Prayers 3 29 2015
*Welcome! Special Day of Palm Sunday (Wave your palm leaves when we sing the Opening Hymn) and Believer’s Baptism
*Celebrating Bonnie Lim’s Baptism today with her family members present; Serves in the Lanna Coffee Project, attend the South Bay Bible study, and active in Sojourners
*Sidewalk Tea reception following the service today
*AFC Offering; last Sunday to make your donation
*A Mission Day in Chinatown, Saturday, April 11; learn about the developments in Chinatown so that we may be more effective to meet the needs and to share the Gospel with them; resource guests have been recruited to teach us so please plan to attend! Sign up today with your insert
*Regional Affiliation discussion continues with two more forums scheduled on March 22 and April 19 with the proposal to have a special membership meeting on Sunday, May 31st to take a vote
*Day Camp Registration is now available; see materials
*FCBC Gold Tournament , June 1st; registration is now available to play and t=raise funds for summer ministries
*Holy Week: Maundy Thursday, 7:30—a reenactment of the Last Supper; CCU Good Friday, 7:30; CCU Sunrise, 7:00, Chinese Congregational; YMCA Easter Pancake Breakfast, $15 pp.; Easter Services, 10:00 Cantonese and 11:20 Joint English
Prayer Concerns
*Don Fong’s father in hospice care
*Jenny Hu’s father receiving cancer treatment
Prayer of God’s People
Wondrous God, because of your great love, you have come to us in Jesus. In him you still come into the noise, confusion, clamor, and sinfulness of our lives. It is with amazement and joy that we acknowledge your presence in the Christ who walks the road of this life with us and for us.
With palms and praise and prayer, we glorify you for the amazing grace shown in Jesus. We acknowledge together now our communal need for deliverance from that which keeps us in bondage, within and without. So today, we pray for Bonnie Lim as she makes her public profession of her faith in Jesus Christ by participating in believer’s baptism. May this special occasion inspire her to become more active and faithful in her discipleship and may our witness of this transformed and renewed life become an encouragement and motivation for us to do the same.
Lord Jesus, we lift up our faces, our hearts, and our voices to you, with hope and trust. With concerned hearts, we pray for Don Fong’s father’s long life as a blessing to his family and may these last days and moments become opportunities to remind us that life is indeed very good when we know the Lord. We pray for Jenny Hu’s father as he combats cancer in his body. May our prayers be heard and that the miracle of healing takes place in him as we have seen so many times before of your strength and power in all things.
Finally, O God, we seek your close presence with us during this time of Holy Week when we take time from our busy lives to remember the suffering and passion that you in Christ endured for the forgiveness of our sins. Help us to pray and ask for forgiveness. Help us to listen to your voice as you speak so that our lives can be redirected. Help us to follow even when we know like the disciples we will undoubtedly betray you.
And we look forward to next Sunday as we celebrate the truth that you have conquered death forevermore in your resurrection. We believe, dear God because everything that you have promised has now come true. All our prayers, we share in the name of Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together, “Our Father…”
Benediction
Go forth into life to bear what is yours for the sake of the Gospel.
Go forth with the courage and love of Jesus, the one who goes before you and who is with you, always.
Now the blessing of God, the redeemer;
Of Christ, the suffering servant;
And of the Holy Spirit, the agent of divine power is upon us. Amen.