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
To have hope
is to believe that history continues open to the dream of God and to human creativity.
To have hope
is to continue affirming that it is possible to dream a different world,
without hunger, without injustice, without discrimination.
To have hope
is to be a messenger of God, tearing down walls, destroying borders, building bridges,
To have hope
is to believe in the revolutionary potential of faith.
To have hope
is to leave the door open so that the Spirit can enter and make all things new.
To have hope
is to believe that life wins over death.
To have hope
is to begin again as many times as necessary.
To have hope
is to believe that hope is not the last thing that dies.
To have hope
is to believe that hope cannot die, that hope no longer dies.
To have hope
is to live.
Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo, Honduras
The Missionary Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo is a Catholic religious order that was founded in 1895. It is a sister organization to the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo, which was organized to serve both the spiritual and practical needs of Italian emigrants to the Americas. The Missionary Sisters now have a presence in 26 countries, with their work focusing on “education, social and pastoral activities, the pastoral care of the sick, catechesis, evangelization, and collaboration with local churches to assist migrants and refugees and the poor.” This prayer was found in God’s Good Earth: Praise and Prayers for Creation, a collection edited by Anne and Jeffrey Rowthorn.
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: Waid, Dan, Hugh, Debby, Irene, Jeanne, Theresa, Josh, Amy, Greg, Craig, Donald.
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, retired 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: Priscilla, Ruth, Cindi, Mary Frances, Debbie, Joe.
For Emma – today is her baptismal anniversary!
For all the blessings of this life.
For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: The Diocese of Arochukwu / Ohafia – The Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) (Aba Province).
For all who have died: Morten, Helene, Mary, Marjorie, Edna, Raymond, Armando, Jane.
For one another.
Something to share
Everything is Going to Be All Right
How should I not be glad to contemplate
the clouds clearing beyond the dormer window
and a high tide reflected on the ceiling?
There will be dying, there will be dying.
but there is no need to go into that.
The poems flow from the hand unbidden
and the hidden source is the watchful heart.
The sun rises in spite of everything
and the far cities are beautiful and bright.
I lie here in a riot of sunlight
watching the day break and the clouds flying.
Everything is going to be all right.
Derek Mahon
News and Updates
Episcopal Relief & Development in ZIMBABWE – Episcopal Relief & Development partners with the Anglican Diocese of Matabeleland on sustainable agriculture projects in areas where cyclical drought has stunted local food production and caused people to leave their communities to find work. Working with caregivers of vulnerable children, the program assists with seeds, land preparation and water management to enable households to grow a variety of nutritious food. The project created seed banks and nurseries, along with training in climate-smart farming methods and pest management, to further support sustainable food sources.
Now the program is working with close to 12,000 farmers in order to increase their resilience and preparedness capacities to future drought hazards, and to strengthen their livelihoods and food production. This project will continue to train farmers in climate-smart agriculture and is launching a pilot watershed development program to improve drought resilience. Additionally, the diocese is deploying a bulk messaging platform to improve emergency preparedness and response capacities through communication notifications to an estimated 10,000 households.
As a Lenten offering why not support Episcopal Relief & Development’s response to the COVID-19 Pandemic? Please consider making a donation. You may do this through St. Stephen’s.
Reminder
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.
We continue to follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html and the NY Department of Public Health https://www.health.ny.gov/ for information, updates, and guidance
Be careful what you read online. There are reports of false information circulating in an attempt to create fear and confusion. It is critical to discern what and how something is said as well as what is not said. And, God forbid, always remember – any online or texted-based solicitation from me for money is A SCAM. Do not reply to such messages. Delete them.
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.