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
Near One,
when I turn my eyes from you,
when I get wrapped up in wants and worries,
when I miss signs of your presence,
when I turn my eyes from other people,
when I numb myself to the pain of my neighbor,
when I miss opportunities to love and be loved,
when I lose sight of that place deep within where you guide me,
when I stop trusting that you are the source of my voice, my vision, and my call,
O God, open my eyes.
Give me light to see as you see,
to see to the heart of things,
to see to the heart.
Amen.
Alison VanBuskirk Philip
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 those affected by the wild fires in the west: for those who are grieving the loss of homes, possessions and loved ones, that their safety and security may be restored.
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 all historical acts of injustice and oppression: especially those perpetuated against native, Black, Hispanic and various Asian Americans in this abundant land, that we may recognize racism in ourselves, in our church, in our society, and the times we have failed to take action.
For those on the Parish Prayer Chain: Charles, Joe, Debbie, Cindi, Doug, Hugh, Debby, Joan, Hank, Joan, Craig, Charles and Audrey, Stephanie, Joan.
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.
Members who request our prayers for strength and healing: Budd, Sid, Jean, Cindi, Mary Frances, Debbie, Joe.
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Popondota (Papua New Guinea), Coimbatore (South India).
For all who have died: especially Leland, Blanche, Marian, Sadie.
For one another.
Something to share
Ar scath a chéile a mhaireas na daoine*
I was sick for nine years.
And, during those nine years, I grew tired of offers of prayer for healing.
Eventually, far too late, I said: Please — I cannot handle your prayers. I am too tired to cope and too furious to hope for the things that you say so easily.
So, some friends prayed without me.
They sent me to a cabin near the sea,
they gave me wine, and timber for a fire,
They gave me silence, and space and grieving.
I took a walk every day and prayed the rosary and swore.
In the evening, I poured a glass of wine and cooked a
meal. I watched television and I watched the fire. I slept.
I believe that echoes
need a certain kind of emptiness
in order to be heard.
It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.
Pádraig Ó Tuama
*An Irish saying meaning ‘It is in the shelter of each other that the people live.’
News & Updates
Bishop Love violated his ordination vows, hearing concludes:
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,
he 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.