Don’t Get in a Hurry

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, April 1, 2023 – Evening

By John Eldridge

Don’t Get in a Hurry

Read: Matthew 26:17-28:10

The season of Lent anticipates and causes us to look forward to Easter. Ah … EASTER! Flowers everywhere. Huge Church attendance. People dressed in their Sunday best and smiles on everyone’s faces.

But we cannot get to Easter before experiencing the events of Holy Week. Indeed, there would be no Resurrection, without Jesus suffering unto death beforehand. The Last Supper, praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Being arrested. Being whipped. Carrying the Cross to Golgatha. Nails being driven into his hands and feet. Jesus’ last words of comfort, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” and finally, relief, “It is finished”. All this and so much more occur in Holy Week – before Easter!

We are called to experience the pain and suffering of Jesus during Holy Week, in order to be able to celebrate the Resurrection.

The name of those days before Easter, “Holy Week,” speaks volumes. Because the week is so meaningful, it is called “Holy,” a week set apart as the most special of the Christian calendar.

Prayer

Gracious God, enable us to experience all of Easter, including the most meaningful events of Holy Week, before we experience the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.

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Keeping Watch

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Daily Lent Devotions from Church Street UMC

Saturday, April 1, 2023 – Morning

By Jenny Cross, Director of Youth Ministry

Keeping Watch

Read: Micah 7:7

Several years ago, I traveled through the Bible with a chronological yearly reading plan. Our Bibles are printed canonically – essentially meaning the books of scripture are grouped together by themes. So, when you read a chronological plan, you move back and forth between different books. The first part of Genesis then jumps to Job, stories of David in 2 Samuel coordinate with stories in Chronicles and the Psalms, and so on. I expected to learn about the overall timeline of scripture, approaching this as an educational experience. But I was surprised and deeply moved by the way this trip through scripture drastically changed my perspective on God’s love, mercy, and grace.

Over and over in the Old Testament, we see God’s prophets (His messengers) given the task of sharing news with His people (the Israelites). But more often than not, these prophets experience rejection and frustration. Their words are not received or are intentionally rebelled against. How exhausting their jobs must have been! But nearly all the time, they remain steadfast. (Jonah is another story for another time.) And while this is the pattern of the prophets time and time again, I am always a little surprised when they respond to hardship with trust and praise.

The prophet Micah’s message is one of accusation and warning, but paired with hope and restoration. He reminds Israel of their faithlessness and calls them back to God. In the final chapter of the book, he opens with a poem of lament. One translation titles it “Israel’s Misery.” But in the final statement of that poem, something changes. It says, “But me! I will keep watch for the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” And the book closes with more poems about Israel’s restoration and God’s compassion.

Lent is often a time when I’m keenly aware of suffering and misery. This year, especially as we approach Holy Week, I want to adopt the posture of Micah. When I am frustrated by the crowd yelling “Crucify;” when the struggles of daily life leave me tired, and weak and worn; when I, like the disciples, wrestle with doubt and disbelief, I want to say, “But me! I will keep watch for the Lord.”

Prayer

Lord, You are steadfast when we are not. Your love remains when we fail. You offer grace and mercy that we could never earn or deserve. Help us turn our hearts toward you. Remind us to keep watch for your steady presence. We will wait for you. And we know you hear our prayers. Amen.

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Weekly Prayer – March 29, 2023

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of March 29, 2023

Rev. Tim Best

This prayer was originally offered on Sunday, March 26 by Rev. Tim Best after we read scripture from Ezekiel 37:1-14 … the valley of dry bones. Rev. Best has added to this prayer since Monday morning, following the deaths in Nashville. Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Almighty God, King of the Universe

We give you thanks for your mission and ministry in our midst. We praise you for your grace that seeks us out and works within us and within our communities. You do notice when our bones feel dried out, our lives feel parched, and the forces of the world crush and overwhelm us. In the midst of tragedy and violence, we feel crushed and overwhelmed. Jesus came amongst us to make your love known by healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, and freeing us all from the powers of sin and death. Thank you for transforming us by your great mercy and inviting us into your kingdom now and in the age to come. 

We are invited into your kingdom, we are invited to share in a living vision of dry bones being given new life. Breathe new life into us, that as our hearts are wrenched open by the senselessness of violence we might participate in your mission of new life and new creation. Though the world tempts us to wring our hands and accept that some things just “are”, we trust in the promise that in Jesus all things truly are possible. Let us live out your mission of peace boldly in our world, in our community, and in our relationships with one another. 

We do pray for those who are sick, those who suffer in body or mind, and those who are hungry. We pray for those who mourn, those filled with anger, for those filled with fear. We pray for friends who await for test results. We pray for families anxious about having enough. We pray for those who are lonely and long friendship and love. O God, our hearts ache for the communities in Mississippi which have been reduced to rubble. We know that your love, your Spirit, can breathe comfort and hope into the people of Rolling Fork and other towns.

Many of us joined together in service this past weekend. We packed boxes, put cleaning kits together, and offered ourselves in other ways as part of our “mission weekend.” It is good for us to gather together to serve and to work towards goals to help in our community and our world. But, we pray that you would shape our hearts so that when we hear the word “mission” we would think of the word “love.” Let our works be always done in love and with the purpose of making your love known. In your Spirit all things we do and all we say can participate in your mission of love in our world. Ezekiel had a vision of you giving new life in the face of death. Help us to share in that vision with our words and our deeds.

Just as Jesus acted for the good of the people he encountered, guide us to pray and work together to act for the good of our neighbors. Often our actions do not alleviate the suffering of our neighbors, and more than we care to admit likely contribute to it. 

Give us a vision of your kingdom, that we may live boldly as those who believe that the world will be set right, and that even the places of dry bones will know new life in Christ Jesus. 

We pray for …

  • Members who are in hospice care; may they know God’s peace and comfort. Prayers for family members who keep vigil.
  • An elderly family friend who is declining
  • A member’s brother and sister-in-law who are about to become parents!
  • Clarity in difficult situations
  • Prayers from a Sunday School class to strengthen members and deepen their discipleship
  • All of the people in Mississippi who are devastated by tornado
  • Direction for our state and federal leaders to make sensible changes to gun laws. 
  • All of the students, faculty, and families at Covenant Christian School in Nashville TN
  • The family of the shooter 
  • Seniors who are making decisions about future
  • A member who is hospitalized; praying her body can fight infection

We give thanks for …

  • A brother who is hiking the Appalachian Trail and taking a break at his 500-mile mark here with family.
  • Caring nurses in the ICU at hospital
  • Church leaders who offer words of encouragement and testimony
  • Police officers and EMTs

We continue to pray for …

  • A member receiving chemotherapy and his family
  • Those who are in rehab
  • Our nation
  • Peace and an end to conflict in Ukraine
  • A friend’s three-year old who is in ETCH; prayers for strength for parents

May we be shaped by his mission to us that we may live out that prayer that he taught us, as we pray it together, 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.

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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.

Have a Prayer Request?

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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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