"With All That You Are"

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Here’s a hymn inspired by A Sanctified Art’s upcoming Lent worship resources for Year C called “Full to the Brim.” It’s written in 10.10.11.11, has an AABB rhyme scheme, and is sung to the tune LYONS. It can be used as a general hymn of invitation and it has an optional fifth verse designed for Ash Wednesday.

Permission is given for use in congregational worship.  Please give the following credit:  "Copyright 2021 Stephen M. Fearing | www.stephenmfearing.com"

CLICK HERE for a PDF of the hymn.

With all that you are, come dine in God’s grace.
For here you are found, and here is your place.
Your savior is calling you - all of you - here.
For now is the Spirit of God drawing near.

With all of your doubts, those answers unheard,
and all of those questions seeking God’s word
Come, gather like Jacob to wrestle with God,
And we’ll find together a love deep and broad.

With all that is broken, lost, or abused,
And all that’s abandoned, battered, or bruised.
There’s nothing within you that God can’t redeem,
Be filled to the brim by a ne’er ending stream.

With all of your weeping tears of despair,
And cries of lament you lift up in prayer.
This part of you’s welcome, you need not pretend,
For you’re God’s beloved, and here we can mend.

We gather with ashes, marked on our head,
The sign of the cross, of wilderness bread.
The path laid before us is not one of shame.
We’re pilgrims of promise with grace to proclaim.

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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.