May 30, 2017
Dear LABC,
This coming Sunday, June 4th, will be both Pentecost Sunday and Hunger Walk Sunday. It is fitting that we celebrate these days as one in that a primary lesson of Pentecost is that the Holy Spirit comes into our lives empowering us to go out into our community and serve. Pentecost and the Hunger Walk are a natural pairing for the Spirit descends on us not to set us apart from an often troubled world in order to bestow on us special benefits, but to send us into that often troubled world that we might be of benefit to it.
Changing topics. Every week there are many events that are worthy of commentary. I cannot speak to them all. This week I feel I must lift up the murder of two men in Portland, Oregon by a reputed white supremacist as they tried to protect two young women, one of them Muslim, that he was assaulting. Again, we are reminded that terrorism is not the province of any one religion, that utter disregard for the lives of others is not the trait of any single race. All of us have ability to respond to, or disregard, the leadings of the Spirit. When we respond to those leadings there is harmony and hope. When we disregard them there is strife and despair. We salute the courage of these who chose to be upstanders rather than bystanders even as we remember those who grieve their loss.
On a happier note, the NBA Finals return to Oakland this week. For the third straight year the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers compete for professional basketball’s greatest crown. In the sporting world, this is the stuff of which legends are made. Because the Warriors colors are blue and gold, and because the Hunger Walk t-shirts are blue with gold lettering let me change tradition for this one Sunday and invite everyone to wear blue and gold, rather than red, this Sunday. Hunger Walk t-shirts will be available for purchase.
Jim H.
Prayers of the Congregation
- Sheryl Gattey (health concerns)
- Jo Robinson (surgery on May 31)
- Dale and Alice Edmondson for Leomarie Lind (health concerns)
- Cecil White for his sister, Caroline (health concerns)
- Lous Greer, Summit Hospital
- Anthony Marshall, Kaiser Acute Care (San Leandro)
- Karen Hopkins for her Aunt Kit (health concerns)
- Gloria Joseph (health concerns)
- All who seek to guide our teens
- Kay Baxter for her family, including sister Vee and brother-in-law Abbott
- Declan Brown for his sister-in-law, Sondra (health concerns)
- Skip Keller as he recuperates from surgery
- Rowena Jackson (Piedmont Gardens SNF)
- The Meads family for Billy, Katrina, Elecia and Kaylee
- Mary Karne for her daughter Maryla
- All who live with mental illness and their families
- Thanksgiving that Paul Keener is recuperating well
- Thanksgiving with Camille Parker for good news
- All who are in recovery and their families
- The people of Sri Lanka after a massive mudslide and the resulting loss of life