Saint Stephen’s Weekly Prayers for the week of September 4, 2022
Good Morning, Saint Stephen’s Church,
From Our Prayers of the People
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Church of Australia
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, Bill Frank, and Joe White
Those who celebrate birthdays this week: Tim Olsen
Those who celebrate wedding anniversaries this week: Josephine and Oto Jones
Those who have died: William Martin, Marian Horch, Robert Barron, Lucie Peatling, Robert Doolittle
This week’s Lessons
COLLECT
Grant us, O Lord, to trust in you with all our hearts; for, as
you always resist the proud who confide in their own strength, so you never forsake those who make their boast of your mercy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the LORD your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the LORD your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him; for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the LORD swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
PSALM 1
1 Happy are they who have not walked in the counsel of
the wicked, *
nor lingered in the way of sinners,
nor sat in the seats of the scornful!
2 Their delight is in the law of the LORD, *
and they meditate on his law day and night.
3 They are like trees planted by streams of water,
bearing fruit in due season, with leaves that do not wither; *
everything they do shall prosper.
4 It is not so with the wicked; *
they are like chaff which the wind blows away.
5 Therefore the wicked shall not stand upright when
judgment comes, *
nor the sinner in the council of the righteous.
6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, *
but the way of the wicked is doomed.
SECOND LESSON
Philemon 1:1-21
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To
Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. When I remember you in my prayers, I always thank my God because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when you perceive all the good that we may do for Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother. For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love–and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful both to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back forever, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother– especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.
GOSPEL
Luke 14:25-33
Now large crowds were traveling with Jesus; and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
News and Updates
Music Today
Prelude A Quiet Prayer Martin
Opening Hymn #423
Sequence Hymn #656
The Offertory Pastorale Wesley
Closing Hymn #675
Postlude Fantasia Pachelbel
Current Announcements
Lectors: Carole Merrill-Mazurek and Budd Mazurek
Celebrant / Officiant Update for September:
9/11 Mother Sally Heiligman
9/18 Father Marshall Vang
9/25 Allison de Kanel -Morning Prayer Service
10/1-blessing of the pets, Father Marshall Vang
10/2- Father Marshall Vang
10/9- Mother Sally Heiligman
10/16-Father Marshall Vang
10/23- Mother Sally Heiligman
10/30- Allison de Kanel -Morning Prayer Service
11/6- Father Marshall Vang
11/13- Mother Sally Heiligman
11/20-Father Marshall Vang
11/24-Thanksgiving service-Father Marshall Vang
11/27- Mother Sally Heiligman
Today we welcome Father Marshall Vang as our clergy.
Parish Faire – We will be holding a parish faire on September 18 after the 9:30 service. Please plan on attending. If you are the head of a group (the altar guild, ushers, foyer group, prayer chain, choir, lectors, hand bells, etc) and would like to have a signup at the faire please let Bethany know at office@st-stephens.church by September 8. Please also include a short paragraph about your ministry for interested parishioners to read.
In addition to the Parish Faire being held on Sunday, September 18, we will also have a potluck / cookout that day as a homecoming celebration to kick off the church’s program year. The church will provide hot dogs, hamburgers, buns, and chips as well as paper products and condiments. There will be a sign-up sheet in the back of the church for the potluck items, and if you would like to help out with set-up, clean-up, and grilling.
Sunday School – We will be starting Sunday school on September 18 during the 9:30 service. Kids will go to the classroom with Bethany Schuldt after the gospel is read. Children of ages 5+ are welcome, and bigger kids are always welcome to help!
Street Soldiers – We will be making lunches for Street Soldiers after the 9:30 service on September 25 in the Parish Hall. All are welcome to help. If possible, please consider bringing an individually packaged snack or fruit / vegetable to add to each bag. We typically make about 25 lunches.
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.
Adult Education – You should have received a short email survey about adult education opportunities this week. In addition to possible opportunities at our church there are a few local options for other adult education classes:
Bible Study: Genesis 1-25
Being offered by St. Michael’s in Colonie on Wednesdays at 6:00 PM, starting on September 7th. Each meeting followed by a supper. All are welcome to attend. Please contact the church office to RSVP via email at stmichaels.colonie@gmail.com. Those who register in advance will receive their own individual journaling copy of Genesis, with space for notes on every page!
| Dean’s Forum Resumes |
| Sept. 13 and 20 | 7:30-8:30 PM on Zoom Dean’s Forum Resumes Sept. 13 and 20 | 7:30-8:30 PM on Zoom The Dean’s Forum, now at 7:30 PM on Tuesdays, resumes on September 13 with a discussion on art. The sculpture of Auguste Rodin is on exhibit at the Clark Institute in North Adams, MA. Cathedral Arts missioner, Brynna Carpenter-Nardone, will discuss his work and connect it to that of a Cathedral artist, Charles Louis Hinton, son of and sometime assistant of Louis Josiah Hinton, who spent forty years carving our Cathedral. With the help of poets, writers, and other characters, the art will tell the story of creativity and faith. Then on September 20, Dean Harding will introduce us to C.S. Lewis’s book, The Abolition of Man, in preparation for scholar Michael Ward’s presentation at the Cathedral on September 24.he Dean’s Forum, now at 7:30 PM on Tuesdays, resumes on September 13 with a discussion on art. The sculpture of Auguste Rodin is on exhibit at the Clark Institute in North Adams, MA. Cathedral Arts missioner, Brynna Carpenter-Nardone, will discuss his work and connect it to that of a Cathedral artist, Charles Louis Hinton, son of and sometime assistant of Louis Josiah Hinton, who spent forty years carving our Cathedral. With the help of poets, writers, and other characters, the art will tell the story of creativity and faith. https://www.cathedralofallsaints.org/events/rodin-and-hinton After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man with Dr. Michael Ward September 24 | 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM C.S. Lewis scholar and author of “Planet Narnia,” Michael Ward returns to the Cathedral to discuss his latest book, “After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man.” Please purchase tickets by 9/18 to ensure you are included for the catered brunch. Michael Ward’s visit is a joint presentation of Albany’s two cathedrals: The Cathedral of All Saints and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. https://www.cathedralofallsaints.org/events/abolition-of-man Annual Bible Symposium: The Rev. Dr. James Haddix on Isaiah November 5 | 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM Please join us for our Annual Bible Symposium with The Rev. Dr. James Haddix and his presentation, “Seeing & Knowing: Isaiah’s Visions of Sight, Sense, and Sound in Shifting Times.” Tickets must be purchased online by Oct. 29 to include lunch. https://www.cathedralofallsaints.org/events/bible-symposium-2022 Alpha Course Two sessions, beginning on Tuesday Sept. 13 | 6 PM, Wednesday Sept. 14 | 10 AM Christ Church Ballston Spa is inviting anyone who is interested to join us for the Alpha course. Even if you’re not sure if you’d like to take the course, you are invited to the first session to see what it is all about. We will be offering Alpha at two different times, Tuesday September 13 at 6:00pm or Wednesday morning, September 14 at 10:00am. Each class begins with a delicious meal and then follows with a teaching. In the last decade or two, Alpha has been the most successful program throughout the world to help people, either for the first time checking out the Christian faith, or for those of the faith to deepen their understanding. Alpha was created by Nicky Gumbel, an Anglican priest, formerly an attorney and atheist. It has been used in many denominations in over 169 countries and translated into 112 languages. There have been over 29 million people who have taken Alpha. The course includes such topics as: Why Jesus? Why did Jesus die? Does God heal today? Why Prayer? Why Worship? Does faith make a difference? and much more. For more information, you may contact the church office at 518-885-1031. The Purpose Driven Life at St. George’s, Clifton Park Thursdays starting Sept. 15 | 9-11am St. George’s in Clifton Park invites you to join us for a study of The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for? What’s the Purpose of Life? At one time or another we have all tried to find the answer to this question. Pastor Rick Warren has updated his famous book on The Purpose Driven Life. We will explore why we were created, why our purpose comes from our belief in God and how this will give us a life of meaning and joy! We just completed our first session and it was a wonderful journey as we explored God’s five purposes for our lives – worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and mission. We will be offering the Bible study again in the fall, starting on September 15th. We will meet for 7 consecutive Thursday mornings from 9-11.We are in-person only, no zoom. If anyone is interested in attending, or would be interested in an evening class, please contact Heidi Bonacquist at parishlife@stgeorgescp.org |
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.