Prayers 4 13 2014
*Welcome—Joint English Worship & Believers Baptism; Visitors today
*Sidewalk Reception following worship this morning
*Holy Week—Maundy Thursday & Lord’s Supper, 7:30; CCU Good Friday, 1:00 Cantonese at the Presbyterian Church; 7:30 English at FCBC
*Easter Sunday; 7:00 CCU Sunrise Service at the Congregational Church; YMCA Easter Breakfast (No FCBC breakfast); Joint English Service at 11:20
*Women’s Fellowship, Saturday, 9:00; Alexa Heung’s home in Walnut Creek
*Palm Sunday—wave your palms!
Prayer Concerns
*Nico Tom
*Tom Wong
*Nancy Yee, Martin Choy, Fred Hee
Prayer of God’s People
Lord Jesus, you came riding into Jerusalem amid the praises of the crowd to discover, all too soon, how fearful and how tentative disciples can really be. By coming to share our humanity, you learned the struggles of the human heart and the sins that plague our ordinary lives.
Without your love and forgiveness we would be overcome by shame and sorrow. But you have saved us from our unfaithfulness with a love beyond measure and a kindness beyond human comprehension. With palms and praise, we honor you as lord and king, and with grateful hearts we worship you as our merciful Savior.
We thank you for your unconditional love which forgives again and again, but which also calls us to greater everyday discipleship. Bless Phoenix Shackelford and Alexa Heung today as they give of their lives to Christ the Lord. May you continue to call them out to bear witness of your love for them and their love for the world.
We pray for those who are in our midst in need of your merciful love. Continue to be with Nico Tom as he becomes stronger each day. Make your presence known in Tom Wong as he enjoys each day with his family as true blessings. Watch over all of us; and especially those who are in need of your healing: Nancy Yee, Martin Choy and Fred Hee.
As we celebrate the arrival of King Jesus on this Palm Sunday, we are already mindful of the drama of Christ’s passion that incarnates your love and forgiveness. Teach us the stories once again so that we who like Peter and the other disciples would not deny you but have the courage to proclaim your glory and truth. Be with us as we remember these tragic events and know that you, O God is with us in our times of tragedy too. Jesus Christ is God with us, Emmanuel, with us all the way through suffering and death. In Christ name, we pray and who taught us to pray together, “Our Father…”
Benediction
The blessing of God who never betrays or abandons us,
Of Christ who never withholds forgiveness from us,
And the Holy Spirit who never ceases drawing us to honesty about our sin,
Is upon us in everlasting love.
Amen.