St. Stephen's Episcopal church is a welcoming church located in the historic community of New Harmony, Indiana. Please join us every Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. Our Worship Service is also streamed lived on Facebook at 10:00 a.m. CST
VISIT our FACEBOOK PAGE and watch our Worship Services at:
The church office is open on Mondays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
and on Wednesdays 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Rev. Mary Bargiel
765-721-3037
mbargiel@me.com
Rev. Mary Bargiel
765-721-3037
mbargiel@me.com
A sign up sheet for EASTER FLOWERS is available at the back of the church.
Please include your name and the name of the person(s) you are giving for them.
A monetary donation may be made in the offering for your Easter flowers.
HOLY EUCHARIST
with Rev. Mary Bargiel
March 15, 2026
March 15, 2026
Thursday, March 19, 2026
The Food Pantry needs grocery bags.
A basket is in the parish hall to receive your donated bags.
SOUP SUPPER
Wednesday, March 25th at 5:00 p.m.
CHAIR YOGA
9:00 a.m. on Mondays and Thursdays
Chair Yoga is a gentle form of yoga that is practiced sitting on a chair
or standing using a chair for support. Good for all ages and levels.
Week of February 22 - February 28, 2026
CASTING OUR NET
ST. STEPHEN’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
PO Box 173, 512 Granary St. New Harmony, IN 47631 (812) 682-4604
Rev. Mary Bargiel 765-721-3037 mbargiel@me.com
Website: ststephensnewharmony.org
Facebook: New Harmony St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
You may give online by visiting our website or by texting SSNH to 73256
A SAFE PLACE FOR ALL TO LOVE, LEARN, AND LIVE THE WORD OF GOD
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Greetings St. Stephen’s:
It was good to be with you this Sunday as we begin our Lenten journey. Lent is a time many of us take to meet God with a sense of deep intentionality and a knowledge of the Holy with us and within us even though we are all flawed human beings. Despite the fact that we are sinners we are also beloved people made in the image of God. While we cannot be perfect as Jesus was, we can walk the path of Jesus and keep returning to this path when we stray.
Last Saturday the vestry had a retreat at the church. We discussed some of the ways we can serve the needs and gifts of the community and utilize our building and our desire to reach out to people who are looking for places of sanctuary. New Harmony has been such a place for many throughout its history. It is also been a place that inspires creativity for artists, writers and musicians. This world needs more beauty and more places that reflect God’s creativity.
Lent is a time to reflect on how we live our lives in light of not only the crucifixion of Jesus but also the resurrection of Jesus, which we await on Easter. As we prepare for Easter Sunday let us use this time to quiet our minds, spirits. As you enter the church every Sunday use the time before the church service to sit in silent contemplation of where God is leading us as a church community and as individuals. Take a few minutes before the service starts to sit in quiet, listening to the Holy Spirit. Take a few minutes at the end of your day to see where God has appeared and how the holy has been present within you and in others you’ve encountered. I know that God is always present with you every moment of every day, but do we notice God’s presence? Friends I wish you a blessed Lent. Let us center ourselves in God’s presence and make space for the Holy One. God’s peace be with you.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
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**LITURGICAL CALENDAR**
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Morning Prayer
St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church |
New Harmony, Indiana
March 1, 2026 | 10:00 a.m.
The Second Sunday in LENT
Welcome to worship.
Please join in speaking the bolded words.
Prelude Mr400
Announcements
The service begins with the ringing of the bell; the people stand as able.
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8, 9
The God of Abraham praise H401
The God of Abraham praise,
who reigns enthroned above;
Ancient of everlasting days,
and God of love;
the Lord, the great I AM,
by earth and heaven confessed:
we bow and bless the sacred Name
for ever blest.
He by himself hath sworn:
we on his oath depend;
we shall, on eagle-wings upborne,
to heaven ascend:
we shall behold his face,
we shall his power adore,
and sing the wonders of his grace
for evermore.
There dwells the Lord, our King,
the Lord, our Righteousness,
triumphant o’er the world and sin,
the Prince of Peace;
on Zion’s sacred height
his kingdom he maintains,
and, glorious with his saints in light,
for ever reigns.
The God who reigns on high
the great archangels sing,
and “Holy, holy, holy,” cry,
“Almighty King!
Who was, and is, the same,
and evermore shall be:
eternal Father, great I AM,
we worship thee.”
The whole triumphant host
give thanks to God on high;
“Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!”
they ever cry;
hail, Abraham’s Lord divine!
With heaven our songs we raise;
all might and majesty are thine,
and endless praise.
Confession of Sin
Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.
Silence may be kept; all kneel as able for the confession.
Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done, and by what we have left
undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will, and walk in your
ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.
The Invitatory and Psalter
All stand as able.
Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Officiant and People
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy:
Come, let us adore him.
Venite, said responsively by half verse Psalm 95:1-7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The Response Levavi oculos (Psalm 121)
Psalm is said responsively by half verse.
I lift up my eyes to the hills;
from where is my help to come?
My help comes from the Lord,
the maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep;
The Lord himself watches over you;
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,
So that the sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;
it is he who shall keep you safe.
The Lord shall watch over your going out and your coming in,
from this time forth for evermore.
The Lessons
The people are seated. A period of silence will follow each reading.
First Reading
A reading from the book of Genesis (Genesis 12:1-4a)
The Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.
Reader The Word of the Lord.
People Thanks be to God.
Canticle 14 A Song of Penitence Kyrie Pantokrator
The canticle is read responsively by half verse; all stand as able.
O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven,
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring;
You made the heavens and the earth
with all their vast array,
All things quake with fear at your presence;
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure;
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord, you are full of compassion,
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand;
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners,
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart,
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious
goodness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you:
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin,
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
In accordance with your great mercy,
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises,
And yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
The Second Reading
The people sit.
A reading from the book of Romans. (Romans 4:1-5, 13-17)
What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.
For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.
For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”) —in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Silence may follow.
The people stand as able.
Canticle 4 The Song of Zechariah Benedictus Dominus Deus
The canticle is read responsively by half verse; all stand as able.
Blessed by the Lord God of Israel,
for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,
which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers,
and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather
Abraham,
that he would give us,
That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him,
all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest,
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to
prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people
for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited
us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Gospel Reading
The people are seated.
The Holy Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ according to John. (John 3:1-17)
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God.” Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
“Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Homily Hope Staubitz
The Apostles’ Creed
All stand as able for the creed.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the
dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Peace
All stand.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.
The Ministers and People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
Offertory
The people are seated.
Let us with gladness present the offering and oblations of our life and labor to the Lord.
During the offertory (or at your own convenience), please consider giving to St. Stephens at the following link: https://onrealm.org/StStephensEpisc/-/give/now or by texting SSNH to 73256 and following the prompts. All donations go towards sustaining our church operations and our ministries.
Offertory Anthem Mr400
Doxology H380 v. 3
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
The Prayers
The people stand or kneel as able for the prayers.
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Officiant |
The Lord be with you. |
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People |
And also with you. |
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Officiant |
Let us pray. |
Officiant and People
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it
is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who
trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the
glory, forever and ever. Amen.
The Suffrages
Said responsively
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
Govern and uphold them, now and always.
Day by day we bless you;
We praise your Name for ever.
Lord, keep us from all sin today;
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy;
For we put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope;
And we shall never hope in vain.
The Officiant and People say responsively
The Collects
A Collect for the Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Prayers of the People: Intercessions
In peace, we pray to you, Lord God.
Silence
The leader and people pray responsively.
For all people in their daily life and work;
For our families, friends, and neighbors, and for those who are alone.
For this community, the nation, and the world;
For all who work for justice, freedom, and peace.
For the just and proper use of your creation;
For the victims of hunger, fear, injustice, and oppression.
For all who are in danger, sorrow, or any kind of trouble;
For those who minister to the sick, the friendless, and the needy.
For the peace and unity of the Church of God;
For all who proclaim the Gospel, and all who seek the Truth.
For Sean Rowe, our Presiding Bishop; Jennifer, our Bishop; Mauricio, Bishop of our companion Diocese of Brasilia. For The Standing Committee of the Dioceses of Haiti, and especially for Saint Andrew’s Parish and the School in Mithon. For or the Venerable Jean Michelin, and all bishops and other ministers;
For all who serve God in his Church.
For the special needs and concerns of this congregation.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Hear us, Lord;
For your mercy is great.
We thank you, Lord, for all the blessings of this life.
Silence
The People may add their own thanksgivings
We will exalt you, O God our King;
And praise your Name for ever and ever.
We pray for all who have died, that they may have a place in your eternal kingdom.
Silence
The People may add their own petitions
Lord, let your loving-kindness be upon them;
Who put their trust in you.
We pray to you also for the forgiveness of our sins.
Silence may be kept
Leader and People
Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father;
in your compassion forgive us our sins,
known and unknown,
things done and left undone;
and so uphold us by your Spirit
that we may live and serve you in newness of life,
to the honor and glory of your Name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
The General Thanksgiving
Officiant and People
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love in the
redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your
mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth
your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up ourselves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Rock of ages, cleft for me H685
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee;
let the water and the blood
from thy wounded side that flowed,
be of sin the double cure,
cleanse me from its guilt and power.
Should my tears for ever flow,
should my zeal no languor know,
all for sin could not atone:
thou must save, and thou alone;
in my hand no price I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling.
While I draw this fleeting breath,
when mine eyelids close in death,
when I rise to worlds unknown
and behold thee on thy throne,
Rock of ages, cleft for me,
let me hide myself in thee.
The Dismissal
Officiant
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14
Postlude Mr400
Announcements
Thanks to those serving!
Altar Guild, Peggy Meyer
Greeter, Phyllis Westfall
Tech Coordinator, Carol Stratton
Officiant, Mike Staubitz
Lector, Rita Davis
Intercessor, Mike Staubitz
Music, Mr400
Homilist, Hope Staubitz
Offertory, Gloria, Doxology, Sanctus, & Communion Anthem
used with permission © Windelm Music.
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St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church
A safe place for all to Love, Learn, and Live the Word of God
