Confession | Lent 1C | February 14th, 2016

/

Confession

Lent 1C

February 14th, 2016

Here's a call to confession, prayer of confession, and assurance of pardon for the 1st Sunday in Lent (Year C) - Lent 1C - inspired by Luke 4:1-13.

Call to Confession

Let us confess our sins before our merciful God
and beg for God's pardon on this Lenten journey.

Prayer of Confession

Merciful God,
like your Son, we are tempted on a daily basis
by that which seeks to tear us from you and from one another.
When Jesus was tempted by Satan, 
he turned to scripture for wisdom and strength,
trusting in your goodness and your grace to uphold him.
When we are seduced by the same temptations,
we often do not bother to look to the scriptures;
instead, we do not hold ourselves accountable
to the righteousness to which you call us.
Help us to be strengthened by Christ's strength.
Lead us to be instructed by his wisdom, and encouraged by his trust.
Forgive us our sins and lead us to a better relationship with you and with one another.
This we pray in your holy and merciful name.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Friends, by the grace of God,
you and I have been forgiven of our sins
and invited to a renewed life with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Amen!

/ / 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.