October 8, 2014
October Greetings,
I returned from Washington D.C. and the Board Meetings of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty late last night. I will be in town for two days before taking a quick trip to Seattle for the Evergreen Baptist Association Convention Friday-Saturday so this edition of the MWM is greatly abbreviated. I very much appreciate your ongoing prayers.
I do want to encourage you to join us on Sunday for the second Sunday of Diversity Month. We will consider the challenges the early followers of Jesus faced as they tried to become the diverse community God was urging them to be. We will also consider some of the significant challenges the United States faces on the road to becoming the diverse country God is urging us to be. Most notably, we will look at the “lock them up, send them back, keep them out” mentality that infects both state and church.
Our Scripture will be Acts 6 :1-7. In this text the future of the early church was threatened by a division between the Jewish and Gentile followers of Jesus over the support, or lack of support, given to the Gentile widows. There was some hard work that needed to be done in order for diversity to be more than a notion. The communities response to the injustice became a point of growth, a source of understanding and an expression of evangelism on the part of the early church. We, like them, embody the good news in our response to barriers to diversity.
A Prayer of the Congregation
Loving God, As we carry the hurts and hopes of the world, our congregation, our families and ourselves in our hearts and in our minds, give us the wisdom to carry them to you as well. For in you there is hope beyond reason, peace beyond understanding and healing beyond cure. In the name of Jesus we live and pray. Amen.
Announcements
A Day of Prayer
The All Africa Baptist Fellowship (AABF), a region of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA), has declared October 12 as Ebola Sunday. American Baptist Churches USA (ABCUSA) joins the BWA and North American Baptist Fellowship in supporting a day of prayer for the Ebola Crisis. “Let us pray for victims and their families; for medical staff who selflessly continue to serve, and for the Church as pastors and members are called to minister in the midst of this outbreak.”
—ABCUSA General Secretary Roy Medley
Shirley Jones Remembered
The American Baptist Churches/USA has posted a very nice memorial about Shirley’s life and ministry. To view it go to www.abc-usa.org and click on the “News” tab. A service in celebration of Shirley Jones’ life will be held at Lakeshore next Saturday, October 18, at 12 noon.
Forever Young will gather for lunch this Saturday, October 11 at 12:30 in the Family Room. The meal will be provided (Cost $5). Please RSVP to Alodia Corpuz or George Lee.