8th Sunday after Pentecost - Proper 10 (Year B)

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Call to Worship

Blessed be the God and Parent of our Lord Jesus Christ,                                                   Eph. 1:3-14
who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.
God has chosen us to be holy and blameless before him.
Together, we have been destined for adoption as God’s children.
We are no longer without a home, without a identity.
Together, we have obtained an inheritance.
We are heirs of God’s goodness and grace.
Come, let us worship God.

Prayer of the Day

God of this good earth and all that is in it,                                                                                Ps. 24:1
gather us from the corners of the world
that your name be lifted up in prayer and praise.
Bless our time together in worship
that we may be blessed
in order to be a blessing to others.  Amen.

Call to Confession

God uses the image of a plumb line -                                                                                     Amos 7:8
a piece of cord with a weight at the bottom - 
to measure whether or not we’re standing “upright.”
Let us confess the ways in which we have failed to do so.

Confession

Merciful God,
you call us conduct ourselves with uprightness.
However, too often we are crooked and cruel.
Instead of keeping a righteous posture, we slouch and slip up.
Forgive us of our failings and free us from the burden of our transgressions.
Turn our hearts to you that we might measure up to your holiness.
Hear our prayer, gracious God, and keep us in your favor.  Amen.

Assurance of Pardon

Psalmist reminds us that steadfast love and faithfulness will meet                                       Ps. 85:10
and righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
In Jesus Christ, we have been forgiven.  Alleluia!  Amen.

 

Prayer for Illumination

Through the power of the Holy Spirit,
let us hear with open ears that which the Lord will speak.                                                      Ps. 85:8
Gracious God, turn our hearts to you for we are listening.  Amen.

Prayers of the People

Let us pray to God saying:
God of steadfast love, may righteousness and peace kiss one another.

We pray for those who are incarcerated - both justly and unjustly.
Scripture tells us that you come to proclaim release to the captives.
May we be vehicles of that freedom for those behind bars.
We pray for an the end of for-profit prisons
and that all prisoners may be treated with kindness and dignity.
God of steadfast love, may righteousness and peace kiss one another.

We pray for those who suffer from domestic violence of all kinds,
especially that women and girls may be free from abuse and neglect.
Marriage is a gift and responsibility
and we pray that those within its covenant
might conduct themselves with compassion and empathy.
God of steadfast love, may righteousness and peace kiss one another.

We pray for refugees and immigrants - 
both those with documentation and those without.
Scripture tells us to treat the foreigner with kindness and respect,
for how we treat the least of these is how we treat you, O Lord.
May this nation be a nation of compassion and inclusivity.
God of steadfast love, may righteousness and peace kiss one another.

We pray for those who are torn apart by grief;
grief at the loss of a loved one;
grief at the loss of employment;
grief at the loss of relationship;
grief at the loss of health.
May all those who grieve know your peace,
and may your Spirit intercede with sighs too deep for words.
God of steadfast love, may righteousness and peace kiss one another.

For all those prayers upon our hearts,
we lift up to you now in silence… 
God of steadfast love, may righteousness and peace kiss one another.

We commend these prayers to you, Gracious God,
for we trust your steadfast love and faithfulness.
May we be vehicles of your peace this day and forever more.  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.