October 4, 2011

As I write it is Monday morning and I am filled with gratitude for the tremendous weekend we had at LABC.
On Friday night thirty-three of us gathered to watch the documentary “Waiting For Superman” which describes the current travail of public education in the United States.  Jesus Portillo is writing an article about the event for a coming edition of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America. We will also publish it in the Transmitter.  Clearly we understand the quality public education is something we must continue to work for.
On Saturday a menagerie of cats, dogs and one guinea pig and their human companions gathered on the steps of the church for the Blessing of the Animals.  The blessing is always a warm and wonderful event.  As influential guests in God’s world we have a responsibility for the well being of all our fellow guests.
On Sunday Diversity Month began with beautiful music from our choir and our organist, an energetic crowd of kids on the steps learning how they could show hospitality by participating in the World Mission Offering, a consideration of how the Lord’s Supper is a symbol of God’s radical hospitality, and a feast at Coffee Hour.
Thank you to Paige Bence and the Department of Worship and Congregational Care for leading what promises to be a most significant consideration of theme “Radical Hospitality.”
On October 9 my sermon will taken from Isaiah 25:1-9 (On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.)  Titled “Talking Ourselves Out of Good Things” its main point will be that most of us have a hard time trusting that God wants us to know that we are welcome guests in creation.

Prayers of the Congregation

• Christopher Margo, a visitor on Sunday who is homeless
• Phil and Gloria Meads for Joy and Jon
• Thanksgiving that Geetha Thaker was with us and prayers for her as she continues her medical training
• All our teens and their families
• Ann Fields for family
• John Taylor for Grant Hanson
• Kay Baxter for her family
• All our teachers, students, school employees and their families
• The ministry of our Lakeshore Children’s Center
• The ministry of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
• Sandra Dunn for her father
• Bette Pancoe
• Thanksgiving with Jessie Lucas as he is installed as President of the Kiwanis Club of Oakland
• David Bushrod for family and friends
• Doris and Ted Evans for their family
• All who are traveling
• The ongoing work of our Sanctuary Art Committee
• The ministry of the American Baptist Seminary of the West
• Thanksgiving for all our members including our newest members
• Karen Okusu
• Michael Sumrall
• Helen Harrison for Irja Etue
• The United States Supreme Court as it begins its 2011-2012 term
• Abe Cirimele preparing for surgery on Thursday
• The Kachin Baptist Church and the people of war-torn Burma
• Susan Joachim
• Edna Dorenzo
• The ministry of Samaritan Neighborhood Center
• Margaret Alexander for LaShaya
• Bonnie Sato

Announcements

The Forum this Sunday will be led by Steve Reimer the Director of the Samaritan Neighborhood Center.  Steve will talk about the ways his program address issues of economic diversity.
October 4 is the National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding.