February 21, 2017
Dear LABC,
Karen and I are currently wrapped up trying to complete an article about her mom’s illness and end of life choices, “When Choosing Death is An Affirmation of Life: A Public Remembrance of Our Family’s Personal Journey”. This essay needs to be completed by March 1st. Thus, this edition of the Midweek Message is quite abbreviated. We look forward to sharing the article with you after it has been published.
This coming Sunday is the grand conclusion of African-American History Month. It is both Hat Sunday and Soul Food Dinner Sunday. My sermon, taken from Matthew’s account (17: 1-9) of the Transfiguration, will be “The Difference Between Important and Essential.” I also will be joining the choir to participate in this Sunday’s anthem, “Glory.”
Prayers of the Congregation
- Gloria Joseph (hospitalized) and the Wilkinson family
- Kay Baxter for Stacey, Jamie and herself
- Lynn Hunwick, Pastor Rick Mixon and the congregation of FBC Palo Alto as they mourn the death of Marilyn Hunwick, an exemplary member of our Baptist family
- Pastor Ken Chambers and the people of Westside Baptist Church, Oakland
- Phillip Martin and Cameron Wilson for Phillip’s Uncle Mike
- Alean Saunders-Coffey for her daughter-in-law and family
- Zondra Martin and family
- Ann Fields and family
- Doris and Ted Evans and family
- Camille and Warren Parker and family
- Marie Johnson for family, friends and colleagues
- All our homebound members
- All who live with mental illness
- LeAnn Flesher (still recuperating from ankle injury)
- Tuck, Jayne and Daphne Chin
- Jewelle Gibbs (recuperating from foot surgery)
- Sydney Webster for Gigi and herself
- All who represent LABC in diverse and wonderful ministries
- Edie Parrott
- Margaret Oladoja and family
- Pastor Michael Yoshii of Buena Vista United Methodist Church (Alameda) as he mourns the death of his mother
- Toni Daniels and family
- Irene Jennings, Joan Thatcher and Gordon White (Piedmont Gardens SNF)
- All the students of the Oakland Unified School District, many of whom show symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Syndorme
- Thanksgiving with Barbara Bowman and family that she was able to join us in worship
- Thanksgiving for the combined ministry of 100 Black Men, African-American Male Achievement and Aspire and Achieve at Oakland Technical High School
- Thanksgiving for a great LABC AAHM Faire
- Thanksgiving for public safety and public health workers, especially in this season of storms, floods and mudslides