Prayers 7 1 2012
*Welcome!
*Teachers Training Session, next Sunday, 1:00-2:00, Fellowship Hall
*Men’s Fellowship, Sat., July 14, Barbecue Demo, Wes Chan’s, 9:00
*Music Workshop on Rhythm and Drums. Saturday, July 21, 9:30-12:00; Sign up with Joy S. Ng
*Seminarians Scholarship Fund applications are due July 29th; see Jackie Ma
*New Parking rates at St. Mary’s Garage—see rate sheet in the vestibule
*Calling of Visal Sok as our new Associate Pastor for English-speaking Ministries; unanimous vote; relocate on July 8th, begin on July 15; and a Welcome Reception is being planned for July 22nd
Prayer Concerns
*Lucia Ren’s husband, William Zhou passed away last week. The funeral service will be held at 10 am on Saturday, 7/7 in Cypress Lawn Funeral Home, Daly City
*Third week of Day Camp
Prayer of God’s People
God of peace, sustain us through our worship. We willingly come together, not to accomplish anything, nor to gain anything, but to be present in your presence. We wait to hear your will for our lives individually and as your church community. Speak to us as we pray, as we read, as we speak, and as we sing.
We praise you and give you thanks for the unanimous decision last week to call Visal Sok as our new Associate Pastor. We ask that you help Visal and Lindsey prepare their move to San Francisco and to begin his ministry with us soon. We pray that this relationship will bear much fruit. Lift up the vitality of this church to serve faithfully with encouragement and joy. Continue to protect and bless our Day Camp program as it begins its third week tomorrow. May these children learn about Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
With the arrival of the Fourth of July on Wednesday, we pray for the United States and it’s ongoing commitment and involvement to bring peace and reconciliation around the world. Teach us to be humble and to earnestly work for peace. And while the decision by the Supreme Court this past Thursday was seen differently by different political parties, we do celebrate the plan to insure the millions who can’t afford health care and hope that more people with significant health issues will be able to receive medical help. As a very resourceful and fortunate country, we are called to ensure that all members of our society should have the basic services of health care.
As Jesus Christ healed the woman who was bleeding and raise the little girl back to life, we pray for the healing of our bodies, minds, and souls too. Give comfort to Lucia Ren in the passing of her husband William Zhou. Watch over their family at this time of grief and loss. Transform us and heal us, so that we too might rise to new life and help heal others. This we pray in the name of Christ Jesus who taught us to pray together, “Our Father…”
The Lord’s Supper
The Mark 5:21-43 passage is a story within a story. The story about a little girl who is twelve years old and a woman who has been sick for 12 years is also about the need for healing that comes from Jesus. This story within a story may sounds like they are two separate stories but when understood together, they represent for us a Holy Communion message.
The woman who has been hemorrhaging was an outcast in her society—she was seen as unclean. The little girl was seen as unclean because she had already died. With faith, the woman touched Jesus and she was healed. Jesus went into the room and bent over the little girl, touched her hand and she rose up. Jesus names the woman, “daughter,” a daughter just as bit as precious as Jarius’ beloved daughter.
Hidden in this story within a story is a precious intimacy between two human beings who are socially very distant from each other but because Jesus allowed the woman to touch him and Jesus touched the little girl, they are now connected, made whole, and healed.
Notice that this story within a story is about two females when many of the biblical stories are about men. In Greek and Roman society, it was a common practice to abandon female babies at birth. In Jewish society, a woman who was bleeding was outcast and unclean. But Christians refused to do this, claiming that the Lord Jesus taught that females were of equal value in God’s sight (1 Peter 3:7).
This story within a story reminds us that in Jesus Christ, we are made one, neither male or female, Jew or Gentile, young or old, but as one in the body of Christ, the church.
Benediction
Today is like Easter!
Laugh at the truth that Death does not have the last word.
Hear the words of Jesus, the healer,
“Your faith has made you well! Go in peace!”
All is well. Amen. Go in peace!