Worship

“So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom” This refrain from the Psalm for Sunday summarizes our readings well. It also summarizes our basic approach to life as children of God – children of light as Paul calls us. As we each wait the ultimate fulfillment of God’s grace and love for us, we are given the gift of life to be used and lived well by seeking things like  wisdom, truth, and justice for the vulnerable and suffering.

We will gather again this Sunday as we hear passages encouraging us to use our lives with integrity and honesty – seeking justice and God’s ways. We keep awake for God’s presence in surprising and sometimes delayed ways, always trying to keep our lives focused in the Spirit.

All Saints Sunday will be an important hour where we will honor and remember the saints among us who have now gone on before us into light eternal: Matthew Barker, Rev. Bonnie Bell, Suzanne Duval, Kirk McMilin, Al Mitchell, Delores Price, Ginny Ruble, and Judy Webber.

We will call to mind and heart all the ways that God’s grace, love, joy and peace came to us through their lives as we lift them each up in prayer and memory.

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

The theme of this Reformation Sunday worship (our 67th anniversary!) is: “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. We will experience a little freedom by gathering in our parking lot for the second time, while lifting up the truth of our faith in Christ. It will be recorded and posted here in the evening.

EVERYONE WEAR SOMETHING RED! This is another way to live out our faith and adorn ourselves with God’s Spirit.

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

“Give to God the things that are God’s”. In an election year like this, where there is much at stake as to the direction of our nation, we are reminded through our scripture readings about where our ultimate allegiance is to be given, despite the common human temptation throughout history to serve the nation and it’s economy first. All of our decisions about “politics” (the way we decide to live together on the planet), are to be grounded in what we know about God’s intention and hope for humanity, and the realization that God’s call supersedes whatever call a nation might try to have on us.