Please continue to pray for Barbara Rogers. She remains in very serious condition. She is in tremendous pain and has difficulty breathing.
She is allowed no visitors. Please also pray for Dan and his three children.
Year: 2020
Sought AND Restored
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
Luke 15:1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The story of the lost sheep is one of the most beloved of Jesus’ parables. How encouraging to hear, as a sinner in need of continual repentance, that God pursued you while you were still lost. Surely, you delight in the thought that God chases after you.
God’s movement toward you is profoundly personal. God was delighted to choose you before the creation of the world and embrace you into the life of the Father, Son, and Spirit. And based on this parable, it is correct for you to perceive yourselves as being sought after individually by God. Yet what if your only gaze for this parable is on God’s pursuit of you? Could you be missing part of the beautiful imagery and meaning? What gets lost when you are focused solely on your own salvation?
In the metaphorical language of Luke 15, to be rescued from wandering, to be saved from individual lostness is only the Shepherd’s first salvific action. The story is incomplete without the Shepherd restoring the lamb to the other ninety-nine. This is so important! We have all been gathered back, not just back into union with God but back into fellowship with one another. It is within this context of a community, a holy people, that we participate in the mystery of God’s renewal and we experience being conformed to Jesus’ image.
Dear one, be encouraged that your story does not end at Jesus saving you from your personal sin and private darkness. That was just the beginning! You were made for so much more than to merely be saved from something. You were saved for true life and flourishing in communion with the Triune God and with your sisters and brothers.
Prayer: Father, Son, and Spirit, open our eyes to the wonder and hope that we belong to one another. Plant it in our imaginations, to be expressed in our creativity, and to be lived in our bodies. Thank you for the privilege of participating with your eternal, loving purposes through your Body.
By Elizabeth Mullins
President’s Video: Empathy
In this Update, GCI President Greg Williams talks about stepping outside of our own experiences to empathize with others, considering the needs of those around us, and the ways in which we can help them. He also offers a glimpse into 2021 with exciting news regarding our newly rescheduled Denominational Celebration.
Our New Podcast: Gospel Reverb
Check out our newest podcast: Gospel Reverb, hosted by Southeastern Regional Director, Anthony Mullins.
In the first episode, “The Struggle Bus,” Anthony sits down with President Greg Williams to unpack four Romans passages from July’s Revised Common Lectionary:
Romans 7:15-25
Romans 8:1-11
Romans 8:12-25
Romans 8:26-39
You can listen on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher and many other streaming platforms. If the podcast resonates with you, please share with your friends, subscribe to the monthly episodes, and rate us on your favorite podcast site.
June Prayer Guide
Birth of Everett Dean Williams
Greg & Susan Williams are delighted to share the good news, that their son Glenn and his wife, Crystal, welcomed their newborn son, Everett Dean Williams into the world on June 3, 2020. Emory Grace now has a baby brother!
Death of Pastor Joseph Franklin
We are saddened to announce the death of our long-time, faithful Pastor of our GCI Haiti congregations, Pastor Joseph Blaise Franklin. Pastor Franklin died in hospital in Haiti on Sunday, May 17, 2020, after a battle with cancer. He had just turned 83 years old.
Joseph Blaise Franklin was born May 12, 1937 and ordained on January 13, 1989. He served as the church pastor of St. Mark, Haiti from 2009 through 2016 when it closed, and then in Port-au-Prince, Haiti from 2002 until 2019.
I had the opportunity to speak with Pastor Franklin about two weeks before his death, and he was in good spirits and his faith was firmly resting in Jesus Christ. Pastor Franklin is survived by his wife Georgette, their children: Georgette, Joel, Nathanaël and Billy, and their grandchildren. Funeral services were held Tuesday, May 26 in Haiti.
Words of encouragement to the family may be sent via email to Daniel Naval at danielnaval2702@gmail.com.
Regards,
Robert W.T. McKinney
Praise Report for James Newby
Dear church family,
We’re praising our Dad and thanking you for speaking with him about me and my family.
I received a call from the urology surgeon’s office saying he is extremely pleased and hopeful with the biopsy results after my successful prostatectomy on May 8.
In his view, I can be declared cancer-free. The lab evidence indicates that the removal of the prostate and the capsule completely removed the cancer. The testing of surrounding tissues and lymph yielded no evidence of spread.
I will return for a follow up on June 10 for additional blood work and examination.
Rejoicing that Jesus (Jehovah Rapha) has been in this with us and has never left my side.
In the midst of so much turmoil, chaos and evil, we praise Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is on his throne, and he is good, all the time.
James & family
Prayers for Fran Baron
Fran Baron, mother of Debbie Wood, both members of GCI Tyler, Texas, suffered a small frontal lobe stroke on May 23. Fran was admitted to the hospital for observation. She has had ongoing issues with atrial fibrillation for several years.
Debbie Wood was a teacher at Ambassador, and both she and her mother Fran are well known and loved by many who attended and were part of the church community in the surrounding area.
Fran was put on a low dose medication and able to be released to go home as she began to show signs of improvement within 24-36 hours. She will be having follow-up appointments with doctors in the coming weeks.
Please keep her and family in your prayers in the coming weeks as they determine the additional needs she has.
If you would like to send her a card please address it to:
Fran Baron
602 Golden Road, Apt 306
Tyler TX 75701
Death of Len Joson
With a heavy heart, we must announce Pastor Valentin “Len” Joson has gone home to be with the Lord fully. He died of a heart attack while going through some medical procedures in the hospital on Wednesday, June 3. Pastor Len was ordained a local elder on April 2, 1988, and has served in different capacities, first as a ministerial trainee in Pampanga, and then pastored churches in the Northern Luzon area. He was also asked to serve as pastor for several churches in Mindanao, after which he served as an area superintendent for many years.
Len assisted significantly in helping leaders understand Incarnational Trinitarian theology through his teaching and by cofounding the Trinitarian Forum. When he retired in 2010, he continued his media ministry until the day before he died.
Pastor Len is a big blessing to many of us, and his death is a huge loss to Grace Communion International in the Philippines. Those days he pastored churches, and times we spent together, visiting churches and training leaders are remembered with fondness, due to his humble and willing servant spirit, and his passion to teach. His legacy remains as an inspiration and a call to live a meaningful life in Jesus. He is a dear brother in Christ, and will certainly be missed by all of us. Thank you, church family, for your love and prayers even while he was in the hospital and more so now, as the family mourns.
Grieving with you all,
Eugene Guzon
Cards may be sent to Len’s widow, Jojie, at:
Ms. Jojie F Joson
119 Bel Air Drive, Laguna Bel Air 1,
Brgy. Don Jose, Sta Rosa, Laguna 4026
Philippines
