12th Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 14 (Year B)

/

Call to Worship

    Let us bless the Lord at all times;                                                                                            Ps. 34
    God’s praise shall continually be upon our lips.
    O magnify the Lord with me;
    Let us exalt the Lord’s name together.
    O taste and see that the Lord is good;
    happy are those who take refuge in God.
    Come, let us worship God!

Prayer of the Day

    Loving God,                                                                                                                               Ps. 34
    we bless you this day
    because you hear our cry
    and save us from ourselves.
    Accept this our worship of you this day
    that we may be fulfilled by the promise of your Word.  Amen.

Call to Confession

    Beloved friends, we have messed up and done what is evil in the sight of the Lord.
    Let us confess our sins together that we might be free of this burden.

Confession

    Out of the depths we cry to you, O Lord.                                                                              Ps. 130
    Hear our voice and be attentive to our cries
    for we have done what is evil in your sight
    and desperately need your steadfast love.
    Reach for us and pull us out of the graves we dig for ourselves.
    We wait for your redemption and hope in your healing Word.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

    Children of the Promise,
    hear the good news of the Gospel:
    through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
    we have been freed from the burdens of our sin
    and can serve joyfully the Body of Christ!  
    Alleluia!  Amen.

Prayer for Illumination

    Precious Spirit,
    guide our hearts to be attentive to your Word
    that we may be changed by its wisdom.  Amen.

Prayers of the People

    Let us pray to God saying:
    Bread of Life, hear our prayer.

    Gracious God,
    we pray this day for the places in the world
    that are ravaged by natural disasters.
    for the historic heat wave in Western Europe,
    for the ferocious floods in France,
    for the continued rebuilding of Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria,
    and for the massive fires in California.
    May these places have relief from the horror
    and may they have the resources they need to recover.
    Bread of Life, hear our prayer.

    God of the Young Ones among us,
    we pray for the students who are returning to school this week.
    May they be safe, nourished, and encouraged
    to grow stronger, kinder, and smarter.
    We pray also for those who work in schools;
    for teachers, custodians, principals, social workers,
    coaches, food service workers, and others.
    May they, too, be safe and secure in their calling.
    Bread of Life, hear our prayer.

    God of Preachers and Prophets,
    we give you thanks for the life and witness
    of the Rev. Dr. Katie Geneva Cannon,
    the first African American woman
    to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church.
    She paved the way for other women of color
    to step into the pulpit and preach boldly
    the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
    May she rest in power.
    Bread of Life, hear our prayer.

    God of Hope and Healing,
    we pray for those in this congregation
    who are struggling with health issues:
    especially...
    We also lift up to you, in silence,
    those on our hearts this day…
    Bread of Life, hear our prayer.

    Holy God,
    we lift up to you our prayers this day.
    Be attentive to our cries
    and shower us with your steadfast love.
    Hear us, as we are bold to pray as you taught us to pray, saying:  Our Father…

 

/ / Comment

Stephen Fearing

Stephen was born in 1988 in Cookeville, TN, where his parents met whilst attending Tennessee Tech. Shortly after, they moved to Dalton, Georgia where they put down roots and joined First Presbyterian Church, the faith family that taught Stephen that he was first and foremost a beloved child of God. It was this community that taught Stephen that it was OK to have questions and doubts and that nothing he could do could every possibly separate him from the love of God. In 1995, his sister, Sarah Kate, joined the family and Stephen began his journey as a life-long musician. Since then, he has found a love of music and has found this gift particularly fitting for his call to ministry. Among the instruments that he enjoys are piano, trumpet, guitar, and handbells. Stephen has always had a love of singing and congregation song. An avid member of the marching band, Stephen was the drum major of his high school's marching band. In 2006, Stephen began his tenure at Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC where he majored in Religion and minored in History. While attending PC, Stephen continued to explore his love of music by participating in the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Jazz Combo, Jazz Trio, as well as playing in the PC Handbell ensemble and playing mandolin and banjo PC's very own bluegrass/rock group, Hosegrass, of which Stephen was a founding member (Hosegrass even released their own CD!). In 2010, Stephen moved from Clinton to Atlanta to attend Columbia Theological Seminary to pursue God's call on his life to be a pastor in the PC(USA). During this time, Stephen worked at Trinity Presbyterian Church, Silver Creek Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church, and Westminster Presbyterian Church. For three years, Stephen served as the Choir Director of Columbia Theological Seminary's choir and also served as the Interim Music Director at Westminster Presbyterian Church. In 2014, Stephen graduated from Columbia with a Masters of Divinity and a Masters of Arts in Practical Theology with an emphasis in liturgy, music, and worship. In July of 2014, Stephen was installed an ordained as Teaching Elder at Shelter Island Presbyterian Church in Shelter Island, NY. Later that year, Stephen married the love of his life, Tricia, and they share their home on Shelter Island with their Golden Doodle, Elsie, and their calico cat, Audrey. In addition to his work with the people who are Shelter Island Presbyterian Church, Stephen currently serves as a commission from Long Island Presbytery to the Synod of the Northeast and, beginning in January of 2016, will moderate the Synod's missions team.