Worship

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

Welcome to worship this Sunday!  We gather our hearts and offer our lives to God through this recorded worship service that is trying to honor our church family practices of a familiar and comforting liturgy in our sacred space at 2500 Soquel Ave.  Please set aside some time on the Lord’s day and Remember the Sabbath and Keep It Holy, as the Third Commandment says. Find some bread and “fruit of the vine” so you can receive a means and reminder of God’s grace to strengthen and sustain you in these weary days.

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

We are grateful these days for the returning home of many who were evacuated due to the wildfires. We are grateful for the favorable weather that has enabled the firefighters to gain more control over the fires to prevent further loss of people’s homes. We are grateful for those who are doing that work and for all the help that has been offered throughout our County. We are praying for comfort and strength for those who have lost their homes and for those who are still evacuated. We are praying for continued favorable weather and conditions so that the firefighters work can be completed. We are praying for courage and strength for all who are offering themselves to help those who have been affected.

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

As we send this message to all of you, many members of our church family are still experiencing the stress of evacuations due to the lightning fires in the Santa Cruz mountains. In addition to the Curry / Abler Family, we welcomed Jean & Mark Petersen to shelter here.  All are doing as well as can be expected.  Tara McMilin has been told it will be 2-3 months before she can return home….transitional housing is needed beginning in September.    

Dear St. Stephen’s Family,

In Isaiah we hear that God’s house shall be a house of prayer for all people and that God will gather the outcasts of Israel.  The Canaanite woman in today’s gospel is a Gentile, an outsider, who is unflinching in her request that Jesus heal her daughter.  As Jesus commends her bold faith, how might our church extend its mission to those on the margins of society?  In our gathering around word and meal we receive strength to be signs of comfort, healing, and justice for those in need.