Saint Stephen’s Weekly Prayers for the week of August 7, 2022
Good Morning, Saint Stephen’s Church,
From Our Prayers of the People
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Church in the Province of the West Indies
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: Suzanne Taylor, Frankie Ruscitto, and Timothy Grimason
Those who celebrate baptismal anniversaries this week: Kiely Olsen
Those who celebrate wedding anniversaries this week: Sherry and Brian Springstead
Those who have died: Robert McCalley, Cynthia Wickes, Justin Northrop, Scott Moss, and Julie Paulus McDonald
This Week’s Lessons
COLLECT
Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always
those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON
Genesis 15:1-6
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the LORD came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the LORD; and the LORD reckoned it to him as righteousness.
PSALM 33:12-22
12 Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD! *
happy the people he has chosen to be his own!
13 The LORD looks down from heaven, *
and beholds all the people in the world.
14 From where he sits enthroned he turns his gaze
on all who dwell on the earth.
15 He fashions all the hearts of them *
and understands all their works.
16 There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army;
a strong man is not delivered by his great strength.
17 The horse is a vain hope for deliverance; *
for all its strength it cannot save.
18 Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon those who fear him, *
on those who wait upon his love,
19 To pluck their lives from death, *
and to feed them in time of famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD; *
he is our help and our shield.
21 Indeed, our heart rejoices in him, *
for in his holy Name we put our trust.
22 Let your loving-kindness, O LORD, be upon us, *
as we have put our trust in you.
SECOND LESSON
Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to set out for a place that he was to receive as an inheritance; and he set out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he stayed for a time in the land he had been promised, as in a foreign land, living in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he looked forward to the city that has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith he received power of procreation, even though he was too old–and Sarah herself was barren–because he considered him faithful who had promised.
Therefore from one person, and this one as good as dead,
descendants were born, “as many as the stars of heaven and as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.” All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.
GOSPEL
Luke 12:32-40
Jesus said to his disciples, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
“Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves
“But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
News and Updates
Music Today
Prelude Prayer Franck
Opening Hymn #636
Sequence Hymn #393
Offertory Trio in C Sorge
Closing Hymn #68
Postlude Solenne Roulers/Rossini
Lectors: Reader one: Linda Emaelaf, Reader two: Millie Gittinger
Ushers: Sal and Diana Belardo
Today we welcome Father Marshall Vang as our clergy.
Foyer Group will be starting up again soon. Looking for a chairperson. Please reach out to Carole Merril–Mazurek if you would like more information or to volunteer as chair.
Email list –If you do not currently receive our weekly emails and church updates please email the church office so we can add you (office@st-stephens.church).
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)
Need a name lanyard? – With new supply priests in and out it would be helpful to consider wearing our name tags / lanyards again. If you do not have one, please contact Bethany or email her at office@st-stephens.church.
Coffee Hour – Please consider signing up to either make coffee or clean up after coffee hour on the homepage of our website. The rest of the summer is open. Bring a snack to share whenever you can and are willing.
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.
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.
Supply Priest Update-
8/14 – Father Marshall Vang
8/21 – Father Marshall Vang
8/28 – Mother Sally Heiligman
Pictures for Father James’ Retirement Party – https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ofxQea5pQAUMU8AXNZoFCrGni_i28tn9?usp=sharing
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.