Greetings EM family,
I pray that this email finds you well. May God’s grace and mercy fall upon you and family and keep you safe and sound, as the outbreak of the Coronavirus continues.
On my way into work today, I learned the news of the passing of the doctor Li Wenliang, who warned of the potential outbreak of Wuhan coronavirus. He was 34.
According to the NPR.ORG report, Dr. Li, an ophthalmologist working in Wuhan, wrote about his awareness of several cases similar to SARS on WeChat and got reprimanded for the post by the local authority.
His death has sparked an outpouring of sympathy from supporters.
This news reminded me of another story of sacrifice: Durer’s Praying Hands.
This piece of western art was created in 1508 during the Renaissance period, and drawn with a pencil on paper. The drawing depicts the hands of a man who is praying, though you do not see the man’s body in the drawing. It was told that they were the hands of Albert, Albrecht’s brother.
The artist Albrecht Durer and his brother Albert were two artistic elder brothers in their family of eighteen children. To help support their father and pursue their dream in arts, those two boys worked out a deal: By tossing of a coin, one of them would go to the local mine and with his earning, support the other to study at the Academy in Nuremberg. Once the first one finished his study, in turn, he would work to support the second brother to study at the Academy. And on a Sunday morning after church, they tossed a coin. Albrecht won the toss and went off to Nuremberg and studied. Four years later, Albrecht finished and returned. During the festive dinner with his family, Albrecht rose up and proposed a drink of toast to his beloved brother who for four years, sacrificed to make his accomplishment possible. Albrecht said to his brother Albert, “And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."
With tears in his eyes, Albert rose and said, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look… Look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately, I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother… for me it is too late."
To pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother’s abused hands with palms together, and thin fingers stretched skyward.
God so loved us, and He sent his Son, His only Son, the one he loved, to sacrifice for us so we can one day be united with our Creator. May we remember and always be grateful for those who have done great things for us.
Announcement:
- Bible Study tonight, we will continue to study the book of Numbers.
- This Sunday, Pastor Rockey Chan will be sharing God’s word:
- Title: Mission Minded
- Text: Romans 15:23-33
- Coworker reminders can also be found here.
- Pick up your order of rice cake and pickled radish this coming Sunday (2/9). The pickup time will be from 11:00 – 11:30 am and 12:30 – 1:30 pm in the new cafeteria.
Please note the following:
a. If you are unable to pick up your order, please kindly make arrangements for someone else to pick up your order.
b. Kindly bring your reusable bags to carry the boxes. We will have some plastic bags in case you forget bring your own
- EM Sunday School, this quarter is using the “alpha course.” Sunday School starts every Sunday in room A202 (Note the room change!) at 9:45 am.
https://run.alphausa.org/alphas/edit/27585/materials
- Youth Pastor Nathan is now having office hours from 2:00 pm ~ 3:30 pm every second and fourth Sunday of the month by advanced appointment (three 30-minute slots). You may contact Pastor Nathan Willems directly or email him at Nathan.willems@lowell.church.
- Mini-retreat action planning idea sharing: http://bit.ly/EMFutureSearchActionPlans
Picture and videos of the retreat can be found here:
http://bit.ly/EMFutureSearchVideos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/EYD6cvvbAYyAnUDr5
- Brother Timothy Li and family have arrived in Missouri safely.
- There will be no lunch service in the following two Sundays (2/9 and 2/16) as a precaution to health concerns.
- Other announcement items can be found here.
Prayer Request:
- Please continue to pray for Elder Sam for his speedy recovery on heart and kidney function, as well as his anemia.
- Pray for the EM pastor search. May God’s guidance lead us to call His favorite shepherd.
- Pray for our newcomers and newcomer-to-be! May God provide us enough wisdom to make them feel welcome and feel at home.
- Pray for brothers and sisters who are looking for work opportunities.
- Pray for CBCGL 2020 focuses: outreach, prayer, and discipleship groups.
Blessings,
Jeremy