Advent Devotional | 3rd Saturday in Advent | Year C | December 19th, 2015

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Psalm 80:1-7

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
   you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
   before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
   and come to save us! 

Restore us, O God;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. 

O Lord God of hosts,
   how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? 
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
   and given them tears to drink in full measure. 
You make us the scorn of our neighbours;
   our enemies laugh among themselves. 

Restore us, O God of hosts;
   let your face shine, that we may be saved. 

Psalm 80 is one of my favorite psalms.  It appears all three years in the Revised Common Lectionary.  As today's devotion, I would like to share with you this hymn that I composed a few years ago inspired by the words of Psalm 80.  It is sung to GENEVAN 42, which is commonly used to sing "Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People."

Lord, our Shepherd and our comfort, hear us now, your people cry.
Show yourself and shine upon us, save your sheep and loose your light.
Darkness cannot win the day; guide our feet and show the way.
Lord, your light and love is spoken; never more shall we be broken.

We, your vine, have always needed your provision and your care.
You, our God, brought us from Egypt; all was perfect, all was fair.
Why must we return to sin?  Why must always we give in?
Come, attend and plant within us light that always shines out from us.

We have long rebuked and wandered; you have brought our sins to light.
We have fought and we have tarnished; you have pushed us from your sight.
Give us chance to live and learn!  May no more your anger burn!
Make your face to shine upon us and no more shall darkness hide us.

Lord, our hope and our salvation, hear us now, we pray and plea.
Show yourself and shine upon us.  Open us and help us see.
Darkness will not win the day!  Light will come and always stay!
God will be our jubilation; evermore our restoration!

Prayer of the Day:
Shepherd God,
thank you for calling me to be a flock of your fold,
thank you for caring for me, and restoring me from brokenness.
You alone are my hope and salvation.
May I my actions today reflect a joyful response to that salvation.  Amen.

Click here for a pdf of this hymn for use in congregational worship

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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.