February 26, 2013

Greetings to all and thank you to all for yet another glorious African-American History Month. There are too many people to thank each individually but certainly Carolyn Matthews who chaired the AAHM Planning Committee and Sheila Sims who led the Soul Food Dinner need to be singled out for praise.
March brings us the end of Lent, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter, as well as an opportunity to lift up Women’s History. The sermons leading up to, and including, Easter will feature some of the central female characters of the Bible. The schedule is:
March 3 (Come Forward Communion, First Sunday of Women’s History Month)
“Eve and the Rise of Humanity”
Genesis 3: 20-24
In Christian history Eve is often blamed for causing humanity to be banished from paradise. Let’s reconsider this understanding.
March 10 (Second Sunday of Women’s History Month)
“The Mission of the Midwives”
Exodus 1:1-2:10
The Hebrew Midwives used their power to give birth to hope.
March 17 (Third Sunday of Women’s History Month)_
“Its Complicated: Mary and Martha”
Pastor Tanner will preach
March 24 (Palm Sunday, Fourth Sunday of Women’s History Month)
“Something From Nothing: The Gift of the Unnamed Widow”
Mark 12: 41-44
As imperfect as it may have been, the temple was a place where the forgotten found significance
March 31 (Easter, Fifth Sunday of Women’s History Month)
“We Still Don’t Quite Know What To Do”
Luke 24: 1-12
The apostles did not know how to respond to the message of the women that Jesus was risen from the grave. Let us not heap blame upon them for we are easily confused ourselves.

Prayers of the Congregation

• Prayers for those whose bodies need strength and healing – Bette Pancoe, Mary Karne, Sybil Alexander, Charlotte Evans, Jim Dorr’s cousin, Larry Sims for his daughter Debbie, Keith Paramour for his grandparents
• Prayers for those who are aging and their loved ones who care for them – Sandra Dunn for her father, Theresako Harris for her aunt, Larry Hutchings for his mother, Marc Harrison for his father, Sheryl Gattey for her mother
• Prayers for those who are grieving – Mary Osajindu whose sister passed away in Nigeria, the Sims family, the Martin family, the family of Harrison Williams, the White family, the Yee family, Tess Benin and the family of Muriel Phillips, Shirley Jones for her daughter in law’s  (Deb) family on the death of her sister
• Prayers for our loved ones who are facing significant challenges – Gloria and Phil Meads for their niece, Kay Baxter for Stacey and Jamie, Georgia Upshaw for her friend Ginny, Toni Daniels for her family, Margaret Alexander for LaShaya and family
• Prayers for our community- For the budding partnership between Holy Names University and Oakland Technical High School, for all who will come to our pre-Easter parade
• Prayers for people we don’t know who  are facing challenges we can’t imagine- For our Kachin brothers and sister, those who are incarcerated, all who are affected by gun violence, the people of Uganda touched by the ministry of Jeanne  Robinson’s niece, the Roman Catholic Church in a time of transition
• Prayers of gratitude -With Declan and Sheila Brown on the birth of their niece Gabriela Ayana Bonette on 2/22/13, with Jesus Portillo for some good news, Jessica Ross on her admission to the MBA programs she applied to, with Brenda McCarthy that her daughter was with her in worship
• Prayers for ourselves

Announcements

Our special offering in March is the America for Christ Offering with supports the American Baptist Home Mission Society, American Baptist Regional Ministries and the Lakeshore Scholarship Fund. There will be offering envelopes in the bulletins this Sunday.
The Annual Meeting of Oakland First Baptist Church of the OFBC Foundation will be this Sunday morning , March 3 at 8:30 in the Family Room.
Erica invites all our young adults to join her for lunch after worship this Sunday.