In These Tender Days

Sunday’s worship invited us to trust that God’s renewal can take root even in the hardest seasons—that joy and comfort grow alongside grief, not instead of it. Our prayers this week stretch across that whole landscape.

Prayers of the People:

• Amy asks us to hold her friend Judy and Judy’s husband, who has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Doctors estimate only a few weeks remain. We pray for gentleness in each day, for comfort that holds them close, and for strength for all who love them.

• Rebecca gives thanks that Ben arrived home safely for Thanksgiving and lifts up all who are traveling this week. In particular, we pray for Mawce as they fly home alone for the first time on Tuesday, and for Nick and Anna as they travel to see family—trusting that home, in all its forms, will feel steady and kind.

May these prayers rest in the care of the One who brings beauty from ashes and renewal from weary ground, holding us all in love in these tender days.

Held in the Waiting

As we gather our hearts in prayer this week, we bring both struggle and hope before God, trusting in the One who meets us with provision, healing, and peace.

• Scott: For our Path fund clients facing financial hardship and family crisis. May provision and support come swiftly.
  
  
• Rebecca and Scott: For back pay to come through now that the government has reopened, with tuition due for their children.
  
  
• Rebecca: For safe travels for all who are flying, especially for her children journeying home.
  
  
• Steve: For his co-worker Tom and family as they grieve the loss of Tom's brother-in-law and navigate overwhelming VA paperwork.
  
  
• Michele: For successful laser eye surgery on Wednesday. May healing be complete.

May the God who sustains us in every season of need gather these prayers into divine love. May we be Christ's hands and feet to one another—advocating for justice, holding space for grief, and trusting that provision will come. 

Praying with Clarity, Trust, and Care

As we gather our hearts in prayer this week, we bring both joy and sorrow before God, trusting that the One who holds us will meet us with mercy, courage, and peace.

Prayers of the People:

• Michele: Thanksgiving for the birth of Abbie Taft on October 3 to niece Laura. We celebrate that the mother and baby are doing well.
• Amy and Dan: Travel mercies for safe journeys and steady hearts.
• Rebecca: Travel mercies as Rebecca travels to New Orleans to meet her parents.
• The O’Connell family of Coffeyville, Kansas: Deep comfort in unspeakable grief after the tragic loss of both daughters in a car accident. May God’s presence surround and sustain this family and their community.
• Sandy: Strength, rest, and provision amid an overnight shift change. Prayers that workable hours can be restored or that a new, life-giving job will be found soon.

May the God who rejoices with those who rejoice and weeps with those who weep gather these prayers into divine love. May we be Christ’s hands and feet to one another—celebrating new life, traveling with care, and bearing one another’s burdens with tenderness and hope. 

Gathered in Grace

In worship on Sunday, our prayers stretched wide—holding both joy and sorrow, strength and need.

Prayers of the People:

• Scott asks for prayer for his father following a recent heart attack—healing, steadiness, and peace.

• Amy gives thanks for the chance to bake for a friend’s wedding and asks for strength and calm to complete the work with care.

• We hold in prayer the congregation in Michigan impacted by violence this morning—comfort for the grieving, courage for the shaken, and protection for all.

May these prayers be carried in love this week—gentle, steady, and enough for the next step.

Seasons of the Heart

This week, our community holds space for both grief and anticipation—the weight of goodbye and the gentle promise of new beginnings. In these tender moments, we practice the sacred art of bearing witness to each other's lives.

Prayers of the People:

• We hold Jackie and her friend, Cory, in prayer as Cory grieves the loss of her father, asking for comfort and peace in this season of sorrow.
• We pray for Michele's niece, Laura, as she prepares to give birth, asking for safety, health, and blessing for both mother and baby.

May these prayers rest in God's presence, where sorrow and joy are both held, and where love makes room for renewal.

Playing in God’s Presence

 Prayers for the Week of September 15

This week we remembered that play is not escape but presence—that joy and wonder are part of creation itself. In God’s story, delight opens doors to healing and courage. We carry that same spirit into our prayers.

Prayers of the People:

• We pray for healing for Myrle’s sister, Patty, and for strength for Myrle as she walks alongside her.

• We hold in prayer all who have been affected by violence this past week, asking for hope, courage, and healing.

May these prayers rest in God’s presence, where sorrow and joy are both held, and where love makes room for renewal.

Writing the Next Chapter

Prayers for the Week of September 8

Paul’s words remind us that in Christ, the old has gone and the new has come. As we step into what’s next, we hold our stories together—trusting that God is still writing through us, still creating, still reconciling.

• Rebecca shares that both kids have been dropped off at college. We pray for their growth, learning, and well-being; and for peace in the transitions at home.

• Scott celebrates the covenant relationship St. Paul’s has chosen with missionaries Kim and Patrick, praying for their work and for shared commitment to God’s mission.

• Jackie and Dave both celebrate birthdays this week. We give thanks for their lives and pray blessings for the year ahead.

May these prayers be part of God’s new creation—threads in the next chapter of grace unfolding among us.