Prayers of the People | Epiphany 2C | January 17th, 2016

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Prayers of the People

Epiphany 2C

January 17th, 2016

    God of our Life and our Living,
    you will not keep silent as our God
    and we will not keep silent as your people.
    Hear us as we lift up our prayers to you this day.

    We thank you for the many blessings in our lives…
        for food, water, and shelter…
        for the clothing on our backs…
        for the warmth of a sanctuary and a roof above our heads…
        for the companionship of friends and family…
        for the joy we find in the presence of your Son, Jesus Christ…
        for the work we are called to do as a congregation in his name…
        we thank you for things lifted up in silence or out loud…

    As your people, we recognize the many needs in our community…
        We pray for leaders of our community…
        We pray for the work of the Elders and the Deacons in the coming year…
        We pray for the staff of this congregation…
        We pray for who have been hospitalized recently…
        We pray for the workers on the north and south ferry…
        We pray for the Shelter Island firefighters, police officers, and EMS personnel…
        We pray for people lifted up in silence or out loud…

    This we pray in your holy and good name.  Amen.

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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.