Saint Stephen’s Weekly Prayers for the week of July 31, 2022
Good Morning, Saint Stephen’s Church,
From Our Prayers of the People
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: the Church of the Province of West Africa
Our Leaders: Joseph Biden, President of the United States; Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York State; Gary McCarthy, Mayor of Schenectady
Our Church Leaders: Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury; Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop; Michael G. Smith and Carol Gallagher, Assisting Bishops; and Allison de Kanel, our lay reader
Those who are in need of strength and healing: Mary Ann Harrington, David Humphrey, Marilyn Causey, Eunice Chouffi, Mary Frances Hatfield, Vincent Avila, Priscilla Sprague, June Russell, and Joe White
Those who celebrate birthdays this week: Edwin Masambo
Those who have died: Rose Altvalter, Margaret Bissonette, Mary Daly, Gloria Lukas, Anita McCalley, Elizabeth Thomas, Joanne Molino, Joseph Carroll, Donald Cornell, William Tregurtha, Peter Ten Eyck Nevius
This Week’s Lessons
COLLECT
Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your
Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without
your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON
Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14; 2:18-23
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
I, the Teacher, when king over Israel in Jerusalem, applied my mind to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven; it is an unhappy business that God has given to human beings to be busy with. I saw all the deeds that are done under the sun; and see, all is vanity and a chasing after wind.
I hated all my toil in which I had toiled under the sun, seeing that I must leave it to those who come after me — and who knows whether they will be wise or foolish? Yet they will be master of all for which I toiled and used my wisdom under the sun. This also is vanity. So I turned and gave my heart up to despair concerning all the toil of my labors under the sun, because sometimes one who has toiled with wisdom and knowledge and skill must leave all to be enjoyed by another who did not toil for it. This also is vanity and a great evil. What do mortals get from all the toil and strain with which they toil under the sun? For all their days are full of pain, and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest. This also is vanity.
PSALM 49:1-11
1 Hear this, all you peoples;
hearken, all you who dwell in the world, *
you of high degree and low, rich and poor together.
2 My mouth shall speak of wisdom, *
and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
3 I will incline my ear to a proverb *
and set forth my riddle upon the harp.
4 Why should I be afraid in evil days, *
when the wickedness of those at my heels surrounds me,
5 The wickedness of those who put their trust in their goods, *
and boast of their great riches?
6 We can never ransom ourselves, *
or deliver to God the price of our life;
7 For the ransom of our life is so great, *
that we should never have enough to pay it,
8 In order to live for ever and ever, *
and never see the grave.
9 For we see that the wise die also;
like the dull and stupid they perish *
and leave their wealth to those who come after them.
10 Their graves shall be their homes for ever,
their dwelling places from generation to generation, *
though they call the lands after their own names.
11 Even though honored, they cannot live for ever; *
they are like the beasts that perish.
SECOND LESSON
Colossians 3:1-11
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory. Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. But now you must get rid of all such things–anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all.
GOSPEL
Luke 12:13-21
Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?’ Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, ‘Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.”
News and Updates
Music Today
Prelude Largo Handel
Opening Hymn #408
Sequence Hymn #435
Offertory Kamennoi-Ostrow Rubinstein
Closing Hymn #594
Postlude Prelude and Fugue Bach
Lectors
Reader one: Carole Merrill-Mazurek Reader two: Budd Mazurek
Today we welcome Mother Sally Heiligman as our clergy.
Messenger Updates – If you have anything to add to the August messenger please email the office (office@st-stephens.church) with your information by August 1!
The search committee has started their work in preparing to find St. Stephens’ next Rector. As mentioned last week, the Vestry has met with Mother Elizabeth to go over the diocese’s guidelines on our transition. The Search committee, who is assisting the Vestry, has started developing a Parish Survey and a Parish Profile. In the coming weeks, you can expect two things. First, if you run a program at the Church, you will be asked to describe it for the Parish profile. If you do not hear from me, reach out as you might have been left off the list and all programs we have are important. Second, the Parish survey will be distributed digitally and paper copies will be available at the church. We will be using the Daily Email List to distribute them, so if you are not on that list and want to receive it through email, let me know. Your search committee is excited about moving St.Stephens into its next chapter. If you have any questions, reach out to Dan Schuldt (daniel.schuldt@gmail.com).
Email list –If you do not currently receive our weekly emails and church updates please email the church office so we can add you.
From the Senior Warden –The Vestry met with Mother Elizabeth on July 10th to discuss the procedure for conducting a search for a new Rector; the Search Committee has begun work on developing and updating St. Stephen’s profile, as well as developing a parish survey; we will keep you informed on our progress. We have also begun a search for an Interim Rector, with the assistance of the Diocese; in addition, I am currently working on solidifying the Supply Priest roster for the Fall.
It is important during this transition period that all members of the Parish look for ways to contribute by becoming members of the committees and teams that are hard at work each week. I know that for some, giving of your time is difficult due to a number of reasons, but I urge you to think about it. We will be conducting a Parish Fair in September where the committees/Teams will have sign up sheets for those interested in participating. The one thing I have learned during my two years as Senior Warden is that many of us receive meaningful benefits from being part of this church family but give little back in return; I know because I am one who has been on the receiving end but gave little back – Budd Mazurek
New Ushers Needed – We are looking for new ushers to help us on Sunday mornings. If you are interested please see Vicki Hoshko or Allison de Kanel for more information.
Interested in Live-Streaming – See Dan Schuldt after any service for a quick overview of how to live-stream our services. Only requires a smartphone and a few minutes of time!
Coffee Hour – We have decided to change the format of volunteering for Coffee Hour. We will now have one person sign up to make coffee, and another to clean up after coffee hour. We ask that if possible, parishioners bring a single item / snack to share whenever they are able (i.e. a bag of chips, crackers & cheese, fruit, a baked item, etc.). This will help split take the work of each coffee hour amongst multiple people / families and hopefully make the work easier for everyone. Sign up is on the homepage of our website.
SiCM pantry donations- We are collecting personal care items this month: razors, shaving cream, shampoo, bodywash, soap, toothpaste, lotion, deodorant and toilet paper. Donations of spices and 8-oz reusable bottles (with lids) are always welcome.
Supply Priest Update-
8/7 – Father Marshall Vang 8/21 – Father Marshall Vang
8/14 – Father Marshall Vang 8/28 – Mother Sally Heiligman
The minutes before and after worship are reserved for meditation and prayerful reflection accompanied by the organ prelude and postlude. We are delighted that our bonds with each other are renewed and strengthened when we come together on Sunday, but we ask that conversation be reserved for spaces outside the Church before and after the Eucharist. Thank you.
Reminders
Prayerbook Morning Prayer in Zoom – each morning – contact Becky Holder for the link: becky.holder@gmail.com.
Our office email is: office@st-stephens.church.
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.