Saint Stephen’s Weekly Prayers for the week of October 2, 2022
Good Morning, Saint Stephen’s Church,
From Our Prayers of the People
Anglican Cycle of Prayer: The Anglican Church of Canada
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, Chris Holder, and Joe White
Those who celebrate birthdays this week: Harry Ruscitto
Those who celebrate baptisms this week: Ted and Ashley Ranslow
Those who have died: Lawrence Peterson, Ralph Shenton, Leland Gray, Blanche Salisbury, Marian Sevinski
This week’s Lessons
COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON
Habakkuk 1:1-4;2:1-4
The oracle that the prophet Habakkuk saw. O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you “Violence!” and you will not save? Why do you make me see wrong-doing and look at trouble? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law becomes slack and justice never prevails. The wicked surround the righteous– therefore judgment comes forth perverted. I will stand at my watchpost, and station myself on the rampart; I will keep watch to see what he will say to me, and what he will answer concerning my complaint. Then the LORD answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay. Look at the proud! Their spirit is not right in them, but the righteous live by their faith.
PSALM 37:1-10
1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; *
do not be jealous of those who do wrong.
2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, *
and like the green grass fade away.
3 Put your trust in the LORD and do good; *
dwell in the land and feed on its riches.
4 Take delight in the LORD, *
and he shall give you your heart’s desire.
5 Commit your way to the LORD and put your trust in him, *
and he will bring it to pass.
6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light *
and your just dealing as the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD *
and wait patiently for him.
8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, *
the one who succeeds in evil schemes.
9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; *
do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.
10 For evildoers shall be cut off, *
but those who wait upon the LORD shall possess the land.
SECOND LESSON
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, for the sake of the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my beloved child: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I am grateful to God–whom I worship with a clear conscience, as my ancestors did–when I remember you constantly in my prayers night and day. Recalling your tears, I long to see you so that I may be filled with joy. I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that lived first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, lives in you. For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. Do not be ashamed, then, of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. For this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher, and for this reason I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know the one in whom I have put my trust, and I am sure that he is able to guard until that day what I have entrusted to him. Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us.
GOSPEL
Luke 17:5-10
The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord
replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you. “Who among you would say to your slave who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field, ‘Come here at once and take your place at the table’? Would you not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, put on your apron and serve me while I eat and drink; later you may eat and drink’? Do you thank the slave for doing what was commanded? So you also, when you have done all that you were ordered to do, say, ‘We are worthless slaves; we have done only what we ought to have done!'”
News and Updates
Music Today
Prelude Only Trust Him Stockton/DeCou
Opening Hymn #379
Sequence Hymn #554
The Offertory Anthem Trust and Obey Larson
Closing Hymn #561
Postlude Toccata in e minor Pachelbel
Current Announcements
Lectors: Carole Merrill-Mazurek & Budd Mazurek
Celebrant / Officiant Update:
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.
Save the date – Please join us after the 9:30 service on October 30 for a family / parish fun Halloween Coffee Hour with pumpkin decorating and halloween crafts and activities. All are welcome to come. We will have donuts, cider, pumpkins and decorating supplies. If you’d like to carve your pumpkin, please bring necessary tools to do so. Costumes welcome (at church and coffee hour!) Questions – contact Bethany Schuldt.
November 6! Save the date! Save your change! Time Change Day is November 6; we are using our Change Day Funds (remember it’s not just coins – a few $5s is change for a ten, two of them changes a twenty…) to support the local service of “Things of my Very Own” which provides help and care to our community’s abused kids. They recently had their facilities ruined by a flood. The money would help rebuild their place.
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.
Coffee Hour – Please consider signing up for coffee hour on the homepage of our website or in the nave extension. Many dates are open for the remainder of fall.
SiCM pantry donations- We are collecting personal care items for the month of October. 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 (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 CrossOctober 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/ Annual Bible Symposium: The Rev. Dr. James Haddix on IsaiahNovember 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.