21st Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 23

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Call to Worship

As we begin our stewardship season, we gather with gratitude in our hearts.
God requires us to do justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly. Micah 6:8
As we step into fall, we observe the changing of the seasons.
And yet we acknowledge that gratitude is an eternal season.
We gather to commit our hearts and our resources to God’s work.
May God grant us the courage to return a generous portion
of what God has given us.
Come, let us worship the God who gives us our very breath.

Prayer of the Day

God of Abundance and Joy,
we are honored to gathered in your presence this morning,
a presence of comfort, protection, and love.
Help us bring comfort to those in distress.
Help us bring protection to those in danger.
Help us bring love to those who are despised.
In the strong name of Jesus, we pray.  Amen.

Call to Confession

The psalmist tells us to commit our cause to the Lord             Ps. 22:8
and to let the Lord deliver us from our despair.
Let us confess our sins that we might be delivered.

Confession

Forgiving God,
you know the number of our transgressions     Amos 5
and you know the greatness of our sins.
Heed our plea this day to wash away our shortcomings.
We have trampled the poor to seek our selfish wants.
We have afflicted the righteous and pushed aside the needy.
Be with us and remember your promise.
Help us seek good and not evil.
Lead us to places where the hungry are fed and the naked are clothed.
This we pray in the name of the God of Hosts.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

The author of Hebrews tells us to approach the throne of grace with boldness. Heb. 4:16
Friends, I announce to you that we have received mercy
and have found the grace to help us in our time of need.
Sisters and brothers in Christ, we have been forgiven!
Alleluia!  Amen.

Prayer for Illumination

Holy Spirit,
your word is living and active,
sharper than any two-edged sword,
and wiser than all we could image,
Open our hearts this day
that we might receive the gift of your wisdom.  Amen.

Prayers of the People

Let us pray to God saying:
God of Abundance, bend our hearts toward gratitude.

We come to you in prayer, Gracious God,
preparing our budget for the next year
and discerning how best to use our resources.
Help us have generous hearts
in order to support the mission and ministries
of [name of congregation].
God of Abundance, bend our hearts toward gratitude.

Today we were reminded of a story in your scripture
about a person who could open himself to the joy of generosity.
Help us not turn away from you in grief
but to turn toward you in gratitude.
God of Abundance, bend our hearts toward gratitude.

We pray this day for our Finance committee,
as they prepare our budget for the next year,
we pray that we might return a generous portion of that God has given us
to support the mission of this congregation.
God of Abundance, bend our hearts toward gratitude.

We pray for the people of this congregation
as they prayerfully consider what God is calling them to give financially
to support this congregation in the coming year.
We want to grow.
We want to learn.
We want to serve.
However, we recognize that our financial giving
is an inseparable part of that effort.
God of Abundance, bend our hearts toward gratitude.

We pray this day for those of us, and beyond these walls,
who are struggling with issues of all kinds:
for those who are living paycheck to paycheck,
for those who find the color of their skin a barrier to equal treatment,
for those who struggle to balance family needs with benevolent giving,
for those who are stuck in unfair economic cycles,
and for those we lift up to you in silence this day…
God of Abundance, bend our hearts toward gratitude.

Hear our prayers this day, Gracious God,
as we pray as your Son taught us to pray, saying:  Our Father…

 

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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.