July 26, 2016
Happy Tuesday to Everyone,
We had a great week of Vacation Bible Camp last week and a wonderful Sunday celebration of the people involved, the experiences shared and the lessons learned. On Friday thirteen of our teens and young adult/adult leaders travel to New Orleans for a week of service with the “Til the Work Is Done” project of the American Baptist Home Mission Societies.
This coming Sunday our Pulpit Guest will be The Reverend Susan Chorley. Susan is an ABSW graduate, a Baptist pastor and a feminist theologian. Her sermon will be “Coming Home.” Her texts will be Psalm 107: 1-9, 43 and Luke 15: 11-32. Her sermon will include a very personal account of her decision to have an abortion and will lift up the ways people and communities can walk together when the way is not certain. We will be reminded that “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” is not a healthy practice in a thriving worshipping community.
Prayers of the Congregation
- Rafael Soto for Sarah’s family who was evacuated from their home because of the Soberanes fire near Big Sur.
- John and Jo Giles for John’s brother (hospice care)
- Thanksgiving with Nedra Hathaway on the completion of her chemotherapy
- Thanksgiving with Gloria Meads on the completion of her chemotherapy
- Allison Tanner for her dad (health concerns)
- Thanksgiving with Joan Thatcher who is pleased to be home again at Grand Lake Gardens
- Virginia Damretzky as she moves to Sparks, Nevada
- Myra Saxton for Marie Watson at Piedmont Gardens
- Maya Hart for peace in all the violence-torn, strife-ridden communities of our nation and our world
- Kay Baxter for Stacey, Jamie and herself
- Tiffany Wynn for her dad, Herman Fletcher (brother of Sharon Gordon)
- Doris and Ted Evans for their family and themselves
- Warren and Camille Parker for their family and themselves
- Mikki Boyd for her mom (health concerns)
- Thanksgiving with Sheryl and Dave Gattey that Sheryl is feeling better
- Thanksgiving with Jo and Dave Robinson that Jo is feeling better and that son Aaron is doing well following surgery
- Pastor Laurie Manning (Skyline Community Church) for a loved one in Columbia (health concerns)
- Thanksgiving with Luke Joachim on finding an apartment in Manhatten
- Katrina Lau (health concerns)
- Thanksgiving with Monica Eppinger on her sister’s (Priscilla) appointment as the new Director of the American Baptist Historical Society
- Those reeling from violence at a club for teens in Florida, a home for the disabled in Japan and a church in Normandy
- Al Johnson and Roy Browner (Al is celebrating his birthday today!)
Our 2016 Retreat Leader
There is a wonderful article in today’s East Bay Times about Father Aidan McAleenan who is leading our All Church Retreat this year.