June 20, 2017

Dear LABC,
I had a wonderful week of grandson-centered, Warrior-celebrating, play-a-little-golf, vacation. It was good to be back with you to celebrate Father’s Day.
This coming Sunday we will lift up our Baptist heritage as we honor Religious Liberty Sunday. The central Scripture will be Hebrews 4:14-16 in which we read of the work of Jesus, our High Priest, to bring us mercy and grace. This passage teaches us that as Jesus shared God with us, we, willingly, freely and creatively, share Jesus with each other.
As example of the ways in which we can live out our heritage of soul freedom I have attached Pastoral Letter from Lee Spitzer, the new General Secretary of the American Baptist Churches USA.

Prayers of the Congregation

• All who are traveling
• Our American Baptist family as we minister in the name of Jesus and as we prepare to gather in Portland next week for our biennial Mission Summit
• Tyrone Mack as he mourns the death of long-time friend, Mrs. Moore
• Jo and Dave Robinson as Jo recovers from surgery. You can sign up to provide a meal at https://mealtrain.com/74o6o1
• Marian Ott (health concerns)
• Louis Greer (health concerns)
• Anthony Marshall (health concerns)
• The homeless of Oakland and those that minister to them (including LABC)
• The witness of the Evergreen Baptist Association
• The witness of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty
• The witness of the American Baptist Seminary of the West
• The witness of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
• The witness of the Alliance of Baptists
• Myra Saxton and Lucille Riggins
• Karen Hopkins for her aunt Kit (health concerns)
• All who are in programs of recovery
• The Wilkinson family for Gloria Joseph
• Edie Parrott (health concerns)
• Jim Robinson (health concerns)
• Cecil White for his sister Carolyn (health concerns) and sister-in-law Pam as gives care
• Declan Brown
• Julio for his sister
• Yvonne Young for her family
• Nadiyah L de Paula Lima as she grieves the death of her brother
• Mary Karne for Maryla and herself
• Rowena Jackson
• Chuck Johnston for his great-nephew Lincoln
• Dale and Alice Edmondson for Leomarie Lind
• Kay Baxter and family
• Alice Butler for nephew Fletcher and family
• Toni Daniels
• Margaret Oladoja
• Al Johnson and Roy Browner