t thinking. In other words, when we are waiting, not doing.

To me, that’s the message of Lent. Waiting with stillness allows us space to breathe. Relaxing our brains gives our hearts and minds the ability to listen and reflect, to calm. Within that silence, we prepare to experience the miracles before us. As we wait, God comes to us.

This Lent, I will try to give up impatience and wait for things to come. I’ll try to embrace silence and stillness and learn to wait. It won’t be easy (I’ll probably pull at the car door on Easter morning), but I’ll begin. And maybe I will be able to welcome the miracle of Easter more than ever before.

Prayer

Lord, grant us the ability to wait, to calm our minds and hearts and know the peace of stillness. Help us to rest in silence so we can experience the awe of your resurrection. Amen.

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Opening My Ears

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 26, 2023 — Morning

By Laine Thomas

Opening My Ears

Read: Hosea 12:6 NIV

“But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.”

Read: Micah 7:7 NIV

“But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.”

Prayer is a challenging daily practice in my life. I turn to it when I need something but I don’t often just listen in prayer for what God has to say to me. Instead, I try to determine my own path and pray just to make sure He’s on board with the direction I’ve already planned on heading.

These forty days are a chance to refocus away from the world and grow spiritually. It’s a time to make our hearts and minds ready for God. Sacrificing something we enjoy becomes an opportunity to fill that missing piece with Him. Because talking it out in prayer is how I try to manage things, instead I’m giving my words to God. I’m spending this Lenten season in prayer. I’m planning to give my time to the Lord. I’m not looking for answers to my prayers. Instead, I want to remind myself that I’m not meant to conquer this world alone. I’m using this Lent to listen to Him and let His words and intention guide me. My house will be quieter this season, but my ears and heart will be open for all He has to tell me.

Sacrifice and spiritual growth can come in many forms and this Lenten season, I hope we all find our way closer to God and are reminded of our need for him minute by minute in our lives. It’s never easy to change our habits, to reset, and we are blessed for this reminder to work on it every year knowing that our God will hear us.

Prayer

Lord, I pray for every person sacrificing comforts, serving you, and giving a bit of themselves this season in order to refocus our faith and grow closer to You. Hear their hearts and minds this season and let them hear you in return. Thank You for the promise you give us that our sins are forgiven and there is life after death. It sustains us on the hardest days. Guide us in Your will always. In Jesus’s name we pray, Amen.

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Weekly Prayer – March 22, 2023

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of March 22, 2023

Rev. Catherine Nance

God who made the rain and sunshine, we give you thanks for both! We have mumbled a bit about cold air in March because it does not align with our understanding of Spring! You are the creator of seasons. We are the creators of calendars! You are the author of time. We are the makers of demarcations.

Spring takes its time as it sheds winter’s gray and cold. We do not change overnight – you know that! Why do we expect a full-blown spring on the day after the equinox? Forgive us, O God, when we do not marvel at your creation and the majesty of planets and orbits and the phases of the moon. Forgive us, O God, when we do not offer thanks for umbrellas, windshield wipers, raincoats, dry socks, and heaters. “Thank you, God, for umbrellas,” sounds like a children’s prayer to us. May we be like children, Father God. May we take delight, Mother God, in the gifts of each day.

So, as we come to the close of this day, before we check the weather for tomorrow, we thank you for the gift of right now. A time to pause and give thanks, to marvel at the small but cheerful glimmers of hope, love, and grace we have experienced: Homemade cookies, an unexpected but encouraging text message, seeing a co-worker from years past, laughing along with the radio host this morning, speaking with a child who wanted to share, looking forward to hot tea before bed.

O God who made the moon and ordered the seasons so that they do not startle us but remind us that we, too, weave and grace and saunter and stall our way through our own seasons! Bless all of our days … whether the weather is pleasing to us or not! May our response to you and our delight in your love for us be pleasing to you!

As we give thanks to you, we also remember our loved ones who have asked for prayers. We think of strangers we met today who seemed to want connection. We offer prayers for them and trust your Holy Spirit to connect. We want to rest well tonight so we will set aside the things that are worrying us and the things we do not have control over. Thank you for creating us in a way that we can care about things … and, also, set things aside. What a gracious God you are!

We offer prayers alongside our church family…

We pray for…

  • A friend’s three-year old who is in ETCH; prayers for strength for parents
  • People who do so much for others who are in need themselves; thankful for their joy-filled spirit
  • A member’s dear friend who is like a sister to her; she is experiencing so much pain from cancer. We pray that she can be released from hospital and can spend her last days at home with her precious family.
  • A church member who is in assisted living while recovering from a fall
  • A church member hospitalized with pneumonia and cardiac concerns; prayers for infection to be eradicated
  • A church member in hospice care in her last days; prayers of thanksgiving for a loving and devoted family.
  • Parents who are dealing with so many things…

We give thanks for… 

  • Members who have been able to return to church after hospitalization
  • A baby girl and her parents, grandparents, aunt, and all who love her!
  • A renewed spirit after vacation.
  • A good report from doctor after follow up visit
  • A dear mother celebrating her 90th birthday!

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for… 

  • Couples who are wanting to have children and have not yet been physically able; prayers for discernment
  • A member receiving chemotherapy and his family
  • Those who are in rehab
  • Our nation
  • Peace and an end to conflict in Ukraine

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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Reminders

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 19, 2023 — Evening

By Sophia Thompson

Reminders

Read: Hebrews 2:18

“Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.”

During Lent, we are asked to reflect on Jesus’ suffering. Our resolutions are intended to point us to our need for a savior and how Jesus shared in our temptations and suffering. Often, our world can feel overwhelming. There is hardship and loss that is difficult to comprehend. We often struggle to reconcile our suffering with the belief in a good Lord, who is full of mercy and love for his people. Although we ultimately believe in a good plan, we are unsure of where feelings of grief work into this.

However, during Lent we are offered a space to reflect on the suffering of Jesus, to be reminded that there is space for our suffering as Jesus stands beside us. We remember that there is perfect understanding in Jesus as he endured suffering and temptation for our sake. Most of all we are reminded that this ends in hope and glory. At the end of Lent we are met with the news of Easter. We are reminded that even though the darkness in our world cannot be denied, there is a light and a hope that have already overcome it.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this time of reflection. We pray that as we walk through this season of lent we will be reminded that you are a kind companion that stands with us through all. Most of all, we pray that we will be reminded of the hope and glory that are to come. Amen.

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Come Unto Him All Ye Who Labor

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 19, 2023 — Morning

By Bill Terry

Come Unto Him All Ye Who Labor

Read: Matthew 11:28-30

I tend to judge music by one highly-scientific criterion: does it give me chill bumps? Right at the top of my list is the duo near the end of Part 1 of Handel’s Messiah. “Come unto him all ye that labor, and he will give you rest.” I recommend finding a recording on YouTube or your favorite music streaming service. Sit comfortably in a quiet room and allow the music to pour over you. The melody is very calming and the verses reassuring, both of which are greatly needed in our world.

Prayer

Dear Lord, we thank you for the message of tranquility that this music provides. May it guide us through our busy lives with great comfort.

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Weekly Prayer – March 15, 2023

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of March 15, 2023

Steve Richardson, Lay Leader

God in heaven and in our midst, thank you for these moments to turn our thoughts to you and pray. 

In just a few days, our season crosses the threshold from winter to spring. Like so many events in your realm, God, the change will happen quietly, without fanfare or sudden surges. In the silence of space, our peculiarly-tilted planet will proceed along its path around the sun. Daylight hours will continue to lengthen. And your diverse creation around us will re-awaken to newness of another cycle of life. Inspire and help us to be entrusted caretakers of your bountiful earth, seas and sky. 

For many children, youth and their families in our community, this has been a week of “spring break.” We pray that their opportunities of added time together with loved ones, other family members and friends will be meaningful, uplifting and spiritually enriching. We pray, too, for their safety as well as physical and mental wellbeing. 

Even though your grace and love abound around us, we are so easily distracted by brokenness we see — and sometimes experience — daily.  Disparities can be overwhelming: health concerns, broken relationships, grief, social injustices, financial uncertainties, loneliness, natural disasters, ecological disruptions, abuse, war, oppression, violence (just to name a few). Despite the challenges that may kindle discouragement, remind us of your promise that you will steadfastly continue to be with us. May your ultimate will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Further, give us the courage, confidence and wisdom to do things that enable your will being done – even when we might feel such actions are inadequate and wonder instead, “Will it really make a difference?” 

We pray with gratitude for our clergy and church staff, whose daily commitments to service for your church provide a safe, welcoming, sacred space and community for worship, mission, learning and spiritual growth.   

During our journey through this Lenten season, help us sense and share your unconditional love. Move us to respond with grace to others, just as you do for us.  And humbly we ask you, God, to receive and respond to these important prayer requests from congregation members and neighbors: 

We pray for…

  • A couple whose precious dog died last week; Buster was a special gift to help bring comfort and hope after a tragic loss of a child.
  • A church member receiving treatment for herniated disc; prayers for relief from pain!
  • A couple who is wanting to have a baby and cannot physically; prayers for direction and answers and options and joy!
  • Friends and family of a man who died after suffering a massive stroke.
  • Members of a Sunday School class pray for one another to have increased wisdom and thinking as they study the Bible.
  • A daughter who has struggled with pneumonia and other complications after hospitalization; prayers that new meds and treatment will bring healing
  • A couple who just got married last week.
  • Friends and family who are dealing with so many stressors
  • Our mission outreach in Willow, Alaska
  • Those with COVID; may they all be mild cases and not infect others!

We continue to pray for… 

  • Those waiting; so many waiting on hearing back from doctors, labs, and appointment desks! Lord, in your mercy, we pray for our healthcare system!
  • A church member who is still struggling to feel better after surgery
  • Senior high youth as they make decisions about ‘next year.’
  • A couple with a high-risk pregnancy
  • Those who are looking for a job that will bring meaning

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for… 

  • The ability to travel to see family during Spring Break! 
  • A successful job search – finally! Praise the Lord for a member’s niece and her finding the right job!
  • A grandbaby!

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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Symbols

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 12, 2023 — Evening

By Steve Richardson

Symbols

Read: John 13:34-35

“…Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this,

everyone will know that you are my disciples…”

From small to large, symbols are everywhere in Church Street’s spaces. Even the very architecture and design of the building, nave, windows and other spaces are symbols reflecting devotion to God. We not only see symbols, though. We also can hear them through chimes and music and words spoken. We smell and taste them in communion. We feel them in sacred moments such as water as part of baptism, laying of hands in Confirmation, and exchanges of rings in marriage.

And there is the cross. Such a simple design, yet such a profound, multifaceted, multidimensional symbol of Christian faith. Emanating from it are our foundational beliefs. It is a symbol to which we bow or kneel, which many wear or carry, and about which we sing, such as, “Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim … Come, Christians, follow this triumphant sign.”

All such symbols are important. But even more than these is each of us. I believe that each of us is called to be a living symbol, to be an expression and representation of God-centered living; to serve one another in the name of Christ; and to love one another as God loves us unconditionally.

Church Street’s “Welcome Statement” aptly captures and symbolizes the character of our collective congregation:

“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.”

Let each of us, too, as an individual living symbol, strive daily to reflect this.

Prayer

Because all of us are symbols of something, God, inspire us to choose to be symbols of your love and grace today and every day. Amen.

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We Have Work to Do

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Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 12, 2023 — Morning

By Suzanne Matheny

We Have Work to Do

Read: Luke 24:13

“Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about

seven miles from Jerusalem.”

Our church history hearkens to the Civil War division in America – a division not yet healed. I have vivid memories of the Jim Crow era and my job as a nurse’s aide at the newly built UT Hospital with segregated spaces. I recoil at the memory of raw racist hatred spewed by a white male patient at the black nurse who was training me. How she could bear it is unfathomable! I later worked on third floor – designated for black patients, one of whom was teenage David, same age as I. Too soon, I mourned his death, and I wonder what his life would have been had he survived his heart illness. What if? The future held injustices for us both; however, mine would not be because of my skin color; some of his would have been.

Reflecting on racial division, the late Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd, III, imagined anew the Emmaus road.

“Those disciples knew plenty about injustice, hatred and loss… I imagine not just two disciples, but two types…some black, some white…seeking a new Easter where people of both races could share each other’s lives and honor and respect each other. What would it mean if we really embraced the fact that Christ crucified and risen has broken down the dividing walls between black and white, rich and poor…Easter happens when tombs are opened, old divisions heal, when people learn to forgive and to understand each other, when a society becomes more just and hopeful.”*

Prayer

God of Creation and Easter: We are created in your image and you are Spirit. Convict and forgive our human ways that see color over spirit. We know we have work to do. Help us see how and give us courage to build a just and hopeful world. Amen.

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*Lloyd, Samuel T., III. Sermons from the National Cathedral: Soundings for the Journey, pg. 167ff

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Weekly Prayer – March 8, 2023

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of March 8, 2023

Rev. Catherine Nance

O God who created the world, how beautiful is your creation! 

How good it has been lately to look up at the night sky! 

The full moon last night was so bright! We know the cycle will begin again …. Less light, more shadows, then the reflection and then brightness again. Thank you for the reassuring rhythm of the night sky.  

Venus and Jupiter have twinkled so brightly! The clear skies at night have given us a glimpse of your glory! When things ‘down here’ do not make sense, we look up! 

We thank you O God, for the gift of creation. When we feel the world is closing in on us, we simply look up at the cosmos. We look around at the spring colors! We notice the chirping of birds and pay attention to the outline of the mountains. 

How blessed we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world.  

We join our prayer with the hymn writer… 

This is my Father’s world: he shines in all that’s fair; in the rustling grass I hear him pass; he speaks to me everywhere. 

This is my Father’s world: why should my heart be sad? The Lord is King; let the heavens ring! God reigns; let the earth be glad! 

Thank you, O merciful God, for this time of prayer. A pause in the day to give thanks, to praise your majesty and to offer prayers of thanksgiving and petitions. We offer the concerns of our church family …. 

We pray for…

  • Good health for all as a family awaits arrival of first grandchild
  • Those recovering from surgeries; thankful for good friends and family
  • A member’s father who is dealing with mobility issues in addition to dementia; prayers for the daughter’s health
  • An elderly in-law who has stage 4 cancer and is in a lot of pain; prayers for him and all of the extended family.
  • A co-worker who had heart catheterization and a stent put in this morning; may she feel a renewed energy and hope!
  • Medical students who are waiting to hear where they will serve their residencies
  • Children who are having to go through medical tests; prayers for parents.
  • Those attending grief group; give solace as they share their stories

We continue to pray for… 

  • A friend who is in rehab after a stroke; prayers for the boyfriend and family who are with him.
  • Those who are waiting on medical tests to give answer
  • Families who are feeling economic strain
  • Caregivers
  • A church member recovering from surgery

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for… 

  • Safe travels for family who came to visit!
  • A special nurse at ETCH
  • A niece who received good news about a job!
  • Clear scans
  • Friends in my Sunday School class who have responded so lovingly

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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Fasting from Fear

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Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Sunday, March 5, 2023 — Evening

By Sarah Elliott

Fasting from Fear

Read: Psalm 27:13-14

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the

living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.”

In a recent study performed by Penn State*, 91.4% of worry predictions among the cohort of participants with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) did not come true.

While many of us don’t have GAD, how much of our worry is unwarranted? How does excessive worry take away from our faith in God? David had faith. In the face of his enemies, he was always confident that the Lord would be victorious. Did he worry? Absolutely. In Psalm 3, David displays his fear for the many of his foes. However, he had faith God would deliver him. He waited for the Lord and was victorious. He could have ran and hid when he was afraid, but he had faith. How was his faith so strong?

Why are we fearful? Are we not promised a bright future by God? Like David, we can anticipate victory in the land of the living. God sent his son Jesus who promised to return and take us home to be with him. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,” John 1:17. Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”

Can I strengthen my faith by fasting from fear? This Lenten season, when I find myself full of worry of things that might happen, I will replace the word fear with faith. I will have active faith that the Lord will deliver me. Active faith is a conscious effort to retrain my brain from focusing on fear to focusing on faith. The fear is likely not to occur, but if it does, God will walk with me and make me victorious.

Prayer

Most Heavenly Father, replace our fear with faith. Hear our confessions of hope, for we know you will keep your promises. Though our walk in the land of the living is filled with anxiety, grief, and illness, we hold strong to your promise of an eternal walk with you. Guide us with grace and truth in this land of living so our faith can be strengthened and overcome our fears. Amen.

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