Prayers 5 4 2008
*Congratulations to Jamie Wong and David Lee who were married yesterday; the special flowers are from their wedding for us to enjoy today
*Chinatown YMCA is breaking ground (again) this Thursday to finally begin their construction project; if you are interested in joining me for the ceremony, it’s at 10:30 followed by a lunch reception
*Bay to Breakers, two Sundays from today; an opportunity to symbolically bear witness to God and to get some exercise before the summer; see Wes or Sheryl Chan; we even have our own t-shirts designed by Evan Lessler!
Prayer Concerns
*Fred Hee is doing better; out of the cardio ICU floor and is taking medication to strengthen his heart; still is a long recovery period ahead
*Norman Cheng’s cousin of 24 years of age died suddenly last Sunday while skateboarding
*Congratulations to Joel & Linda Jang in welcoming a new grandson, Malachi Jang to the proud parents of Jonathan and Flo Jang. Malachi is 7 lbs when he arrived from Korea
*Pastoral Search Committee will be meeting again today to review more applicants for our Chinese-speaking pastors position
Prayer of God’s People
(At the end of our prayer time, we will sing the Lord’s Prayer.”)
Almighty and merciful God, we come to prayer knowing you to be both good and powerful, yet when we see the world’s pain and evil, we are perplexed. We cannot solve all the problems in the world and are troubled by our limitations. We cannot imagine that you cause suffering in this world, and yet you allow it. We live with this mystery that we find hard to understand. We look to Jesus, and we are drawn to his compassion and love for those who were ill and forgotten. Our hearts are filled with love in recalling his sufferings and death and then we know that out of your love for your creation, we are saved.
Loving God, we pray for those who cannot assemble for worship and are preoccupied with physical as well as emotional ailments. We pray that you continue to strengthen Fred Hee’s fragile body as he recovers from his surgery and the challenges of awaiting a kidney donation. Bless him and Carolyn who comforts and encourages him to get well. Be with Norman Cheng today as he supports his cousin’s family during this time of tragic loss. When we can’t understand the occurrence of death, we are consoled by the promise of everlasting life.
In the midst of sadness and concerns, we are also blessed with joy and goodness. We pray that you continue to guide Jamie and David Lee as they begin their new life together as newlyweds granting them many ways to serve you faithfully in Christ’s name. Be with Jonathan and Flo Jang as they welcome their new one, Malachi to be the little brother to Maykala. And Lord, we praise you for the vitality and strong witness of this vibrant Body of Christ known as First Chinese Baptist Church to serve in this community and around the world as we explore the possibilities of calling a new servant in Chinese-speaking ministries to work among us.
Lord, it is easier to thank you for sunny days and clear skies, but we know we need clouds and rain in our lives too. We would thank you for perfect health and times of prosperity, but we know how illness and difficult times have often taught us valuable lessons. We do not seek after suffering, and we are even frightened by it, but we trust that you can indeed use our suffering for good purposes. As much as we seek after success we trust that failure can have its own unique value. Few of us have ever suffered for our faith, but if that is in our future we trust that you will use such suffering to strengthen your church.
We give you thanks, in so far as we are able, for all things according to your will. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray and who have taught us to pray together by singing the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father…”
The Lord’s Supper
A martyr’s death comes still to some. Here are the words about faith and suffering spoken by Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador the moment he was shot to death in church in 1980:
We have just heard in the gospel that those who surrender to the service of the people through love of Christ will live like the grain of wheat that dies. This hope comforts us as Christians. We know that every effort to improve society, above all when society is so full of injustice and sin, is an effort that God blesses, wants, and demands. We have the security of knowing that what we plant, if nourished with Christian hope, will never fail. This holy Mass, this eucharist, is clearly an act of faith. This body broken and blood shed for human beings encourages us to give our body and blood up to suffering and pain, as Christ did—not for self, but to bring justice and peace to our people. Let us be intimately united in faith and hope at this moment.”
At this point, the guns rang out in the sanctuary, ending his life.
Benediction
God’s plan for handling suffering is to
Humble yourself.
Cast all your anxiety on Christ.
Discipline yourself.
Resist the evil in society by being anti-social.
May the God of all grace and mercy,
who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ,
restore, support, strengthen, and ignite you to be a light in the world.
Amen.