Prayers 11 2 2008
*Welcome to our new worship times! And you turn back your clocks one hour!
*Thank you for your WMO Offering
*Today we begin to receive the RMMO Offering
*Consider making a pledge for 2009—Footprints for Christ; we still have a way to go
*Gifts Planning Luncheon, today at 12:30, Utopia Restaurant on Waverly; see Joel Jang if interested
*Baptism & Church Membership Class begins today with Pastor Chris teaching the first session, 11:30-12:30, Cameron House
*Lanna Coffee for sale today to strengthen economic development of the hill tribes in Northern Thailand but also to eliminate human trafficking by supporting the House of Love and the New Life Center in Chiang Mai
*Growth of Chinese Churches Conference, Saturday, Nov. 8th, 9:15-12:00, Presbyterian Church, Chinatown; sign-up in vestibule
*FCBC Bowling—Fall Turkey Bowl, Classic Bowl, Daly City, 3:00-5:00
*Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 23; Tickets available for purchase today; also Seniors Appreciation—65 and older—Free
Prayer Concerns:
*Kenley Mew’s safe return from Cambodia
*Birth of Rebecca Emma Chan, 10/26 for Chris and Audrey Chan (Wes and Sheryl Chan)
*Praise God for the unanimous decision to call Rev. Peter Lee from Hong Kong as our new Pastor of Chinese-speaking Ministries last Sunday
Prayer of God’s People
Lord God, whose holiness we cannot even understand, we come again to you in prayer, seeking your love and guidance. When we read the gospel, we feel more than a tinge of discomfort, for we know all too well that often we are not very different from those whom our Lord Jesus denounced. We prefer him to be the comforting Jesus, even the domesticated Jesus who makes us feel good, but we know that for our own good he sometimes must disturb us and make us see that following him is no easy task. We know that Jesus demands us to stand up for the higher way than the cheap and easy virtues of a culture that values appearance and money above everything else. Keep us faithful to what we know is just and true.
We thank you that we are not alone in seeking to follow in his narrow way and that you have surrounded us by a cloud of witnesses, some who are sitting around us today, and many who have traveled the gospel way of life in the past, leaving their testimonies of faith and hope to inspire us. We give thanks to you for the testimony of Rev. Peter Lee who will serve you at our church in the years to come. We pray for young adults like Kenley Mew who served in Cambodia, who step out in faith to reach out to those who are in need of hearing the good news.
We pray for those who are sick or lonely; those in hospitals and nursing homes, and to whom you would send us to bring comfort and companionship. We pray for our children, that they will see in us the values that are true and lasting. Today, we celebrate the birth of Rebecca Emma Chan to Chris and Audrey Chan as they commit themselves to raising this new one to know Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
We pray for our nation today as we participate in our civic duty of casting our votes this Tuesday and for the men and women uprooted from their families and homes and sent to far away places like Iraq and Afghanistan where danger lurks. Please keep them safe and return them to their loved ones sound of body and mind.
All of this we ask in the name of the Christ who is the Lord of all nations and who made himself known to us when he taught us to pray together, “Our Father…”
The Lord’s Supper
The Christian writer, Stanley Hauerwas once said, “Used cars have values, people don’t.”
What people have are practices, behavior, manners. When we see people behave, in the smallest, most everyday practices of life, this will tell you all you need to know what is most valuable in that person’s life.
We heard what was most valuable for the Pharisees and scribes. And Jesus said, “Woe to them.” But Jesus, humble and obedient to God’s will, follow through in life, death and resurrection what he said. Ultimately, Jesus walked the talk.
Benediction
May the Lord keep you from all evil;
May the Lord keep your life.
May the Lord keep your going out and your coming in
From this time on and forevermore.
Go and walk the talk. Amen.