Update, Thursday, April 15 (Easter Season)

Family,

It was thirty-two years ago this week (April 1989) that I rose early on a Thursday morning, whispered a good-bye to a sleeping Karen, Aaron and Kristen (they would meet me in a few days), drove through the empty streets of Los Angeles, onto the Hollywood Freeway and north towards Oakland to begin my ministry as your pastor.

Somewhere in the Central Valley I was able to tune-in to KGO radio. Ronn Owens was the host and the topic of the day was the death of social activist Abby Hoffmann. In the Bay Area, members of LABC were praying, having signed up for shifts in a twenty-four hour prayer vigil.

Around 11:00 I arrived in Castro Valley and dropped some belongings off at the home of Arnold and Anne Anderson where I would be staying for a few weeks until we could complete the sale of our home in Los Angeles.

I reached the church shortly before noon and checked in with Robert Stapp in the office. Marjorie MacNair was there as she would be for many Thursdays to come, completing the folding of the bulletins for Sunday.

I walked up to Barnett Hall where an American Baptist Women’s luncheon was in progress. Unlike most LABC luncheons there was a head table that day and there was a round of applause as I was seated. People came to the table to greet me.

In the midst of those greetings Lydia Anderson asked if I would like some tea. I said I would and she proceeded to pour it on me (accidentally she always insisted). Despite the slight discomfort, I stayed at the table. Thirty-two years later I am still here, ready to begin year thirty-three. Now, as then, your prayers are encouraging and sustaining.

Pastor Jim

Dr. Aaron Hopkins DPT, who was almost seven when we first arrived at LABC, will be the presenter at Saturday’s Forever Young on LABC Zoom. He will be talking about ways to safely increase your physical activity if you have become less active and things all of us can do to improve our strength and mobility while spending most of our time at home. Join in at 1:00.