Saint Stephen’s Weekly Prayers for the week of September 18, 2022
Good Morning, Saint Stephen’s Church,
From Our Prayers of the People
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil
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, Susie Olsen, and Joe White
Those who celebrate birthdays this week: Richard Morin
Those who celebrate wedding anniversaries this week: Liz & Paul Pratico
Those who have died: Mildred Marks, Kathryn Stauss, Reuben Brockway, Timothy Ryan
This week’s Lessons
Collect
Grant us, Lord, not to be anxious about earthly things, but to love things heavenly; and even now, while we are placed among things that are passing away, to hold fast to those that shall endure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON
Amos 8:4-7
Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
and bring to ruin the poor of the land,
saying, “When will the new moon be over
so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
and practice deceit with false balances,
buying the poor for silver
and the needy for a pair of sandals,
and selling the sweepings of the wheat.”
The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds.
PSALM 113
1 Hallelujah!
Give praise, you servants of the Lord; *
praise the Name of the Lord.
2 Let the Name of the Lord be blessed, *
from this time forth for evermore.
3 From the rising of the sun to its going down *
let the Name of the Lord be praised.
4 The Lord is high above all nations, *
and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like the Lord our God, who sits enthroned on high *
but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?
6 He takes up the weak out of the dust *
and lifts up the poor from the ashes.
7 He sets them with the princes, *
with the princes of his people.
8 He makes the woman of a childless house *
to be a joyful mother of children.
SECOND LESSON
1 Timothy 2:1-7
First of all, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all –this was attested at the right time. For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
GOSPEL
Luke 16:1-13
Jesus said to the disciples, “There was a rich man who had a manager, and charges were brought to him that this man was squandering his property. So he summoned him and said to him, ‘What is this that I hear about you? Give me an accounting of your management, because you cannot be my manager any longer.’ Then the manager said to himself, ‘What will I do, now that my master is taking the position away from me? I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I have decided what to do so that, when I am dismissed as manager, people may welcome me into their homes.’ So, summoning his master’s debtors one by one, he asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ He answered, ‘A hundred jugs of olive oil.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it fifty.’ Then he asked another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ He replied, ‘A hundred containers of wheat.’ He said to him, ‘Take your bill and make it eighty.’ And his master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly; for the children of this age are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light. And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of dishonest wealth so that when it is gone, they may welcome you into the eternal homes. Whoever is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and whoever is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful with the dishonest wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful with what belongs to another, who will give you what is your own? No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.”
News and Updates
Music Today
Prelude Prelude Modal Langlais
Opening Hymn #377
Sequence Hymn #596
The Offertory Peace Like a River Raney
Closing Hymn #490
Postlude Aeolian Fanfare Callahan
Current Announcements
Lectors: Dan and Sammy Schuldt
Celebrant / Officiant Update:
9/18 Father Marshall Vang
9/25 Allison de Kanel -Morning Prayer Service
10/1- @ 11 am, 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 Sunday after the 9:30 service. Please plan on attending.
In addition to the Parish Faire we will also have a potluck / cookout 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 is always plenty of food so even if you didn’t bring a dish, please attend.
The Vestry Minutes can now be found in the secure area of our website. Visit https://st-stephens.church/vestry-minutes/ to see what the Vestry has been up to. We will also be posting the minutes on the bulletin board next to Begley Hall.
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 dry dog food and dry cat food this month.. Donations of spices and 8-oz reusable bottles (with lids) are always welcome.
Altar Flowers given by Sal and Diana Belardo in memory of loved ones.
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.
A note from our warden:
I recently had a severe problem due to Covid, which further comprised the health problems I have been experiencing for quite some time. A procedure which would help solve the problem has now been postponed indefinitely. In addition, the stress involved with being Warden when there are various factions within the Parish can’t agree on matters, have their own personal agenda and unwilling to come to together in a positive way for the good of the Church, has worn me down. I will button up December Supply Priest coverage this week – we will be covered until the end of the year. My resignation is effective 10/1/22. I will finish out my term on the Vestry, which ends in January 2023.
I will see you this Sunday at the Parish Faire.
Budd
Adult (and youth) Education Opportunities in our area-
| Registration Now Open for the Albany Diocese Daughters of the King Assembly Saturday November 5, 20229:00am – 3:30pmRegistration at 8:30am Christ the King Center, Greenwich, NYGreat Hall & Chapel Registration form: https://files.constantcontact.com/2f974ad1701/78568058-0532-41c5-a1e6-1951df525dc5.pdf 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 |
| Fall Retreat at Beaver Cross October 7-10 All the fun of a week of camp – crammed into one awesome weekend retreat! This is BC: Fall Edition. Drop off: Friday Oct 7, 6:30 p.m. Pick up: Monday Oct 10, 2:30 p.m .For: Jr. Fall Edition: 3rd – 7th Grade Sr. Fall Edition: 8th – 12th Grade PRICE: $180/ per person https://www.beavercrossministries.org/ After Humanity: A Guide to C.S. Lewis’s The Abolition of Man with Dr. Michael WardSeptember 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 |
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.