Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church

Saint Stephen’s Weekly Prayers for the week of March 5, 2023 & March Messenger

Good Morning, Saint Stephen’s Church,

Intercessions this Week

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Church of the Province of South

East Asia

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; Marshall Vang and Sally Heiligman, our supply priests; and Allison de Kanel, our lay reader

Those who are in need of strength and healing: Mary Ann Harrington, Marilyn Causey, Vincent Avila, June Russell, Bill Frank, Chris Holder, Sal Belardo, the Humphrey Family, and Joe White

Those who celebrate birthdays this week: Paul Pratico, Thomas Cooke, Diane Bengtson Kilbourn

Those who celebrate baptismal anniversaries this week: Keith Nelson, Tim Olsen

Those who celebrate marriage anniversaries this week: Jean & Ron Stefanski

Those who have died: Samantha Humphrey, Mary Frances Hatfield, Raymond Hickcox, Armando Ottaviano, Jane Hallock, Galina Bayer, Mabel Stewart, Julia Hillman, Edna Whitbeck

This week’s Lessons and Prayers

Second Lent

The Collect and Scripture Readings for the second Sunday in Lent, Year A

COLLECT

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

FIRST LESSON

Genesis 12:1-4a

The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.

PSALM 121

¹ I lift up my eyes to the hills; *

from where is my help to come?

² My help comes from the LORD, *

the maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot be moved *

and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

⁴ Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *

shall neither slumber nor sleep;

⁵ The LORD himself watches over you; *

the LORD is your shade at your right hand,

⁶ So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *

nor the moon by night.

⁷ The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *

it is he who shall keep you safe.

⁸ The LORD shall watch over your going out and

your coming in, *

from this time forth for evermore.

SECOND LESSON

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) — in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.

GOSPEL

John 3:1-17

There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a

second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with

everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen;

yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,

so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

News and Updates

Music Today

Prelude Prière Langlais

Processional Hymn #401

Sequence Hymn #508

Offertory Anthem God So Loved the World Stainer

Recessional Hymn #657

Postlude I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say Biery

Current Announcements

Ushers: V. Hoshko, D. May

Lectors: C. Merrill-Mazurek D. May

Celebrant: Father Marshall Vang

Celebrant / Officiant Update:

3/12 – Mother Sally Heiligman

3/19 – Father Marshal Vang

3/26 – Mother Sally Heiligman

4/2 -Palm Sunday, Father Marshall Vang

4/6 -@ 5:30, Maundy Thursday with Eucharist, Father Marshall Vang

4/7 – @12:00, Good Friday Liturgy at St. George’s, Father Marshall Vang

4/7-@ 5:30, Stations of the Cross: Allison de Kanel

4/8- @ 7:00, Easter Vigil at St.George’s, Father Marshall Vang

4/9-@ 8 a.m., Easter service, Father Marshall Vang

Lenten Outreach – Due to the recent earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, we have decided to raise money for the earthquake relief efforts there. (Refer to the February 21 Press Release from Episcopal Relief & Development below.) Thank you very much to a St. Stephen’s family who has graciously offered to match every dollar donated up to $2,000! Please consider donating to help the people of Türkiye and Syria. We will collect money through April 9, Easter Sunday. As of February 26, we had raised $675.

Easter Brunch – We are trying to gauge interest in a pot luck Easter Brunch after the 8:00 am Easter service on April 9. We will need volunteers to set up and clean up, as well as bring a dish to share. We are aiming to do the bulk of the set up on Saturday, April 8. If you would like to participate, there is a sign-up sheet in the back of the church.

Today, March 5, during coffee hour,a Things of My Very Own staff member will speak about this local organization which provides crisis intervention services to children impacted by extensive abuse and/or neglect. We will be collecting donations for their program.

Change Day, March 12 – When you change your clocks next week, bring your loose change to church for an additional contribution to Things of My Very Own.

Please join us in Begley Hall on Saturday, April 1st at 10 a.m. to make Palm crosses in preparation for Palm Sunday. Everyone is invited to lend a hand. Come join us for some fun and fellowship and learn or relearn this special art! It takes just a few minutes to learn and a few tries to perfect.

SiCM Pantry – For March, please donate feminine hygiene products to SiCM.

Please join us in praying for the Humphrey family during this difficult time