Prayers 12 25 2011
*Merry Christmas! Welcome to our 9:30 Joint English Worship
*Next Sunday, New Year’s Day will also be 9:30 Joint English Worship since the YMCA is closed for the holiday; we are happy to have Pastor David Lee giving the message
*Staircase and hallway floor replacement will take place the day after New Year’s Day, Jan. 2-6; if you have any meetings at church, please change your meeting place in order for the floors to properly dry; thanks to many who have given in the past to maintain our church building with their generous gifts
Prayer Concerns
*ABC Missionary Kit Ripley’s father, Peter Lohmann passed on Dec. 19th after sustaining injuries falling from a second floor roof at the age of 83; Kit is spending the Christmas holidays with her family and will return to Thailand on Jan. 1st
*Bill Chin received a wound vacuum on Wednesday to rectify the incision infection he had from previous operations; he was discharged from St. Mary’s on Friday
*Eleanor Huang had sudden closed angle glaucoma on Thursday and with the help of Pastor Lee on Friday was able to relieve the pressure on her eye; she is at home recovering and thanks the church for our help
*Nico, the little boy with leukemia and received a bone marrow 6 months ago is experiencing some pre-leukemia cells developing again; pray for his mother, Linda Calmere and their family at this time of concern. Nico being 6 years old is praying for snow so that he can enjoy playing in it
Prayer of God’s People
O Lord, we thank you, O God, that unto us a child is born, and to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. We thank you, O God on this wonderful day of days that the babe born today will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. We today are reminded that the baby born today is a promise of the greatness of God’s government and peace of which there will be no end. We know that this baby born today will reign on the throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from this time on and forever. We know that the zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
We know that we are a people walking in darkness but today because of the birth of a small infant we have seen a great light. Many of us find ourselves living in the land of deep darkness but because of the birth today we see a light has begun to dawn. We pray that the dawn of a new day be with Kit Ripley and her family on the passing of her father, with Bill Chin who is still seeking for complete recovery after a long season of illness, with Eleanor Huang as she recovers from her glaucoma surgery, with Nico who is struggling for healing and the end of cancer—bless him with hope and the life that he and his family desire. This Christmas and all Christmases continue each day to give us the dawn of hope.
As followers of Jesus Christ around the whole world join today to proclaim joy and hope on the birth of Christ, we pray for peace and joy to the world. Let each Christmas increase the joy of each family at the hope of this season. Let each Christmas increase the joy of the new world we celebrate today. We pray for all of this in the name of Jesus who was born today and when he grew up and began teaching his disciples how to pray, he also taught us to say, “Our Father…”
Benediction
We have heard angels,
Arrayed like living diamonds across the sky,
Tell us more about the Savior who dressed in poverty,
A gift given to us today that just seems to get bigger in time.
Let us go now and live this good news
Which has been made known to us today!
Amen! Merry Christmas!