January 17, 2017
Dear LABC,
Many of us face this week with worry and frustration. I found the words of Jesus in this morning’s Bible reading to be helpful – “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, an I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) – I trust they will speak to you as well.
As I hope you are already aware we have two important additional events at LABC this week:
- A Pre-Inaugural Service of Prayer on Thursday evening at 7:00 in the Sanctuary.
- Pause-A Place to Reflect on Saturday afternoon between 1:00 and 3:00 in the Sanctuary and Family Room.
I trust that you will be able to participate in these or in some of the other marches, services and actions that are taking place all over the Bay Area and the nation. Many LABC members will be participating in Friday’s “Bridge Together Golden Gate” organized by Lisa Sato. (If you have interest in joining them, please contact Pastor Tanner.)
My sermon on Sunday will be “Our Destiny Is Intertwined.” I will explore the meaning of Paul’s instruction in I Corinthians 11: 29 to “discern the body,” and encourage us all to consider how important we are to each other.
Prayers of the Congregation
- The presidential transition
- The work of the new Congress
- Ruben Artery and Cecil White as they mourn the death of Ruben’s brother, Robert
- Carol Norris as she cares for her brother, Chris
- Katrina Lau (now in Hayward)
- Joan Thatcher (SNF Piedmont Gardens)
- Carol Leichter for family and friends
- Alean Saunders-Coffey for family and friends
- Ann Fields for her daughter Tamera
- Larry Sims for his family
- Daphne Chin
- Dennis Tanner
- Mary Anderson
- Sandra Dunn
- Skip Keller for his father, Lou (SNF Baywood, Castro Valley)
- Rick McKillop for his daughter, Jamie (job concerns)
- All who come to the church for assistance
- All our homebound members
- Victims of violence in Oakland, the United States and globally
- Thanksgiving for the ministry of the Evergreen Baptist Association (Pastor Hopkins and Sandra Lee will be in Seattle for the first meeting of the Executive Minister Search Committee this Saturday; Marcia Patton will be retiring at the end of the year)
- Thanksgiving for the ministry of the American Baptist Seminary of the West
Annual Meetings Ahead
- OFBC, January 22, 9:00 a.m., Family Room
- LABC, January 29, 11;15, Sanctuary