Prayers 7 27 2014
*Welcome!
*Welcome Bacone College President Franklin Willis and VP Leroy Thompson to FCBC; you will hear more about the mission of Bacone today at service; join Nelson and me for lunch
*Next Sunday’s Summer Series—new video about who we are as American Baptists
*Reception Ministry next Sunday at 2:00; come and see!
*Discover FCBC luncheon, next Sunday; see one of our Deacons today—Robert, Sharon, Diana, or Butch
*Lanna Coffee for purchase; freshly roasted; met with our Thailand missionaries this past week at the Mission Conference at GL
*Fred Hee’s Memorial Service, Monday, August 18, 10:00, Westlake Presbyterian Church on 19th Avenue near Stonestown
*Water donation for Youth Camp; thanks
Prayer Concerns
*Carolyn Hee and Family
*Celebrated the life of Layton Doung this past Thursday with over 300 people in our sanctuary
*George Chen diagnosed with pancreatic cancer; received his first chemotherapy last Friday; pray for long-life and mercy
*Youth Camp beginning today with 2 new church partners; water restrictions
*the World and all of the crises and tragedies
Prayer of God’s People
God of past, present, and future, we do know that you hold us and all your creation in your hand. But we are creatures, O God, who forget our timelessness. We forget that as ones made in your image we are spiritually alive eternally. We forget that we need not cling to the past or fear the future; for you are ageless and our life is found in you. So we confess our tendency to look back to the days that we have known, to the old memories dear to us, and to judge the present day.
Forgive us our sin, whether a stubborn idolizing of things old, or naïve idealizing of things new. And give us balance of perspective, we pray.
Lord, we pray for our church family facing troubling times. Grant us mercy when we are saddened with bad news. Comfort us when we have doubt and the fear of what is to come. Settle our anxieties and lessen our burdens when life’s problems appear overwhelming. Be with those who have lost loved ones in our midst by reminding them that all is well with the Lord. Today we pray for George Chen who faces the challenges of cancer and the intrusion to his and their family life. Bless George and give him the courage to see each new day as another gift from you. Be with those who have recently lost loved ones who are now in the presence of God. Strengthen Maureen Wong, Carolyn Hee, and Janet Doung at this time of major changes in their lives.
The ministries that we have come from you, O God. Be present with the youth attending Youth Camp this week and the staff and counselors who will model the Christian faith to them. We pray for the educational mission of Bacone College on how they reach out into the world to teach students to live up to the potential and talents that they have and to become servants of you. Bless our Thailand mission projects of sending this last team to build a clean water system and teach VBS as well as our commitment to sell Lanna Coffee that leads us to help end human trafficking and support local economies.
Bless this time that we have in holy worship and may we believe in the unconditional love of God shown in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus who taught us to pray together, “Our Father…”
Benediction
God’s Small Big Kingdom calls people like us to be disciples.
Insignificant we are not.
The blessing of God,
Creator, and re0creator of the world,
Is upon us as we go forward n faith. Amen.