Staying Safe and Staying Connected
Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,
We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you.
Today’s Prayer
Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer, p. 240
Today is the Feast of the Annunciation
Today’s feast commemorates how God made known to a young Jewish woman that she was to be the mother of Jesus, and how Mary accepted her vocation with faith and courage. Mary’s assent to Gabriel’s message opened the way for God to accomplish the salvation of the world. Mary’s self-offering in response to God’s call is reminiscent of Abraham, the father of believers. Just as Abraham was called to be the father of God’s people, and accepted his call, so Mary was called to be the mother of the faithful. She is God’s agent in the mystery of the Incarnation.
Our Prayers of the People
Today, let’s pray:
For the just and proper use of your creation; for the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.
From the Parish Prayer Chain, let’s pray for Pauline, John, Rick, Bob, Arthur and Al.
For those who are homebound: Stephen Gray, Pauline Northrop, Joan Halstead, Janet Schlansker and Marilyn Causey.
Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.
For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie Trawick, Clark, Bud and Joe.
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Matlosane (formerly Klerksdorp) (Southern Africa) Waiapu (Aotearoa NZ & Polynesia)
For all who have died: especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin, Glenn and Eleanor.
For one another.
Something to share
Mary’s Poem
Kathleen Wakefield
When she heard infinity
whispered in her ear, did the flashing
scissors in her fingers fall
to the wooden floor and the spool unravel,
the spider’s sly cradle
tremble with love? Imagine
How the dry fields leaned
toward the news and she heard, for a moment,
the households of crickets –
When she answered, all things shifted, the moon
in its river of milk.
And when she wanted to pluck
her heart from her breast, did she remember
a commotion of wings, or the stirring
of dust?
News and Updates
Archbishop of Canterbury backs worldwide call for Christians to say the Lord’s Prayer:
In response to a call from both Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be praying the Lord’s Prayer (via Livestream and Facebook Live) Wednesday, March 25, at noon Eastern Time. He invites you to join with Christians around the world to offer this prayer in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
To join Bishop Curry live, Wednesday, March 25, at noon Eastern Time, click here:
Livestream (click “Get notified” to receive a notification/reminder)
The Episcopal Church Facebook page
The Presiding Bishop’s Facebook page
What Kids Want To Know About Coronavirus – A couple of weeks ago National Public Radio had a podcast concerning COVID19, which was still being called the coronavirus, and a little booklet for explaining it for children. The information in the comic booklet is still valid, and you can visit the website by googling:
You can see the comic drawings and commentary on that website, and you can print the little booklet which is on one page that kids can turn into a booklet. – Jo Adams
Reminders
If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Daily Prayer as best we can.
Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.
Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.
Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!
Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.
Peace,
James+