Confession | Ash Wednesday (Year C) | February 10th, 2016

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Confession

Ash Wednesday (Year C)

February 10th, 2016

Call to Confession

God desires that we return with all our heart.
Let us turn together from that which keeps us from God
to that which brings us closer to God’s will.

Prayer of Confession

    Have mercy on us, O Lord, according to your steadfast love,
    Blot out that which has kept us from you - 
        the sins of things we have done,
        and the sins of things we have left undone.
    Wash us for our sin is ever before you.
    Any sin against a fellow brother or sister is, in fact,
    a sin against you and, for that, we beg your forgiveness.
    Through your power alone can we be made clean.
    Create in us a clean heart, O God,
    and put a new and right spirit within us.
    We crave your forgiveness
    and have no hope in this life - or the next - without it.
    Forgive us, Lord, and our lips will declare your praise!
    This we pray in your holy and merciful name.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

    Psalm 51 tells us that the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit.
    Together, we have confessed the broken things within us
    and God’s mercy has restored our souls.
    I proclaim to you this day, our sins have been forgiven.
    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.