July 8, 2014
We had our usual splendid worship service this past Sunday. Thank you to our guest musician Lenny Ott and to our guest preacher, Karen Okusu who inspired and encouraged us.
Thank you also to Pastor Naw San and the representatives from our partners in ministry from the San Francisco Kachin Baptist Church for the Forum they led. The situation in Myanmar remains fluid. The military government is trying to convince the world that real reforms have been made while ethnic groups like the Kachins remain under siege. In the Kachin state there are over 100,000 internally displaced persons and over 70 Baptist churches have been destroyed in the last three years. Our prayers and support remain essential.
My sermon for July 13 is titled “Living Beyond Condemnation.” My text will be Romans 8:1-11 in which Paul assures us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” My theme is that there is a life beyond condemnation of self, a place beyond condemnation of others. The Crucified and Resurrected One can show us the way. Our guest musicians this Sunday will be the Danysh Trio. They will perform Traditional Latin and Afro-Peruvian music.
Prayers of the Congregation
- Darnell Sims as he mourns the death of his grandmother
- Sheila Sims for her father in Kaiser Hospital, San Leandro
- Larry Sims as he recuperates at home
- Chuck Johnston for his sister in law on the death of her sister
- All who are traveling
- Georgia Upshaw for Irene and Rita Jennings
- Karen Hopkins for her friend Connie and all who are looking for jobs
- Paige Bence and John Lee for Rick Zavala
- Thanksgiving with Kay and Jamie Reid for a good week and for Stacey’s visit home
- Celestine Bennett for her sister
- Connie Hector as she cares for her mother in law
- Ann Fields for her family
- Helen Roberson and family
- Barry Breaux for his mom
- Phil and Gloria Meads for June and Billy
- Dwight Dickerson for his family
- The peace of our city
- Toni Daniels and all who are incarcerated
- All our college age and young adult members
- Sandra Dunn for her father
- Virginia Cheatham (hospice care). Virginia’s birthday is July 12
- George and Sylvia Lee. Sylvia’s birthday is July 13
- Helen Harrison for the Buchanan family
- Mary Karne for her daughter Maryla
- Shirley Jones
- Steve and Carol Leichter
- Katrina Lau for her grandmother
- Margaret Oladoja and family
- Charlene Wolf for her mom
- A prayer for Iraq – may the chaos of civil war be replaced by the shalom of civil society
- Ken Kirkey for his father Ken Kirkey Sr., recuperating from cancer
- The immigrant children being held at the border and at centers around the country
- All who are traveling
- Peace in the Middle East and comfort for all the grieving families. May the cycle of atrocity upon atrocity be broken.
- Thanksgiving for the strong financial support of the ministry of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church
- The Onwubuariri as they move to Wisconsin and for Marie as she begins her ministry as the Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin
- Kay Washington and Joshua Bonette and their families as they prepare for their August 2 wedding
- Legacy Lee and Lauren Vandam and their families as they prepare for their August 8 wedding
- Don Johnson and Nicole Pallios and their families as they prepare for their August 30 wedding
- The Kachin people as they seek justice and freedom
- The Evans, Edwards and Leche families
- All who preparing to lead and all who will attend next week’s Vacation Bible Camp