April 2014 Newsletter
Risen Indeed
When we are trying to convince someone about something that we believe really happened, we might say, “I’m not kidding! This is true!” Our cynical and suspicious attitude rooted in our post-modern world typically leads us to doubt before we would accept what someone had to say. We initially doubt before we would believe.
Over 2000 years ago, doubting something reported to be true was present when Jesus rose from the dead. No one before Jesus who had died became alive again. Jesus was the first and no one else since can claim that resurrection has happened. When Jesus returned to his disciples to show them that he was not dead, they first couldn’t believe their eyes and they didn’t believe.
On the road to Emmaus, Jesus appeared to two disciples and only after Jesus was at the table with them, took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them that their eyes were opened and they recognized him. Having witnessed with their own eyes that they have seen Jesus who was once dead but now is alive, returned to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. But you can imagine that the disciples couldn’t believe it. They probably said, “No way!” And the two who met Jesus on the road said, “We are not kidding! This is true!”
In Luke 24:34, the two who met Jesus said, The Lord has indeed risen!” The word, “indeed” emphasizes and confirms something really has happened. It means that a stronger and surprising point is being said here. They are saying that Jesus is risen, Jesus is risen indeed!
At Easter, we emphasize and strongly confirm the truth that the resurrection of Christ really happened. While we may be guessing and second-guessing whether or not this could happened, the two who saw Jesus breaking and blessing the bread and giving it to them was indeed risen.
Do you believe Christ is risen? If you have any questions, I invite you to come to church and particularly to attend our Lenten and Easter services. If the two who met Jesus on the road to Emmaus finally were able to believe in the resurrection, maybe you need to come to church and receive the bread or sing a hymn or recite a prayer or enjoy the fellowship so that you may once again proclaim that “I have seen the Lord and I can testify to the truth that Christ is risen. He is risen indeed! I am now convinced!”
May God watch over you and bless you at Easter!
Pastor Don
Easter Services
Come to FCBC to worship!
Sunday, April 13—Palm Sunday and Believers Baptism
Jesus triumphantly arrives in Jerusalem on a donkey to face his trial, arrest, and persecution to do the work of God.
10:00 Cantonese Worship, Sanctuary
11:20 Joint English Worship, Sanctuary
Thursday, April 17—Maundy Thursday
Jesus in the upper room gave new meaning to the bread and the cup to remember him
7:30 Tenebrae Service & the Lord’s Supper
Friday, April 18—Good Friday
Jesus is crucified on the cross.
1:00 CCU Cantonese Service, Presbyterian Church in Chinatown
7:30 CCU English Service, FCBC
Sunday, April 20—Easter
Christ is risen!
7:00 Sunrise Service, Chinese Congregational
10:00 Cantonese Worship, Sanctuary
11:20 Joint English Worship, Sanctuary
On Easter Sunday, the Chinatown YMCA sponsors their annual Easter Breakfast fundraiser with a full breakfast of pancakes, eggs and coffee for $15 per ticket. If you would like to purchase a ticket as a part of a group rate, see the church office for a $10 ticket.
Senior Center
Once a month, senior friends gather for fellowship, discoveries, healthy lunch and the joy of life. On Wednesday, April 9, 12:00, Dr. Wes Chan, DDS will talk about “Happy Healthy Teeth.” Join the group to stay connected and active. Every session of the Senior Center features wishing happy birthdays for that month! To register, contact Anna Quan and Dick Wong, and Jimmy Yee. We look forward to seeing you there!
Membership Meeting
Plan to attend the April 6th Church Membership Meeting at 1:00 when we’ll hear testimonies from candidates for Believers Baptism and church membership! Hearing others share how God has touched their lives renew our own faith. Come and celebrate God’s activities among us.
ABCUSA President’s Update
The American Baptist denomination is organized with a number of national organizations and 34 regional ones. Every local church is a member of a regional organization so FCBC is a member of Growing Healthy Churches (formerly ABC of the West) and participates in the ABC of the Central Pacific Coast (Oregon and a number of Bay Area and Northern California churches). Once a year, all of the executives of these various organizations gather to cooperate in doing ministry and mission together. As president, I’ll be attending these meetings on April 7-10 at Green Lake, WI. My hope is to encourage the commitment of working together as the Body of Christ particularly when I meet with the regional executives.
Later in the month in response to as many as 45,000 Burmese associating with the ABC, I’ll be hosting and leading with Rev. Florence Li, a forum to possibly build a coalition of Burmese Baptist groups in the US. While mainly operating in their respective ethnic and cultural states in Myanmar, these new Baptist friends are finding themselves in a new country where such differences may be less important. It’s our hope that such efforts of gathering as many as 7 different groups to meet with a common mission would unite resources and people together in Christ.
As I serve God as ABC president for 2014-15, I invite your prayers for the ABC family and upon all its leaders for strength and the power of the Holy Spirit to live out our witness in Christ.
Family News
The Deacons and church sponsored a Baby Shower for Pastor Visal and Lindsay Sok on March 16th as they prepare for the arrival of Baby Girl Sok in May!
Our deepest condolences to Peggy Chew whose father, Wing C. Kwong returned to the Lord on Feb. 15th. May God grant us the comfort of the promise of eternal life.
April Calendar
5 All Church Clean-Up
OYYAs, 1:00
6 10—P
10—V
11—D
Membership Meeting, 1:00
9 Senior Center, 12:00
13 Palm Sunday
10—P
11—Don
Deacons, 1:00
14 LRPC, 6:30
15 Church Staff, 10:00
17 Maundy Thursday, 7:30
18 CCU Good Friday, 7:30
20 Easter
CCU Sunrise, 7:00
10—P
11—D
CE, 1:00
26-28 Yosemite
27 10—P
10—V
11—V
29 Church Staff, 10:00