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
I believe, O God of all gods,
That Thou art the eternal Father of all creation;
I believe, O God of all gods,
That Thou art the eternal Father of the world.I believe, O Lord and God of the peoples,
That Thou art the creator of the high heavens,
That Thou art the creator of the skies above,
That Thou art the creator of the oceans below.I believe, O Lord and God of the peoples,
That Thou art He Who created my soul and set its warp,
Who created my body from dust and from ashes,
Who gave to my body breath, and to my soul its possession.Father, bless to me my body,
from Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations, a collection of prayers gathered orally in Scotland by Alexander Carmichael
Father, bless to me my soul,
Father, bless to me my life,
Father, bless to me my belief.
Scottish writer Alexander Carmichael was born in 1832 and died in 1912. He is most known for Carmina Gadelica, six volumes of prayers, hymns, and folklore collected from the Celtic oral tradition in Scotland. The first two volumes were published while he was alive, and the final four were edited by others and published after his death using his work. The volumes have proven to be controversial, with scholars questioning Carmichael’s accuracy and the extent to which he meddled with texts. Nevertheless, Carmichael’s work has been extremely influential in inspiring interest in Celtic spirituality.
From Our Prayers of the People
Today, let us 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: 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.
For all essential workers: for police, firefighters, EMTs, postal workers, sanitation workers, grocery personnel, delivery and transport workers, and all who must report to work because what they do is essential for our well-being, health, and safety.
For those on the Parish Prayer Chain Sylvia, Irene, Jeanne, Chris, Theresa, Emily, Bridget, Josh, Amy, Sid, Edwina and her husband, Donald.
For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.
Our Government Leaders: Donald Trump, President of the United States; Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State; Gary McCarthy, Mayor of Schenectady
Our Church Leaders: Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop, William Love, and Daniel Herzog our bishops; James and Dennie our priests; Pat our deacon and Allison our Lay Reader
Those who are imprisoned: those particularly vulnerable at this time, especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.
For those in need of healing: Priscilla, Sid, Vicki, Jean, Cindi, Mary Frances, Debbie and Joe.
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: On the Niger (Nigeria), Byumba (Rwanda), Kilmore, Elphin & Ardagh (Ireland)
For all who have died: especially Martha Nicholson.
For one another.
Something to share
Sounds of the Eternal
Early in the morning we seek you presence, O God,
not because you are ever absent from us
but because we are often absent from you
at the heart of each moment
where you forever dwell.
In the rising of the sun,
in the unfolding color and shape of the morning
open your eyes to the mystery of this moment
that in every moment
we may know your life- giving presence.
open our eyes to this moment
that in every moment
we may know you as the One who is always now.In the light of the high heavens
and the infinities of dawnings in space,
in the darkness of open depths
and the sea’s ceaseless waves,
in the glistening of a creature’s eyes
and the dark life blood that ever flows,
in every emanation of a creature’s life
and the warmth that moves our bodies,
in the inner universe of our soul
and its everlasting foundations
your glory glows, O God.
in every shining of the world’s inwardness
and the warmth that moves our everliving soul
your glory glows.With you is the source of life, O God.
John Philip Newell, A Celtic Psalter
You are the beginning of all that is.
From your life the fire of the rising sun
streams forth.
You are the life-flow of creation’s rivers,
the sap of blood in our veins,
earth’s fecundity,
the fruiting of trees,
creatures birthing,
the conception of a new thought,
desire’s origin.
All these are of you, O God
and we are of you.
You are the morning’s freshness.
News & Updates
Tomorrow morning August 30th at 9:00am, join us for the celebration of Holy Eucharist at Saint Stephen’s Church. To help you understand what to expect please click on this link.
Tomorrow morning, August 30th at 11:15am, join us for the celebration of Holy Eucharist live-streamed from the National Cathedral. This is another way in which we can worship together albeit remotely. All you have to do is click on the link below, and it should take you to the service.
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 Morning Prayers as best we can.
If you need a prayerbook, and are not in a position to purchase one, please contact me: james.ross.mcd@gmail.com. I will make sure you have your own Book of Common Prayer.
Prayerbook Morning Prayer in Zoom – each morning. Join Dennie and me for an inter-active service of Morning Prayer at 9 am. Time to bring your prayer concerns will be provided. (contact me for the link: james.ross.mcd@gmail.com)
Our church campus is closed, except for our Eucharistic Ingathering on Sundays at 9:00 am. Please see our website for further information: https://st-stephens.church. All other 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!
Irish Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you,
May the wind be at your back,
May the sun shine upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
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+