Tag: dailyprayer

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you!

Today’s Prayer

Throw away thy rod,
Throw away thy wrath:
O my God,
Take the gentle path.

For my heart’s desire
Unto thine is bent:
I aspire
To a full consent….

Though I fail, I weep:
Though I halt in pace,
Yet I creep
To the throne of grace…..

From the poem “Discipline by George Herbert”, 1633

George Herbert is recognized with a feast day in the Episcopal Church on February 27th. Herbert, born in 1593, was both a poet and a parish priest in the Church of England. All of the poetry we have of Herbert’s today were first published after his death in 1633.

From Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

Our Church Leaders: Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Curry, Presiding Bishop, William Love, and Daniel Herzog our bishops; James and Dennie our priests; Pat our deacon and Allison our Lay Reader

For those on the front-line:  police, firefighters, EMTs, postal workers, sanitation workers, grocery personnel, delivery and transport workers, and all who must report to work because what they do is essential for our well-being, health, and safety.

For those on the Parish Prayer Chain:  Sylvia, Peter, Irene, Barbara, Nick and Frank.

For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.

For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie, Clark (still in the hospital), Bud and Joe.

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Mbale (Uganda), Washington (The Episcopal Church), Ibadan (Nigeria)

For all who have died:  especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin, Glenn and Eleanor.

For one another.

Something to share

Becky shares this poem which has been comforting to her:

 Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

Wendell Berry

Shalom: A Prayer from Many Spiritual Sources to Begin and End the Day

Let me be at peace within myself,
Let me accept that I am profoundly loved and need never be afraid.
Let me be aware of the Source of Being that is common to us all and to all living creatures.
Let me be filled with the presence of the Great Compassion toward myself and toward all living beings.
Let me always be an instrument of my own liberation and not of my own oppression.
Let me see the face of Jesus in others.
Let me be the face of Jesus for others.
Let me be at peace within myself. Amen.

The Rev. Canon Elizabeth Kaeton, Women’s Uncommon Prayers

News and Updates

Sunday Morning – We have another opportunity to participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, this Sunday morning, March 29th at 11:15am live-streamed from the National Cathedral. As a virtual, communal experience we can watch the service from our computers or smart televisions.  All you have to do is click on this link by 11:15am Sunday morning, and it should take you to the service.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCsaJ56uog

Schenectady Clergy Against Hate holds a virtual service on Zoom with prayer and songs of healing on Thursday, April 2^nd.  Due to the generosity of our virtual hosts the Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady, up to five hundred individuals can zoom into the event in addition to various opportunities to call in or watch elsewhere online. Community members of all faiths and all those of goodwill are encouraged.  All you have to do is click on this link by 6:30pm, Thursday, April 2nd, and it should take you to the service.   https://uuma.zoom.us/j/199805063

Reminders                                 

If you did not receive a phone call this last week from a member of the Vestry and you would like to be added to the communication list, please let us know and share with us the best telephone number(s) where we can reach you. We will add you to the list right away.

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Morning Prayers as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Be careful what you read online. There are reports of false information circulating in an attempt to create fear and confusion. And, God forbid, always remember – any online or texted-based solicitation from me for money is A SCAM. Do not reply to such messages. Delete them.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you!

Today’s Prayer

I cannot dance, O Lord,
Unless You lead me.
If You wish me to leap joyfully,
Let me see You dance and sing–
Then I will leap into Love–
And from Love into Knowledge,
And from Knowledge into the Harvest,
That sweetest Fruit beyond human sense.
There I will stay with you, whirling.

Mechthild of Madgeburg, 1282?

Mechthild of Madgeburg was a thirteenth century German mystic. In 1235 she became part of a community of Beguines. Jane Hirshfield describes the Beguine movement this way in her book Women in Praise of the Sacred: “When, in the twelfth century, the Catholic Church refused to open new convents to house any additional women….laywomen with a genuine vocation for religious life banded together to create their own forms of practice…The women who entered these communities took no formal vows, and had no official connection to the Church, but for the duration of their stay they observed the rules of chastity and poverty and the practice of charitable work.” In that community she wrote her mystical work The Flowing Light of the Godhead. Eventually, she took formal vows at the convent of Helfta.

From Our Prayers of the People

Let us pray:

For the peace and unity of the Church of God; for all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

For police, firefighters, EMTs, postal workers, sanitation workers, grocery personnel, delivery and transport workers, and all who must report to work because what they do is essential for our well-being, health, and safety.

For those on the Parish Prayer Chain:  Sylvia, Peter, Irene, Barbara and Frank.

For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.

For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie, Clark (still in the hospital), Bud and Joe.

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Mbaise (Nigeria) and  Warri (Nigeria)

For all who have died:  especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin, Glenn and Eleanor.

For one another.

Something to share 

What Gorgeous Thing
I do not know what gorgeous thing
the blue bird keeps saying,
his voice easing out of his throat,
beak, body into the pink air
of the early morning. I like it
whatever it is. Sometimes
it seems the only thing in the world
that is without dark thoughts.
Sometimes it seems the only thing
in the world that is without
questions that can’t and probably
never will be answered, the
only thing that is entirely content
with the pink, then clear white
morning and, gratefully, says so.

Mary Oliver

Before we get to Easter, we go through Holy Week and Good Friday. This year, these holiest of days align with some of the darkest days of our modern era.  The COVID-19 Pandemic is testing us and our faith in ways that few imagined just a few weeks ago. The cost—human, economic, social—is huge and growing. It is easy to lose faith in these times.
But as the prophet Zechariah reminds us we are called to be “prisoners of hope.” That is the promise of Easter morning and the resurrection. Despair is not an option.  If there was ever a time to live out our faith, surely it is now. We can demonstrate faith, hope and love through our own acts every day. By doing so, we are not only united with Christ, but also with one another as siblings in Christ.  It is through that strength of unity that we can be of real service to those in need even as we face challenges like the COVID-19 Pandemic right now. We get through such difficulties together as one in the body Christ.

Robert W. Radtke – Episcopal Relief & Development

Reminders                                 

If you did not receive a phone call this last week from a member of the Vestry and you would like to be added to the communication list, please let us know and share with us the best telephone number(s) where we can reach you. We will add you to the list right away.

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Morning Prayers as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Be careful what you read online. There are reports of false information circulating in an attempt to create fear and confusion. And, God forbid, always remember – any online or texted-based solicitation from me for money is A SCAM. Do not reply to such messages. Delete them.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you!

Today’s Prayer

God, we thank you for the inspiration of Jesus. Grant that we will love you with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, even our enemy neighbors. And we ask you, God, in these days of emotional tension, when the problems of the world are gigantic in extent and chaotic in detail, to be with us in our going out and our coming in, in our rising up and in our lying down, in our moments of joy and in our moments of sorrow, until the day when there shall be no sunset and no dawn. Amen. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1968

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is recognized with a feast day by the Episcopal Church on April 4th. Martin Luther King held a Ph.D in systematic theology from Boston University and was also a pastor of church in Montgomery, Alabama. Prayer was a strong support for him throughout the many dangers he faced as a civil rights leader.

From Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble; for those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

For police, firefighters, EMTs, postal workers, sanitation workers, grocery personnel, delivery and transport workers, and all who must report to work because what they do is essential for our well-being, health, and safety.

For those on the Parish Prayer Chain:  Sabrina, Joan, Charlie, Jim, Joe, Doug Kelly and Debbie

For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.

For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie, Clark, Bud and Joe.

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Mauritius (Indian Ocean) Waikato & Taranaki (Aotearoa NZ & Polynesia)  Wangaratta (Australia)

For all who have died:  especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin, Glenn and Eleanor.

For one another.

Something to share

Practicing our faith at home

While walking in our neighborhood, I was surprised to find a beautiful rainbow drawn on the   sidewalk and a rainbow picture in a window.  I noticed other homes with similar pictures and even a paper chain draped like a rainbow.  I quickly learned that people in other states are also displaying similar drawings in their windows and driveways. A close friend told me that with so many people walking outside during the quarantine, that enlightened messages might be a source of inspiration and hope. This idea quickly spread through FaceBook. 

We may recall that after the flood, God established the rainbow as a sign of his covenant with humankind and as a symbol of his promise never again to destroy the earth with a flood. (Genesis 9:13-17).  I have noticed that rainbows appear when least expected.  The stormy weather ends, the sun shines brightly and suddenly there is an arc of blended colors in the sky.  They don’t stay for long and are a vivid reminder of God’s promise and love for all.

If you like get out colored pencils, markers and crayons! Draw rainbows and display them in your home. Tape them on windows, doors or even outside!  This is one way we can practice our faith at home!    ~ Dennie +

PS I have included a picture of a rainbow taking on the morning our Ohio family were driving our 14 years old grandson away to boarding school.  As I paused to look at this rainbow, I thought all will be well.  God with God.  

News and Updates

Is Anyone Not Able to Receive these Prayers?  We will print them and deliver them (safely with no contact).  Let us know if you are aware of this situation.

Church Website – Also remember that Daniel Schuldt has been making improvements to the Saint Stephen website and all the Morning Prayers and video homilies are there. You can find it: https://st-stephens.church/

Lent Madness – Today, in an exciting Saintly Sixteen matchup featuring two faithful women, it’s Eva Lee Matthews vs. Margaret of Castello. Don’t remember who they were?  If you don’t have a Lenten Madness booklet, there’s always Google.  Yesterday, Margery Kempe embraced her “gift of tears” as she was routed by Brother Lawrence 81% to 19%. Time to vote! https://www.lentmadness.org/…/eva-lee-matthews-vs-margaret…/  Even in a pandemic you can have a little fun!

Reminders                                 

If you did not receive a phone call this last week from a member of the Vestry and you would like to be added to the communication list, please let us know and share with us the best telephone number(s) where we can reach you. We will add you to the list right away.

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Morning Prayers as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you.

Today’s Prayer

 Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

Book of Common Prayer, p. 240

Today is the Feast of the Annunciation

  Today’s feast commemorates how God made known to a young Jewish woman that she was to be the mother of Jesus, and how Mary accepted her vocation with faith and courage. Mary’s assent to Gabriel’s message opened the way for God to accomplish the salvation of the world. Mary’s self-offering in response to God’s call is reminiscent of Abraham, the father of believers. Just as Abraham was called to be the father of God’s people, and accepted his call, so Mary was called to be the mother of the faithful. She is God’s agent in the mystery of the Incarnation.

Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

For the just and proper use of your creation; for the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

From the Parish Prayer Chain, let’s pray for Pauline, John, Rick, Bob, Arthur and Al.

For those who are homebound: Stephen Gray, Pauline Northrop, Joan Halstead, Janet Schlansker and Marilyn Causey.

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.

For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie Trawick, Clark, Bud and Joe.

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Matlosane (formerly Klerksdorp) (Southern Africa) Waiapu (Aotearoa NZ & Polynesia)

For all who have died:  especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin, Glenn and Eleanor.

For one another.

Something to share

Mary’s Poem

When she heard infinity
whispered in her ear, did the flashing
scissors in her fingers fall
to the wooden floor and the spool unravel,
the spider’s sly cradle
tremble with love? Imagine

How the dry fields leaned
toward the news and she heard, for a moment,
the households of crickets –
When she answered, all things shifted, the moon
in its river of milk.

And when she wanted to pluck
her heart from her breast, did she remember
a commotion of wings, or the stirring
of dust?

Kathleen Wakefield

News and Updates

Archbishop of Canterbury backs worldwide call for Christians to say the Lord’s Prayer:

In response to a call from both Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry will be praying the Lord’s Prayer (via Livestream and Facebook Live) Wednesday, March 25, at noon Eastern Time. He invites you to join with Christians around the world to offer this prayer in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

To join Bishop Curry live, Wednesday, March 25, at noon Eastern Time, click here:

Livestream (click “Get notified” to receive a notification/reminder)
The Episcopal Church Facebook page
The Presiding Bishop’s Facebook page

What Kids Want To Know About Coronavirus – A couple of weeks ago National Public Radio had a podcast concerning COVID19, which was still being called the coronavirus, and a little booklet for explaining it for children. The information in the comic booklet is still valid, and you can visit the website by googling:

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/28/809580453/just-for-kids-a-comic-exploring-the-new-coronavirus

You can see the comic drawings and commentary on that website, and you can print the little booklet which is on one page that kids can turn into a booklet.   – Jo Adams

Reminders                                 

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Daily Prayer as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you.

Today’s Prayer

Teach us, O God
to view our life here on earth
as a pilgrim’s path to heaven,
and give us grace to tread it courageously
in the company of your faithful people.
Help us to set our affections
on the things above,
not on the passing vanities of this world;
and grant that as we journey on
in the way of holiness
we may bear a good witness to our Lord,
and serve all who need our help
along the way,
for the glory of your name.

Frank Colquhoun, 1997

Frank Colquhoun was a vicar of the Church of England, religious instructor, and writer. He was a Canon Residentiary of Southwark and later Vice-Dean of Norwich. Colquhoun had patient, gentle and conciliatory character. He was a shy man who did not find a rapidly changing church in a rapidly changing world at all easy, but he was never confrontational. He wrote many prayers, was a collector of prayers, and he was beloved by many.

Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

For the peace and unity of the Church of God; for all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

From the Parish Prayer Chain, let’s pray for Clark, Jim, Eunice, Mason, Millie, Jane and Bruce.

For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.

For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie, Clark, Bud and Joe.

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Matana (Burundi), Wad Medani (Sudan) and Hyderabad (Pakistan)

For Travis – today is Travis’ baptismal anniversary!

For all who have died, especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin and Eleanor.

For one another.

Something to share

Hope

In these Lenten days,
O God, where we are called to empty ourselves of all that
distracts; of all that is not of you,
we find ourselves overwhelmed,
anxious and fearful of a future,
yet to be revealed.

By the grace of your Spirit,
send calm in the midst of panic,
wisdom in the midst of legislation,
creativity in the midst of confusion,
endurance in the midst of fatigue,
and your healing balm in the midst of all illness.

For you are our hope –
our Lenten Spring and Easter Joy,
and in these moments of deep despair
we will turn our hearts toward you,
we will rely on you, on whom we have set all our hope.

Amen

Lori True, Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Paul, Minnesota

The MoonCatcher Project is also making facemasks for area hospitals

The MoonCatcher Project is shifting gears to address the shortage of face masks in our community.  We are asking all of our sewers and non-sewers to join us as we construct these masks for local hospitals and health care organizations.  Can you think of a better way to be at home during this global crisis?  

For Local Volunteers:

·  If you sew, and have materials, please start working on the masks using these instructions.

·  We can get materials to you if you don’t have them.  Just send an email to make arrangements. 
If you want us to pick up completed masks and coordinate donation, please email us.

·  Don’t sew?  We need cutters!  Fabric must be 100% cotton. Please make a pattern out of cardboard or paper — cutting rectangles of exactly 9″ X 6″ for adult masks or 7.5″ X 5″ for children. (No guesswork please!)  

·  Each mask requires 2 matching rectangles.
If you need material, please email us and we will get it to you for cutting.

·  Please assemble cut rectangles in groups of 50 (25 sets of 2 matching rectangles) and email us to make a plan for pick up.

QUESTIONS?  Please send an email to: Ellie von Wellsheim-  ellie@mooncatcher.org

News and Updates

Habits of Grace; An Invitation from the Most Rev. Michael Curry:

As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry invites you to join him each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’  A new video meditation will be posted on Mondays through May. It can be found at episcopalchurch.org

Offerings by Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage and Washington National Cathedral: 

Online: Listening for God @ 5:30 :   Hear the word of God in reading Holy Scripture, in silence and by sharing with others in prayerful listening during this time of Lectio Divina, or holy reading.

Online:  Centering Prayer @ 6 pm: Open your entire being to God’s presence during this time of silent prayer as you move beyond thoughts, words, and emotions into a quiet communion with the Divine. 

***Go to Center for Prayer and Pilgrimage Facebook and cathedral.org.

Reminders                                

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Daily Prayer as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you.

Today’s Prayer

O GOD, we who are bound together in the tender ties of love, pray thee for a day of unclouded love. May no passing irritation rob us of our joy in one another. Forgive us if we have often been keen to see the human failings, and slow to feel the preciousness of those who are still the dearest comfort of our life. May there be no sharp words that wounds and scar, and no rift that may grow into estrangement. Suffer us not to grieve thee whom thou hast sent to us as the sweet ministers of love. May our eyes not be so holden by selfishness that we know thine angels only when they spread their wings to return to thee.      

Walter Rauschenbusch, 1918

Walter Rauschenbusch is recognized with a feast day by the Episcopal Church on July 2nd, along with Washington Gladden and Jacob Riis. Rauschenbusch is known as one of the main leaders of the Social Gospel movement, which argued that Christians were obligated by faith to address the social problems of their day. In 1917, this Baptist pastor published his text A Theology for the Social Gospel, a key text for the movement. The above prayer is from his book Prayers of the Social Awakening, published in 1910.

Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

For the peace and unity of the Church of God; for all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

From the Parish Prayer Chain, let’s pray for Clark, Jim, Eunice, Mason, Millie, Jane and Bruce.

For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn.

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail.

For those in need of healing: Cindi Love, Peter Nelson, Mary Frances Hatfield, Debbie Trawick, Glenn Kaler, Bud Mazurek and Joe White.

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Matabeleland (Central Africa). Virginia (The Episcopal Church) and Huron (Canada).

For Marti – today is her birthday!

For all who have died, especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin and Eleanor.

For one another.

Something to share

Excerpts from Lenten Meditation (Lent 25)

“Regardless of whether you are on the front lines or in some form of home shelter or medical care, prayer is an essential means through which we stay connected to God and one another.  It is also a source of hope and strength in uncertain times. 

In her book Amazing Grace, Kathleen Norris shares this about prayer ‘The ancient monks understood that a life of prayer would manifest itself in relationships with others.  If prayer is a matter of concern to you,’ said the sixth -century monk Jon Climacus, ‘then show yourself to be merciful.’ As a ‘dialog and a union with God,’ he said, ‘prayer has the effect of holding the world together.’

We may not be able to see where all of this will lead, but we know that God will be with us. ‘Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not see.’ (Hebrews 11:1).”

The Rev. Canon Jan Naylor Cope, Washington National Cathedral (cathedral.org)

The MoonCatcher Project is also making facemasks for area hospitals

The MoonCatcher Project is shifting gears to address the shortage of face masks in our community.  We are asking all of our sewers and non-sewers to join us as we construct these masks for local hospitals and health care organizations.  Can you think of a better way to be at home during this global crisis?  

For Local Volunteers:

·  If you sew, and have materials, please start working on the masks using these instructions.

·  We can get materials to you if you don’t have them.  Just send an email to make arrangements. 
If you want us to pick up completed masks and coordinate donation, please email us.

·  Don’t sew?  We need cutters!  Fabric must be 100% cotton. Please make a pattern out of cardboard or paper — cutting rectangles of exactly 9″ X 6″ for adult masks or 7.5″ X 5″ for children. (No guesswork please!)  

·  Each mask requires 2 matching rectangles.
If you need material, please email us and we will get it to you for cutting.

·  Please assemble cut rectangles in groups of 50 (25 sets of 2 matching rectangles) and email us to make a plan for pick up.

QUESTIONS?  Please send an email to: Ellie von Wellsheim-  ellie@mooncatcher.org

News and Updates

Schenectady Community Ministries Food Pantry, our county’s largest emergency food provider, remains fully operational and it’s volunteer base remains strong, a call has been put out to our respective faith communities to provide an additional three to five additional volunteers each day the food pantry is in operation. The food pantry is located at 839 Albany Street in Schenectady. Contact me james.ross.mcd@gmail.com if you are interested in helping.

Church Publishing offers Book of Common Prayer, other free resources for devotional use:
https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/church-publishing-offers-book-of-common-prayer-other-free-resources-for-devotional-use/

Reminders                                

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Daily Prayer as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you.

Today is the Fourth Sunday of Lent

Today’s Prayer

Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the true bread which giveth life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may live in us, and we in him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

A Prayer in this time of our Eucharistic Fast

My Jesus, I believe that you are truly present in the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I love you above all things, and long for you in my soul. Since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart. As though you have already come, I embrace you and unite myself entirely to you; never permit me to be separated from you. Amen.

St. Alphonsus de Liguori, 1696-1787

Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

For the peace and unity of the Church of God; for all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

From the Parish Prayer list, let’s pray for Sue, Art, Jeanne, Chris, Walter, Theresa and Budd

For those who are homebound: Stephen, Pauline, Joan, Janet and Marilyn

Those who are imprisoned: especially the women in the Schenectady County Jail

For those in need of healing: Cindi, Peter, Mary Frances, Debbie, Glenn, Rick, Bruce & Jane and Joe

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui and Hong Kong Island

For Joanne – today is her birthday!

For all who have died, especially Virginia, Louise, Theodore, Irwin, and Eleanor

For one another.

Something to share

Lenten Meditation

We hear a lot these days about the need to shelter in place.  I would like to offer a little variation on that theme by encouraging us all to shelter in faith.  History has shown that the most powerful and effective tool any community has in confronting crisis is its spiritual resilience.  I know this is true because I come from a culture that has only survived because of its depth of spirituality.  Let our message to others be an invitation to join us in prayer, hope and determination.  If you know of others who are alone or anxious, please welcome them to join us here where we shelter in faith.  There is room for everyone beneath the wings of the Spirit.

Steven Charleston, Retired Bishop of Alaska

Make Facemasks for Staff/Patients at Ellis Hospital

Hi,
On behalf of Ellis and our community- thank you for offering to help make masks in this unprecedented time.
Below is the link to the information on how to make a mask.
https://www.deaconess.com/How-to-make-a-Face-Mask
Kathleen Morris will be reaching to you with additional information and mask making tips. She’s an expert quilter and a delight.
For Ellis- Packaging 20 in a bag would be ideal.   Delivery to the attention of the Purchasing Office at McClellan Street.  Please just let me know when you will be making a delivery and we will coordinate.
If you need any help at all or have any questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Be safe, be well.
Gratefully,
Marcy
Marcia (Marcy) M. Steiner
Vice President/Executive Director
The Foundation for Ellis Medicine
Office- (518) 243-4413
steinerm@ellismedicine.org

News and Updates

Schenectady Community Ministries Food Pantry, our county’s largest emergency food provider, remains fully operational and it’s volunteer base remains strong, a call has been put out to our respective faith communities to provide an additional three to five additional volunteers each day the food pantry is in operation. The food pantry is located at 839 Albany Street in Schenectady. Contact me james.ross.mcd@gmail.com  if you are interested in helping.

Church Publishing offers Book of Common Prayer, other free resources for devotional use: https://www.episcopalnewsservice.org/pressreleases/church-publishing-offers-book-of-common-prayer-other-free-resources-for-devotional-use/

Reminders                                

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Daily Prayer as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+

Staying Safe and Staying Connected

Good Morning Saint Stephen’s Church,

We continue our life of daily prayer. The Lord be with you.

Today’s Prayer

O Lord…when I find no occasions, at least I want to keep telling You that I love You; it is not difficult and it keeps the fire of love going; even if that fire were to seem wholly out, I should throw little bits of straw on the ashes, little acts of virtue and of charity; and I am sure that, with Your help the fire would be enkindled again.

Thérèse of Liseux, 1897

Thérèse is a beloved Catholic saint who lived from 1873 to 1897. From age 15 onward, she lived as a cloistered Carmelite nun. She died at age 24 from tuberculosis. Following her death, she became known through her writings, including a spiritual autobiography, poems, prayers, and letters.

From Our Prayers of the People

Today, let’s pray:

For the peace and unity of the Church of God; for all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the truth.

For comfort and healing for all who are affected by the Coronavirus, and for physicians, nurses, and all others who minister to the sick and the suffering, may God grant them wisdom and skill, sympathy and patience, and may God keep them healthy and safe.

From the Parish Prayer list, let’s pray for Cindi, Doug, Hugh, Keith, Debby, Sylvia, Peter, Irene, Barbara, Al and Frank

For all the blessings of this life.

For our dioceses in the Anglican Communion: Masvingo (Central Africa) Virgin Islands (The Episcopal Church) Hpa-an (Myanmar)

For one another.

Something to share

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of your mercy.  Sustain and support the anxious, be with those who care for the sick, and lift up all who are brought low; that we may find comfort knowing that nothing can separate us, from your love in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen

Church of England

News and Updates

Lenten Meditation

While we have had other times of uncertainty, we are facing something unlike anything we’ve lived through before, so that the commandment to love has an even deeper meaning. As Christians, we need to reach out in tangible ways to let our neighbors know that they are loved, and part of loving our neighbors is reminding them that they are not alone.  We are in this together.
Loving our neighbors during this unsettling time can be reflected in a variety of ways.  It could be an encouraging phone call to those who are isolated and fearful or making a trip to the grocery story or pharmacy for sick or elderly family, friends, and yet, the neighbor next door.  It is buying supplies to share and not hoard.
Even in these times of social distancing, we can safely reach out in mercy and love. So as we and the entire world live into the weeks ahead, may we commit ourselves to the greatest commandment we’ve received as followers of Jesus; to love God and love neighbor and love neighbor as we love ourselves.

 The Rev. Canon Rosemarie Logan Duncan, Washington National Cathedral

Schenectady Community Ministries Food Pantry, our county’s largest emergency food provider, remains fully operational and it’s volunteer base remains strong, a call has been put out to our respective faith communities to provide an additional three to five additional volunteers each day the food pantry is in operation. The food pantry is located at 839 Albany Street in Schenectady. Contact me james.ross.mcd@gmail.com  if you are interested in helping.

Here is a video link from Samaritan Counselling Center that that we would like to share about managing anxiety https://youtu.be/RtvKhrdUSxQ.

From our Presiding Bishop:

“On March 15^th the Centers for Disease Control recommended the suspension of public gatherings in the U.S. of more than 50 people for the next 8 weeks. On March 16^th officials of the federal government asked persons in the U.S. to “avoid gatherings of more than 10 people” for the next 15 days.  It is reasonable to assume that some form of recommendations restricting public gatherings will continue for some time.
 
Considering this changing landscape, I believe that suspension of in-person public worship is generally the most prudent course of action at this time, even during Holy Week and on Easter Day.  I am also mindful that local situations vary. “

Reminders                                

If you have an update/news, a prayer or poem or something inspirational you would like us to share with the congregation, please send it to us. Please also send us any prayer requests. We will incorporate these into the Daily Prayer as best we can.

Our church campus is closed. All parish meetings and gatherings are canceled and postponed until further notice.

Our goal is for all of us to stay in touch and connected in this time of isolation.

Share this news, and spread some love, not the virus!

Be of good courage. We are in this together, and we will be together again soon. God bless you and may God be with us in the days ahead.

Peace,

James+