Weekly Prayer – September 14, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of September 14, 2022

Rev. Catherine Nance

With just a hint of cooler weather in the air, we are reminded that you are the God of All Seasons. You created your world, O God, with the beauty and gift of autumn, winter, spring, and summer. Sometimes we speak of these seasons as if they end one day and begin the next. Our calendar will tell us the first day of autumn is just one week away. We give thanks for scientists who can measure and map where Earth is in its orbit and explain the seasons. We give thanks for preschool teachers who teach songs about the four seasons. We are thankful for memories of early artwork – large sheets of paper divided into four equal quadrants – one with orange and red leaves, one with snowflakes, then bright flowers, and the last with a bright, smiling sun! These divisions and measurements give order to our lives and help us plan; your order has given us days to look forward and a sense of knowing that things always change. But there is beauty in the change. 

We know that the seasons do not stay in the bold lines of our kindergarten four-square season chart, but that you allow us time to prepare, to anticipate, to hope, and yes, even to be disappointed when a hot summer day appears in October or we need a sweater and scarf on an April afternoon! Thank you for caring for your Earth and for us that we do not abruptly land into a new season, but that you allow for gradual changes. May we take time to savor, to appreciate, to accept right now as the time you have given us.  

O God of All Ages and Stages, remind us that you are with us as we go through changing seasons in our lives. There are cycles we anticipate and celebrate and then the not-so-subtle changes we thought we would never experience. May we be graceful and feel your grace as we go through the stages and seasons of life. When we see others around us in different stages and places, may we offer prayers: 

  • For children who are so curious and demand attention right now – bless their sense of wonder 
  • For young parents who are burdened to think they must do everything perfectly – ease their self-imposed stress 
  • For graduate students and young adults figuring out ‘what’s next,’ – let them feel your guidance and peace 
  • For adults who are wondering ‘is this what I wanted?’ – give them clarity of your love and purpose 
  • For those who feel alone – may we be open to those who need a gesture of kindness 

Thank you, O God, for the subtlety of change of seasons that gives us time to appreciate, time to give thanks, and time to prepare. We thank you for all of the seasons you have given us.  

We turn towards the evening with a grateful heart for your presence and we open our heart in prayer as we share these concerns and thanksgivings from our church family…

We pray for…

  • Church members who are traveling to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville; particular prayers for one who is dealing with neuropathy and another who is awaiting diagnosis and a clear path of treatment.
  • A family who is in the midst of new beginnings: new house, new job, selling house! Prayers that stress be transformed into positive energy!
  • A young father who is following up with doctor about GI issues
  • A dear aunt, aged 96, that she remain in good health
  • Those in our church family with COVID
  • A church member who is a beloved mother, mother-in-law, and friend who is struggling with health concerns and weakness.
  • A best friend who has been recovering from cancer and now has a new diagnosis. Doctors say this one is treatable. Prayers for her body to receive this intensive treatment well. Prayers for her husband and friends as well.
  • The nieces and nephews who celebrate the life of a church member; thankful for the gift of Eternal Rest and a life well lived!
  • A member meeting with cardiologist Thursday morning after experiencing some concerns recently
  • A friend having dental surgery on Friday
  • A little girl having tonsils removed next Wednesday morning; prayers for parents!

We offer prayers of thanksgiving for…

  • Family in Texas … and for all who know how important it is to keep in touch!
  • A good report from CT scan
  • A successful surgery of the 8-month old who had club feet amputated. The surgeons were able to leave enough bone for the prosthetics to be possible.
  • A brother who had a stroke this past week and is doing so much better thanks to excellent medical care. Prayers of thanksgiving for local hospitals and for loving family!
  • A group of young couples who have been visiting our church and met together last Sunday to plan for getting together; may their desire for Christian fellowship and study inspire us!
  • Recent high school grads who have gathered to plan a Bible study; may their desire for deeper discipleship inspire us!

Continued prayers for…

  • Those undergoing radiation treatments and chemotherapy
  • A sister who is struggling with high blood pressure
  • A friend who has been diagnosed with macular degeneration
  • City officials and agencies and churches as we address our houseless population
  • A son who has gotten a new job in the field he majored in.
  • A member awaiting procedures and results and relief from back pain

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 – September 7, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of September 7, 2022

Rev. Catherine Nance

A prayer inspired by Psalm 139 

O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. 

These words from the psalms should be a comfort to us, O God. We often complain that no one truly knows us, but yet you know us through and through. Perhaps the psalmist was overjoyed with this intimacy; instead we are embarrassed or ashamed. We would prefer that our thoughts were not so clear to you! Sometimes they are a jumbled mess to us – and yet you are able to discern them. You created every living thing because you desired life around you and through you. May we open ourselves to your loving and living presence and not recoil in fear or shame. Here we are O Lord, you know us so well – and continue to love us!  

You pursue me behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  

O God who walks alongside and ahead and behind, we want to feel your companionship and your presence. When we wander off clear paths may we feel your hand leading us home. When we hurriedly move past our family and friends, we are thankful for your hand that reminds us to slow down and pay attention. When we feel immobilized with fear, or boredom, or depression, or anxiety, may we feel the nudging and pushing along of your loving hand on us. You are indeed acquainted with all our ways, O Lord, and what a relief it is to us that you continue to choose to walk with us. 

Where can I go from your spirit? Where shall I flee from your presence? 

Forgive us, O God who breathed into creation every conceivable place and space, when we say I am all alone. Whether we are feeling the despair of loneliness or fleeing to hide from you, your Holy Spirit breathes on us and reminds us of your steadfast presence. You created us and called us good. May we live into your goodness, O God, and trust that you desire to be with us. May your love for us make us loving toward others. Lift our eyes beyond the confines of our daily world to imagine others in your world, people of all nations who are also loved and cherished by you.  

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! 

We truly want to be disciples of Jesus Christ! Sift through our hesitation and our doubting. Sift through the selfishness and the justifications. As we open ourselves to you, may you transform us into disciples who rejoice in the grace you offer. Your love and acceptance of us should cause us to rejoice and yet we often grumble and accuse others who think differently or have experienced you in a way with which we are not familiar. Oh God, lead us in your way! 

How profound to me are your thoughts, O God! 

It is with a sense of profound awe that we lay before you the concerns and petitions of our brothers and sisters … 

We pray for…

  • Bishop Bill McAlilly of the TN-Western KY Conference of the UMC who is recovering from surgery after an automobile accident …
  • The people in Jackson, Mississippi who have no water. Pray that leadership will see the plight of the poor and forgotten. Prayers for help with infrastructure.
  • A son who is struggling to find a job that is meaningful and for which he has prepared and trained; prayers for ‘in the meantime’ as he deals with rejection
  • A forty-four year old man who has melanoma in several organs and the friends and family who love him
  • A church member who was involved in a car accident. No injuries (Praise the Lord!) but the inconvenience and all the aftermath with repairs and insurance. Praying for peace through a difficult time
  • A church member who had surgery today
  • A five-year old who is battling brain cancer and for the people who tend to him.
  • A family who is dealing with major medical issues; prayers that insurance will approve next steps and that logistics of receiving care are met with ease
  • Prayers for a son concerned about his parents and their hesitancy in asking for help. We pray for all parent/child relationships as caregiving becomes an issue
  • For a sister who has completed radiation treatments but is so fatigued from them.
    A ten-month old who is having both feet amputated this week because of severe club feet.
  • A colleague who is planning to move; prayers for clear answers about timeline and logistics as retirement nears
  • A member’s sister who is having health concerns due to extremely high blood pressure; prayers for a path forward to deal with the issue.

We continue prayers for…

  • Our college freshmen and their parents! Both are making adjustments! We pray for all students from kindergarten and up who are past the Labor Day break and adjusting to the new normal of routine.
  • Those who are undergoing treatment for cancer, who are waiting test results, and who are waiting on follow up appointments. Prayers for patience and hope in the waiting.
  • Members of a Sunday School class who are concerned about one another’s finances.
  • Friends and family who are simply trying to survive each day

We give thanks for…

  • Opportunities to learn through the LIVING FORWARD event and the BRIDGES OUT OF POVERTY training. Thankful for committee members who work to promote education and advocacy in our families and our community.
  • For upcoming Stephen Ministry training and for hearts that are being stirred to serve in this caring ministry.
  • Our Stephen Ministers – especially our newly commissioned ones! May God bless them!
  • Members and staff who have felt the relief of student loan debt forgiven. Thankful for the opportunity during stressful financial times to have a sense of hope and rearranging budgets.
  • Two of our Soup Kitchen neighbors who have found housing
  • The completion of infusion therapy after a year; prayers of thanksgiving for God’s healing presence

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 – August 31, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of August 31, 2022

Rev. Kim Goddard, Superintendent of New River District

This week’s prayer was written by Rev. Kim Goddard, Superintendent of the New River District. Kim also serves as the Dean of the Cabinet. We are sharing this from the “We Pray Together” project offered by our Holston Conference Communications. 

Gracious Lord,

You once met a woman by a well and offered living water she did not know she needed. You quenched her thirst, filled her to overflowing, and everyone she met saw the transformation.

Oh, Living Water, do for us, what you did for her.

Make us thirsty again.

Cause us to drink so deeply from your springs of living water that we are transformed.

We confess, too often we content ourselves with half-hearted discipleship, and it leaves us parched and weak.

You offer us means of grace, like dippers, to drink in your presence and guidance. Too often, we leave them to gather dust.

We pray at meals, at church, when we emoji praying hands on Facebook, but find it so hard to quiet ourselves to linger and listen for your voice.

We open the Bible to prepare a sermon, or Sunday School lesson, or prove a point, but rarely go to scripture expecting to be challenged or changed.

We fast for our physical health, but Lord, when have we fasted for the singular joy of following you, communing with you?

We love to attend church where we experience family and fellowship, but do we leave without bending to you in worship and submission?

We send thoughts and prayers to the suffering and lost, but let others take the cup of cold water, the blanket, the Bible, the real presence of a friend.

Lord, is it any wonder we find it hard to guide others to your springs of living water when we are so parched ourselves?

Oh, Living Water, do for us, what you did for a Samaritan woman at a well.

Make us thirsty again.

Cause us to drink so deeply from your springs of living water that we are transformed.

Then, transformed, send us with dippers and buckets to share.

O God who hears all of our prayers, we offer the following requests on behalf of our church family:

We pray for…

  • A clear diagnosis for a member’s husband in the midst of so many questions
  • Peace of mind for a family who is in process of buying and selling a home
  • A friend who has brain cancer.
  • Friends and families who are going through difficult times
  • A sister and her family who has been diagnosed with dementia

Continued prayers for…

  • Loved ones in families who are battling cancer and going through difficult treatments
  • Family members battling addictions
  • Those who are grieving deaths of family members; may precious memories sustain

We give thanks for…

  • A member’s negative CT scan report
  • A new job! Prayers for joy and wisdom
  • Opportunity to share food and fellowship with Maplehurst neighbors last Thursday night
  • Sunday School classes and members who care for one another; prayers to know God’s strength and guidance
  • The baptism of a precious child of God last Sunday
  • Children’s and youth programs back in full swing on Sunday morning and evenings

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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Weekly Prayer – August 24, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of August 24, 2022

Rev. Tim Best

We give you great thanks for the gift of rest and renewal in your Son Jesus. Guide our lives that we might find patterns of liberation and renewal from all those forces that when not controlled and bounded by your love bind and control us. Grant us your peace that our spirits might be cured of what ails us and we might stand tall with dignity and love.

Heal me, hands of Jesus!

Merciful Lord,

Heal and comfort those who suffer in body and spirit. We pray for those who grieve. May you walk alongside them and help them to find rest in the promise of resurrection. We ask for healing for all recovering from injury or operations. May they have access to good Doctors, caring and qualified nurses, and attentive caregivers. Awaken our hearts that where there is need your church may be at work to care, advocate, and support. Bless all the suffering neighbors and friends that we name before you in our hearts.

Heal me, hands of Jesus!

Almighty God,

You fashioned all things out of nothing. Let us rejoice in the gifts of your creation and show care for all life that dwells upon the earth, that swims in the seas, that lives under the earth, or fills the skies. As you give us Sabbath that we might know freedom from our labors and our cares, may we grant rest to the earth and all creatures from toil and use. Help us to rejoice in the beauty of all that you have made and to use all resources well and to your glory.

Heal our earth, O Lord!

Ruler of all things,

We pray for our community, our state, and our nation. Grant your wisdom and compassion to those who make decisions on behalf of others and for the sake of whole communities. We pray for Mayors Kincannon and Jacobs. We pray for governor Lee and all state legislators. We pray for all senators and members of the house of representatives. We pray for President Biden. We pray for the leaders of all the nations, those we consider friends and those we think of as enemies. Guide your church in our work to be peace within our community and within the world.

Heal our communities, O Lord!

Loving Father,

Lord in your mercy… God of mercy and healing, you who hear the cries of those in need, receive these petitions of your people that all who are troubled may know peace, comfort, and courage.

We pray for …

  • Young adults who are seeking meaningful employment
  • A son who desires a job in his chosen field; may he not become discouraged with rejections and roadblocks
  • A sister who has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in breasts, bones and possibly liver; prayer for comfort and for healing
  • A member’s sister-in-law recently diagnosed with bone marrow cancer; also battling pneumonia.
  • A friend with ALS; may she experience the comfort of God’s love and love of friends who care
  • A member grieving the death of his sister-in-law; praying the entire family feels God’s strength and comfort.
  • A family whose newborn died; we pray for all who loved him and all who cared for him in NICU.
  • Loved ones struggling after the suicide of a son; for the complicated grief that follows
  • For children facing surgery
  • For patience and understanding when we struggle with “why?” May we know God’s desire for us in how to be present in horrific and devastating situations.

We give thanks for …

  • A son who has gotten a job in the field he studied for! So grateful for his happiness.
  • The rejuvenation experienced after time away with colleagues
  • Safe travels
  • Friends who offer comfort and strength
  • Pastor Jan Buxton Wade and all she means to our church family. Prayers for good health and joy as she and Dwight spend more time with family now. 

Life-giving God, heal our lives, that we may acknowledge your wonderful deeds and offer you thanks from generation to generation through Jesus Christ our Lord as we pray that prayer he taught us, praying…

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?

/by

Weekly Prayer – August 17, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of August 17, 2022

Rev. Jan Buxton Wade

You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens,

with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them;

you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you.  (Nehemiah 9:6)

Vibrant Framer of the Universe, the shadows shift as the wind makes its way through the trees, rearranging the path of clouds, delicate and dense alike. Truly your name is proclaimed with each stirring of the heavens above. Such stirrings echo your Spirit’s soaring over the void to create light and life. In richness and variety you clothed your creation, a masterpiece of color and texture no human mind could fathom. By the solace our earth offers, by its freshness that brings peace, by its richness that feeds body and soul, we are more than blessed.

O Lord, we praise you!

Merciful Creator, you planted us within your world to love and to tend, yet we confess that through both greed and ignorance we have maimed your astonishing creation, our blessed inheritance. We have been careless in polluting the pure air, water, soil that were gifted us, forgetting you intended this as our common home, sufficient to sustain all peoples.  Will this remain our legacy – always taking more than we give?  We weep at the thought. Open our eyes and our hearts, we pray, to behold the harm we have caused; move us to cherish the resources we have neglected and to join in the deliberate act of restoration—for the world’s sake and for your glory.

O Lord, forgive us!

Healing Hand, in many ways, we are like the bent-over woman whom Jesus restored on the sabbath, staring at our own feet, thinking it impossible to change existing circumstances. But you, O Lord, are in the business of re-creating and you call us forth to be a new creation.  Show us, through that same holy healing power, that you can straighten what is bent in body and soul, aligning our commitment with your own vision. Even if our first steps are hesitant, you will strengthen us to correct the wrongs we have inflicted upon your people and your good earth. Point us and move us into your future, even if it means giving up our dreams of wealth and progress.                             

O Lord, heal us!

And now, Faithful One, we turn our thoughts to the myriad signs of graciousness that have come our way throughout these recent days, and we also share the deepest concerns of your people of the Church Street community:

We pray for …

  • A brother going through cancer treatment
  • A church member’s friend whose little three-year old is at Vanderbilt receiving bone marrow transplant; prayers for the whole family and for the team of medical personnel fighting this leukemia
  • A close friend who is downsizing and moving
  • A member asks for prayers after a concussion and follow up appointment with doctor
  • An aunt who has pancreatic cancer; prayers for strength and comfort, and contentment
  • For all who struggle with home expenses and repairs and maintenance
  • A woman experiencing back pain; praying for appointment to open soon
  • Several members with Covid; thankful for mild symptoms.
  • Children and youth back at school; prayers for safety and health
  • A caregiver’s little five –year old daughter who is ill; prayers for healing
  • Vacancies in schools and preschools to be filled with wonderful teachers

Prayers of thanksgiving for …

  • Faithful soup kitchen volunteers each Thursday
  • Thankful a father has moved to a nursing facility closer to home
  • Our Church Street UMC Preschool and all of the staff
  • For Sunday School classes who are praying for grade levels and students in our church
  • Successful surgeries and procedures for several family members and friends

Reclaiming Spirit, move among us as we take our rest this evening, for we know we serve a God whose mercy never fails. Bind our hearts together as we sleep, that we might rise straight and tall, refreshed to follow and to serve, always praying as we were taught by Jesus:

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?

/by

Weekly Prayer – August 10, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of August 10, 2022

Rev. Jan Buxton Wade

O God of Every Place and Time, when we chance to turn to you, we are assured your listening ears are attuned to our deepest needs and desires. How blessed are we by such favor! You merely ask us, in turn, to just as earnestly listen to your voice that speaks to us throughout our days. We must confess, however, that we seldom reciprocate in these uncertain times. Perhaps, more than anything else, it is our fear that feeds our reluctance to listen.  

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Because we fear our own poverty, we spend our time clutching our possessions. Because we fear being known for who we truly are, we use our time cultivating that preferred image of ourselves. Because we fear appearing helpless, we pretend we don’t need the help others may offer. Because we fear the future, we exhaust precious hours in secret handwringing. Slow us down, O Attentive One, and calm our souls, we pray. Lean close and whisper that our fears are but a foolish buffer to an authentic relationship with you. Never cease your tender wooing, we pray. We have ears to hear, may we learn to listen!

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

O Spirit of Life, by confessing our own preoccupation with ourselves, we realize how soundly you have grounded us in your life-giving grace. You have given us our church, our home away from home, our commission to serve, our avenue to spiritual renewal. You have honored us with the privilege of regularly partaking of Holy Communion, a tangible reminder that we are members of the body of Christ, called to share the burdens of others. And when we share in this way, may it be a sign that we are also bearing the cross of Jesus.  

Lord in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Knowing that you help us bear all our trials and also take delight in our joy, we name these particular petitions that have been offered recently by members of our Church Street family:

We pray for… 

  • Friends who are going through difficult situations; may they feel God’s guiding presence 
  • Families who are struggling with the extra expenses of school fees and supplies 
  • Individuals faced with unexpected home repairs; prayers for financial relief 
  • All people to have increased wisdom of God’s presence 
  • All those who are battling drug addiction and for their families who feel helpless. 
  • A child whose mother died; may he have a supportive and positive community around him 
  • Those recovering from COVID and their family members; especially those who are compromised with other health issues 
  • A friend having surgery 
  • A friend with leukemia  
  • All students and teachers and school personnel; special blessings on those who are in homebound situations.  
  • A member who is beginning a new work position this week; others who are in transition with jobs. 
  • Teachers who are teaching online; students who are choosing online option 
  • New school superintendent for Knox County, Jon Rysewyk 
  • A mother who is hospitalized; prayers for stabilization so necessary procedures can be initiated. 
  • Doctors, nurses and all who work in NICU; thankful for their compassion and expertise
  • Family member traveling out of state for medical treatment 

We pray with thanksgiving for… 

  • Acts of kindness and encouragement 
  • Healing after surgery and during rehabilitation 
  • Pastor Rick Isbell; thankful for his years of dedication to Confirmation Class and our sixth graders 
  • Positive experience for our Parish Youth Choir and all adults leading them this weekend in their retreat 
  • The help of therapists, family, and friends with the process of grief

And now, stripping away every pretense that would block us from you, O God Beyond Place and Time, we lay our earnest prayers at the feet of your Blessed Son, using the ancient, yet most powerful words he 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.

Have a prayer request?

/by

Weekly Prayer – August 3, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of August 3, 2022

Rev. Jan Buxton Wade*

Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of Heav’n to earth come down;
Fix in us thy humble dwelling; all thy faithful mercies crown!
Jesus, Thou art all compassion; pure unbounded love Thou art;
Visit us with Thy salvation, enter every trembling heart.

Ah, Love Divine, our hearts indeed do tremble, for these are anxious days. Governments are at odds, the language of war and retaliation is prolific. Our own nation’s leaders seem to work at cross purposes, their bickering aired around the world. We have sullied our good earth and now in remorse we pay the price of our short sightedness: floods, fire, famine and drought are visited upon those most vulnerable. We have all but become comfortable with bloodshed and brutality in our streets and communities. We have abandoned our churches and have not lived up to our vows of faithful presence and witness. You have made us to be beacons, disciples of your unbounded love, O Lord, yet we have slipped far from your holy aim. Clear away our inner doubt and distrust, that there might be sufficient room to build your forever dwelling place. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.

Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit into every troubled breast!
Let us all in Thee inherit; let us find that second rest.
Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be;
End of faith, as its beginning, set our hearts at liberty.

Loving Spirit, breathe your awakening spirit into our troubled souls. Stir us from the lethargy that whispers everything is out of our hands, for scripture assures us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Give us courage to plant our feet securely upon your pure and steady rock of grace, believing your own possibilities will unfold if we remain steadfast. Gird us with purpose, we pray, that we might walk unflinching, staring down those prevalent forces of evil, taking a stand for justice in our community and in our world. Alpha and Omega, we depend upon you to give us what we need to respond to the crises of our age, serving our neighbors as ourselves.

Come, Almighty to deliver, let us all Thy life receive;
Suddenly return, and never, nevermore Thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing, serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
Pray and praise Thee without ceasing, glory in Thy perfect love.

Almighty Deliverer, you offer us fulness of life and why we so often take this gift for granted remains an enigma, even to ourselves. Plant anew in our hearts that longing for community, the realization that we, as a body of believers, personally need one another. Knit us together again, we pray, that we might be known as the body of Christ, upholding one another for your work in our world. And even as you watch over us, we ask that your grace would be manifest in the lives of these who submit their most recent prayers and thanksgivings:

  • Gratitude: Safe travel to and from L.A. – daughter settled in new position
  • Celebration the baptism of two youngsters and those who joined our congregation on Sunday
  • Prayers appreciated: Ill mother died peacefully at home
  • Thanksgiving for all at work assisting flood victims
  • Family celebrating a 50th wedding anniversary this week
  • Family happily sharing news of a pregnancy
  • Grateful for our faithful youth, youth leadership and volunteers
  • One seeks prayers for retention of her eyesight
  • Lift up all educators and students as a new school year begins
  • Prayers for family as they move a son to assisted living
  • Please remember in prayer a father undergoing a heart procedure
  • Guidance in decisions: Ill wife with extreme challenges
  • Church family mourning the death of beloved father July 29
  • One seeking forgiveness from and reconciliation with family
  • God’s presence with family, grieving death of cherished cousin
  • Prayer support for family -mother discontinuing cancer treatments
  • Husband grieving the recent death of his wife
  • Longtime friends in Virginia, support as they contend with wife’s breast cancer
  • Protection for all our needy friends in our church neighborhood
  • Pray for member family seeking ways to best help an extremely ill brother

Finish, then, Thy new creation; pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see Thy great salvation perfectly restored in Thee;
Changed from glory into glory, till in Heav’n we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee, lost in wonder, love, and praise.

Help us to trust, Love Divine, that your love exceeds all others, and that you are guiding, leading, and infusing us with a power that always surprises us. Move us, then, from glory into glory until you welcome us one glad day into your eternal realm. And there, we shall join that ageless chorus in singing praises to your Resurrected Son, who instructed us to pray:

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Have a prayer request?

*Verses of Love Divine, All Loves Excelling, by Charles Wesley, UMC Hymnal, p 384
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Weekly Prayer – July 27, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of July 27, 2022

Rev. Jan Buxton Wade

Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say rejoice.  Let your gentleness be known to everyone.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

We do rejoice, O One worthy of all praising! We delight in all that you have created for our benefit, for our sustenance, and for our pleasure. Each surging stream, twittering bird, or boxwood bending in the breeze reminds us of the fragility of such holy gifts. Share with us you message, O Magnanimous God, that it isn’t too late to repay your love with our grateful stewardship. Our bodies, too, these earthly tents with all their intricacies and abilities, are blessed offerings from your holy hand.  We acknowledge the privilege of walking upon the earth, to be part of the human race, for the freedoms our nation provides, for all who came before us as models of the faith, and for holy scripture which reminds us to whom we belong.  

Holy Lord, receive our prayer. 

 You meet us, O Christ, in our shadows and sorrow, and because of your illuminating love, we see how easily we are drawn into the dark web of error.  We have routinely closed our ears to the cries of the hurting around us.  We have kept a safe distance, unavailable to those in mourning, separated from the homeless, the betrayed, the despairing.  We have forgotten that the grace you have lavished upon us is to be shared – your means of drawing us nearer to one another.  Guide us through the thick vale of detachment, we pray, that we might emerge as tested light-bearers, whose actions link us securely with our brothers and sisters near and far.  Our pains and theirs may be different, but our need for your healing grace is the same for all. We would be conduits of that grace. 

Holy Lord, receive our prayer. 

 The Psalmist says all who seek refuge from you, O Lord, you will shelter under your wide wings.  Though words are rarely adequate to express our inner joys and desires, fears and perils, we remember each of these who most recently seek your refuge.  You are acquainted with each situation already, yet receive these appeals and thanksgivings anew from your people at Church Street who count you as their Sanctuary and Shelter: 

  • Gratitude for successful heart surgery on Friday 
  • Thankful: No complications with partial knee replacement  
  • Grateful for prayers: Invalid relative recovering from Covid 
  • Thanksgiving for releasing of grief for a member 
  • Family thankful for infant daughter’s baptism Sunday 
  • Appreciation for our faithful ushers & greeters 
  • Gratitude: Outpouring of school supply gifts for students and teachers in our neighborhood  
  • An aunt in Texas undergoing treatment for pulmonary fibrosis 
  • A grandchild in North Carolina (4 yrs) having tests for meningitis 
  • Prayers for mother nearing death & her son giving care 
  • Healing for member recovering from boating accident 
  • A sister in assisted living, visits restricted due to Covid 
  • Strength, guidance for a mother hospitalized 
  • Victims of flooding, help for families seeking restoration 
  • Brother-in-law with terminal cancer 
  • Husband grieving the recent death of his wife 
  • Daughter seeking wisdom in caring for her demanding mother 
  • Healing for a friend’s daughter (14) having seizures 
  • Prayers for daughter in LA, beginning her 1st job after college 
  • A family seeks strength, struggling with a recent diagnosis 

At the end of this day, may we look back and see how your grace has sustained us, how you have steadied us and have kept our feet from falling. And, as we turn this day page, now finished, may what little good we have done be counted for your glory and for the abiding mercy of our Savior Jesus, who taught us to pray in this way: 

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 – July 20, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of July 20, 2022

Rev. Jan Buxton Wade

Good and gracious God, Lord of the universe, Lord of all that is, Lord of our hearts, our souls burst forth with gratitude for your astounding love and care. Your name is written throughout your glorious creation – upon each star and planet, upon the sun and moon, upon our blessed earth, and upon space which expands into infinity. Where we fit into your divine plan remains in part such a profound mystery, yet we know enough to bow in humility for the gift of life itself, for the fact that you have included us in your majestic ordering, and for your wondrous goodness that is written out for each of us in the ordinariness of our days.

Loving Lord, hear our prayer.

Good and gracious God, we cannot detect the intricacy of the ways in which you are working in our individual lives, but the influence of your Spirit bears witness to your enlivening power all around us. When we find the misery of the world overwhelming, we see those who never lose heart. When our own voices are too weak to speak out against injustice, we hear resounding echoes of those who will not rest until equality is manifest. When we become weary of those who are marring and polluting the earth, there are your ceaseless followers bringing about the sweet waters of change. Tune our hearts also, we pray, to the spirit song that intones holy hope and restoration; then we, too, will become part of that resilient company bringing about your kingdom on earth.

Loving Lord, hear our prayer.

Good and gracious God, Lord of family and community, deflate our insensitivity in taking your gifts of relationship for granted; for truly our reliance upon our brothers and sisters is part of your sacred plan. Into our anxiety, plant your peace; where there are divisions, sow unity; where there is indifference, may concern blossom; and where anger rules, let understanding flourish. All things are

possible through your grace, so bestow that grace upon your people, we pray, until all hearts beat with your incomparable love.

Loving Lord, hear our prayer.

And remembering our bond with each one connected with our Church Street family, we offer their specific prayers on their behalf:

  • Prayers appreciated – family felt steady support during bereavement
  • Thankful widowed friend is returning to worship
  • Grateful for prayers: medical mission in support of women & children in Namibia was successful & many were blessed
  • Thankful for a father’s 84th birthday
  • Gratitude: a sister’s hip surgery with no complications
  • Celebration by one whose hand ailment has been cured
  • Thanksgiving for an exceptional family vacation
  • Family grateful: father’s cancer surgery went smoothly
  • Gratitude for prayers: frail friend survived July 13 surgery
  • Thanksgiving for Holston Conference & its outpouring of aid for disaster relief both in our nation & throughout the world
  • Prayers for wife having heart surgery this week at Mayo Clinic
  • Solace for family mourning the recent death of a nephew
  • Pray for miraculous healing of infant (10 months) -brain cancer
  • Continued prayers for a very ill brother & guidance for family
  • Prayers for a grandson (10) making a profession of faith July 24
  • A very ill cousin; beloved sister beginning radiation soon
  • Courage for member with dementia at home & her family
  • Lift up a daughter having eye surgery today – that all may go well
  • Leaders of all nations, that they might work for the good of the people
  • Prayers for ending the killing & evil destruction within Ukraine
  • Healing of anxiety of a divorced friend
  • Spiritual intervention needed: a mother & children in dilemma
  • Courage & guidance for dear friend with breast cancer
  • One seeks guidance in conversing with an atheistic friend
  • Healing for an invalid son suffering with Covid
  • One in deep depression, for insurance to pay for his medications
  • Peace for one who feels as if God is not answering his prayers
  • Safety & protection for one traveling great distances this week
  • A family in grief – have been shunned by their rural church

Good and gracious God, even as we are scattered, bind us together into one human family. Help us to be the body of Christ, loving and serving the world. And as you have created us all, we lift our voices in prayer, as 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 – July 13, 2022

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Weekly Prayers for the Church Street Family

Week of July 13, 2022

Rev. Tim Best

Friends in Christ, God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers, as dear to us as our own needs. Loving our neighbors as ourselves, we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions on behalf of the church and the world:

Gracious God we give you thanks for the wisdom and knowledge you have poured out upon us through your church. We are thankful for minds that wonder and souls that search for you. Guide our learning and our teaching that through it all you might be made known and glorified. Where our knowledge is lacking and our wisdom deficient, strengthen and nurture our spirits and minds by your wise and loving grace. 

We pray for our neighbors. For those neighbors whom we know well and cherish we are thankful; For those neighbors that we do not know or that make us fearful we pray that your Holy Spirit would teach us to love and learn alongside them and from them, giving us eyes to see the gifts that you have given to each of them. May we truly live as those rescued from the power of darkness and live peaceably with all our neighbors in sure confidence that the kingdom of your beloved Son is a reality for us here and now. 

We lift all of those who suffer, are alone, or are in any kind of trouble, to your care. Comfort and heal those we hold in our hearts and grant them courage and hope the midst of their troubles, and bring them the joy of your salvation. May your Spirit draw close to those who mourn and those who feel distant from you. Draw each of us closer to your heart, as we name so many gifts that have brought us joy, and also name the specific concerns of your people of Church Street UMC: 

  • Thankful for prayers: Pathology report shows no cancer cells
  • Aunt grateful for prayers: Healthy nephew born on Tuesday
  • Gratitude: Commissioning of 3 new Stephen Ministers & 2 Stephen Ministry Leaders
  • Thanksgiving for stellar worship experiences
  • Celebrating successful Children’s Choir Camp this week
  • Family celebrates birth of healthy baby boy, appreciates prayers for both newborn and mother with gestational diabetes
  • Family thankful for the gentle death of a beloved father on Sunday
  • Young mother with shingles appreciates prayers – now healed
  • Grateful for our Youth involved in outreach ministry in Knoxville this week – “Making a Difference in the City”
  • Courage for member with dementia at home and her family
  • Healing of member in assisted living recovering from surgery 
  • Prayers for friend in failing health, having surgery July 13
  • Endurance and peace for all families in mourning
  • Leaders of all nations, that they might work for the good of the people
  • Prayers for ending the killing and evil destruction within Ukraine 
  • Spiritual intervention needed: A mother and twin children in dilemma
  • Please pray for dear friend (age 40) diagnosed with breast cancer
  • One in deep depression, for insurance to pay for his medications
  • Sustaining of member in longterm cancer treatment at home
  • Families deeply desiring children
  • Peace for one who feels as if God is not answering his prayers
  • Brothers & sisters around the globe enduring hardships due to flood and famine, victims of natural disasters and exploitation, for unselfish hearts to rise up, helping and healing
  • Prayers for families grieving violent losses of innocent children 
  • God’s care for a brother in skill nursing facility & strength for his family caregivers
  • Hope and healing for a mother with advanced eye disease
  • A new job for a son in a healthy environment
  • Continued courage for mother entering chemotherapy
  • A family in grief – have been shunned by their rural church

God of salvation, who sent your Son to seek out and save what is lost, hear our prayers on behalf of those who are lost in our day, receiving all our petitions and thanksgivings with your unending compassion as we join offer the prayer that Jesus taught:

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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