February 7, 2017
Under the theme “Welcome the Stranger” African-American History Month is off to a great start at LABC. Thanks again to the AAHM Committee for organizing, the Department of Worship and Congregational Care for decorating, Celestine Bennett for the Resource Table and to all our wonderful singers and musicians.
This Sunday will bring multiple points of emphasis as we:
- Welcome The Reverend Dr. Donna Allen, Pastor of New Revelation Community Church and Adjunct Professor of Preaching at ABSW, to our pulpit.
- Recognize the 30th Anniversary of the Founding of the Alliance of Baptists. The Alliance is one of the ways in which we live out our commitment to Soul Freedom, Bible Freedom, Religious Freedom and Church Freedom.
- Read from and discuss The Price For Their Pound of Flesh: The Value of the Enslaved from Womb to Grave in the Building of a Nation by Diana Ramey Berry in the Forum.
Saturday is also a busy day as Forever Young gathers at 12:30 for lunch and a presentation by Virginia McClow on her trip to Morocco (Please RSVP with George Lee or Alodia Corpuz and the Baptist Community gathers at 3:00 for a memorial service for the beloved pastor, scholar and leader Maxwell Vines.
Prayers of the Congregation
- Carol Leichter for her friend, Linda, as she mourns the death of her husband
- Pastor Gillette O. James and the congregation of Beth Eden Baptist Church as they mourn the death of Dr. Rosa James. Gillette and Rosa were married for 55 years (There will be a memorial service for Rosa this Friday, February 10, at 11:00 at Beth Eden)
- Celestine Bennett for her sisters, Constance and Carolyn
- Ruben Artery and Cecil White for Ruben’s family
- The Meads family for Dena
- Rick McKillop for his mom, Marion (health) and his daughter Jamie (workplace)
- Rowena Jackson for the Hopkins family
- Jamie and Kay for Stacey
- Evan Wilkinson and family as he recuperates from another surgery
- Ted and Doris Evans
- Warren (Windsor Gardens Convalescent Hospital, Hayward) and Camille Parker
- Thanksgiving for the ministry of Priscilla Eppinger and the American Baptist Historical Society
- Toni Daniels upon her release from Santa Rita
Two Reports
On Monday morning at 11:30 I represented LABC an the Interfaith Council of Alameda County at a meeting of several Muslim community leaders and Alameda County District Attorney, Nancy O’Malley. This is what my colleague, Rabbi Jackie Mates-Munchin of Temple Sinai posted on her Facebook page following the meeting.
Just returned from a meeting with Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley, Rev. Jim Hopkins and other interfaith community leadership to discuss the rise in hate crimes, Islamophobia, and immigrants rights. I’m appreciative the DA’s time, her openness and her willingness to work together. Amongst other outreach efforts and programs, last November the DA’s office launched a new hotline to report hate crimes: 510-208-4824. If you are a victim or witness to a hate crime, please reach out. Thank you to DA O’Malley for your community support.
Following that meeting I hurried to the weekly meeting of the Oakland Kiwanis Club, of which I am the President this year. Our speaker was Lakeshore’s own David Robinson. His subject was his ministry as Chaplain in the Santa Clara County Jails. He talked about how important it was to facilitate “moments of grace” in which incarcerated persons can connect with God, with family, with community and with themselves. One expression of these moments of grace is encouraging imprisoned moms and dads to read to their children when they visit (Our club contributes books for this effort). It felt good to know that LABC supports Dave and his team in many ways.