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 Prayers
We thank you Heavenly Father that you have given us your only begotten Son, in whom you give yourself and all things. We ask you Heavenly Father that just as you have given us your only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and in whom you neither will nor can nor may deny anyone anything, so may you hear us in him and make us free and empty of our many faults, and make us one with him in you. Amen.
Meister Eckhart, 1329
Eckhart was a Dominican, born near Erfurt in Germany, who became a professor at Paris and then Cologne. He was a supporter of the Beguines, the new women’s movement. He told the peasants that they were all aristocrats because God had made them so beautiful, and he criticized the merchant mentality of Cologne. His was a creation-centered theology; he combined cosmic mysticism with a prophetic concern for social justice. He taught a fourfold path on the approach to God: 1. The Via Positiva: for Eckhart, prayer begins with our joy in the creation around us. 2. The Via Negativa: this is a question of Letting Go and Letting Be; Eckhart is not much interested in self-discipline and self-denial. 3. The Via Creativa: ‘What does God do all day long?’ asked Eckhart, and replied, ‘God gives birth.’ So we must be creative in our prayer, and share the results of our meditation with others. 4. The Via Transformativa: building the new creation by way of compassion and social justice.
From Our Prayers of the People
For the special needs and concerns of our congregation.
We remember people throughout the world: in places of war and strife, especially refugees and all victims of violence and oppression.
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 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: Warren, Cindi, Doug, Hugh, Debby, Irene, Jeanne, June, Theresa, Josh, Amy, Greg, Donald K., Craig, Donald, Maureen, Joseph, Lorraine.
For those who are homebound: Joan, Janet and Marilyn.
For our Government Leaders: Joseph Biden, President of the United States; Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York State; Gary McCarthy, Mayor of Schenectady.
For 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 emeritus and Allison our Lay Reader.
For those who are imprisoned: those particularly vulnerable at this time, especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.
For Members who request our prayers for strength and healing: Dennie and Tom, Ruth, Cindi, Mary Frances, Debbie, Joe.
For Bill – today is his baptismal anniversary!
For Marshall – today is his birthday!
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: The Diocese of Akoko Edo – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) (Bendel Province).
For all who have died: Donald, Arnette, Frances L., Pierre, Emilie, Jesse, Gladys.
For one another.
Something to share
LOVE DOES THAT
All day long a little burro labors, sometimes
with heavy loads on her back and sometimes just with worries
about things that bother only
burros.
And worries, as we know, can be more exhausting
than physical labor.
Once in a while a kind monk comes
to her stable and brings
a pear, but more
than that,
he looks into the burro’s eyes and touches her ears
and for a few seconds the burro is free
and even seems to laugh
because love does
that.
Love frees.
Meister Eckhart
News and Updates
This Sunday’s Readings:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1glyxaP4NS2Y4ujdtHe8uai3YBIq65Tbx/view?usp=sharing
Annual Meeting – this Sunday – 11:30 am – you will need a Zoom link.
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: james.ross.mcd@gmail.com.
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 Becky for the link: becky.holder@gmail.com).
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.
Our church campus is only partially open due to the current pandemic. Please see our website for further information: https://st-stephens.church/. Most parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.
Our office email is: office@st-stephens.church.
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.