April 2013 Church Newsletter
Why Luther?
Martin Luther was born in 1483 and died in 1546 almost 500 years ago. As people in this modern age, our focus is usually in the moment as we instantly send tweets and pictures over the internet with our mini-computers held in our hands as cell phones. Facetime is real time with people even when they may be thousand of miles away or Instagram is today’s telegram but doesn’t need anyone to cut and paste your teletype message on a piece of paper. If we are so involved in present time, why would anyone be interested in what happened almost 500 years ago? Why Luther?
While we are not members of the Lutheran church, our Baptist roots can also be traced back to Martin Luther. Baptists and Lutherans as well as many other Christian groups are known as Protestants because it was Luther and other church reformers who tried to “reform” the church or “make better” or “make over” what was the Roman Catholic Church. The reformers did not see themselves as anti-Catholic but more as advancing positive teachings to reform the church.
Born in a modest family, Luther’s father was a miner. He had a local education and attended the new University of Erfurt. He joined the Augustinians, was ordained a priest, rose in the administration of his order, visited Rome, and began teaching in the University of Wittenberg.
With an inquisitive personality, he questioned scholasticism held by the church leaders that prevented people from reading the Bible for themselves. He challenged the practice of selling indulgences as a means to forgive sins and to raise money for the church. In October 1517, Luther posted Ninety-five Theses on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg against the prevailing practices of the church. As one can imagine, the church tried to discipline Luther and after much debate, Pope Leo X excommunicated him in 1521.
From Luther’s writings, we received some of the basic beliefs that we hold as Baptists. First, salvation is by “faith alone.” This means that faith is free and an unmerited/unearned gift from God. Human beings are too sinful to choose God’s ways. Secondly, salvation depends on “grace alone.” Grace was made available once and for all in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross. And thirdly, the “Bible alone” teaches what we need to know and is the source of authority in matters of faith. You can see that Baptists have affirmed these beliefs as foundations of our Christian practices.
Martin Luther was also a hymn writer and to this day, we often sing one of his great masterpieces. One of these is “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” found in our Chinese hymnal on page 50 and in the English blue hymnal on page 507. In our two hymnals, there are four other hymns written by Luther. Can you find them?
As faithful Christians in the 21st century, we can appreciate and learn that our Baptist roots go back to Martin Luther in Germany. After the birth and the ministry of Jesus Christ in Israel, the Gospel began to spread to the known world by apostles like Paul to Macedonia and Greece and eventually to western Europe, we can see how the Good News of Jesus Christ, our Lord begins to change the world. The spread of Christianity continued both east and west.
In England is where Baptists were first formed. They came across the Atlantic, settled in the New World and eventually reached the Pacific. In 1880, some very daring and mission-passionate Baptist people saw that there were as many Chinese in San Francisco who were in need to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ as there were in China that FCBC was formed. We know the rest of that story!
Why Luther? On April 29-May 9, thirty-one pilgrims will travel to Germany to visit and learn from the Lands of Luther. When we return, there will be more stories to share and how God continues to guide our church to affirm “faith alone, grace alone, and Bible alone!” Thanks be to God for Martin Luther.
Pastor Don
Senior Center
Remembering the histories of former generations is to give thanks and appreciation to the rich traditions from which we have come. Many of us can tell stories of how our parents and grand parents blazed new trails and charted new courses that opened doors for us to enter. One of those opportunities was to serve in the US military during World War II. On Wednesday, April 10th, Dr. Collin Chu will share “My Father, One of the Legendary Flying Tigers,” a US air force squadron that recruited Chinese pilots. Join us at 12:00 noon for a delicious hot, healthy lunch followed by birthday cake! The Senior Center is accessible via our elevator in the Fellowship Hall on the 4th floor. Contact Dick and Anna Quan Wong to register.
Fellowship Group Chairs Luncheon
While our church continues to be blessed with a growing membership and church family, getting to know people becomes even more important. This happens in our 20 plus fellowship groups. We have groups for all stages of life as well as groups primarily English-speaking and Cantonese-speaking. We encourage every person to join and become active in a fellowship group as the primary way to become active in the life of the church and to receive pastoral care. Since the 2013 church theme is “E-F-G,” meaning evangelism, fellowship, and go, we invite all fellowship chairpersons or their designees to come to the next Chairpersons Luncheon on Sunday, April 14th, 1:00, Fellowship Hall sponsored by the CE Board. There will be a training session on the meaning of “fellowship” at the luncheon. Contact Robert Mah about your attendance.
2013 Yosemite
One of the most majestic natural wonders in the world is Yosemite National Park. Every year on the weekend after taxes are due, we sponsor a church weekend in Yosemite when we share 2 dinners and one breakfast together, two campfires and worship in front of El Capitan on Sunday morning. The rest of the weekend is for you and your family to enjoy the many attractions that the park offers. Yosemite begins on Saturday, April 20 and concludes on Monday, April 22. Registration is available for rooms allotted at Yosemite Lodge. Contact David Louie for more information.
American Baptist Missions Conference
Our church supports Baptist missions both at home and in many countries around the world. Sponsored by the American Baptist Churches of the Central Pacific Coast (Oregon and Northern CA churches), there will be a missions conference featuring Dr. Reid Trulson, Executive Director of ABC International Ministries on April 19-21 at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland. There will be workshops, exhibits and an opportunity to explore doing life-changing and saving missions together. See Pastor Don Ng for more information and registration.
Family News
FCBC welcomes new members into the Body of Christ on March 24th: Transfer—Maggie Hu; Baptism: Alexandria Lee, Sierra Shackelford, and Curtis Ung! May God continue to equip and empower these new disciples to serve Christ in the world.
Beverly Low, a friend of the church returned to the Lord on March 11th. She was a participant at the Senior Center and traveled with the church groups that visited the Holy Land.
April
2-16 China Trip
3 Staff Meeting, 10:00
7 10 E—V
10 C—D
11—D
Social Committee, 12:30
Thailand Mission Trip Fundraiser, 12:30
Day Camp Counselors Interviews, 1:00
CE, 1:30
10 Senior Center
11 Redwood Glen Campaign, 9:00
12 OYYAs
EFG
14 10—V
10—
11—D
Fellowship Chairs Luncheon, 1:00
Lands of Luther, 3:00
19-21 ABC Missions Conference, Allen Temple
20-22 Yosemite
21 10—V
10—P
11—James Chuck
24 Staff Meeting, 10:00
27 Sojourners
28 10—V
10—P
11—D
Deacons, 1:30
29-5/9 Lands of Luther