October 2, 2020

Greetings Lake B family and friends, 
 
What a week it has been for this country. It seems most of my conversations have been about the presidential debate on Tuesday evening. Perhaps this is true for you as well. Watching the “debate”, the question that kept stirring in my mind is one we have been talking about at Lake B since January:
 
“Who are we becoming?”
 
I will not comment here about the content of the debate except to say it was abundantly clear that our country is in desperate need of leadership and healing. Those of us who profess to be followers of Christ are in a unique position to live out what it is that we believe about God - right now in this moment. What will be our witness? With whom will we stand? I am not talking about which political party or candidate, but about our alignment with the heart of God. In the days and weeks ahead let us be grounded in God’s unwavering call for us to care for the poor and to seek justice with and on behalf of those who are oppressed.  In other words, we are to love God and to love our neighbors as ourselves; to seek the fullness of life – for others. This is a central theme of who God is and who God is calling us to be. Today. Now. Yes, even in the midst of a toxic election season. 
 
What can you do?
 
There are many ways to put our faith into action. For me, engaging locally and putting my own hands to work toward a vision of shalom lifts my heart and re-centers my attention on things that matter and touch my life daily. Here are a few of those opportunities:
 

• Contribute to the COVID-19 fund, which has disbursed more than $130,000 to date.
• Provide volunteer time at the office to help process requests.
• Help us support children during the school day. Our children’s staff is providing space at the church four days a week where kids can connect to the Internet and to their classroom. Adult volunteers are needed to provide supervision and tutoring so parents can continue working. We also need help making lunch for the kids.

 
If you want or need other ideas, give us a call at the church.
 
I also want to call your attention to an important local issue coming up on the ballot in November: the school district’s technology levy. Visit https://www.highlineschools.org/technology-levy/need-impacts to learn more about this levy. Students having access to technology is a matter of justice, as it directly affects their ability to learn what is taught in the classroom. Many challenges face under-resourced communities and families, and ensuring that all students in our community have technology access is one way to build greater equity in our education system.
 
If you aren’t yet plugged into the relationships, life and work in our community of faith at Lake B, please consider this a direct invitation to connect. Contact Shearl in the office at 206-242-6023 or send an email to office@lbpc.org. We can find strength in this season by connecting to others, especially when we may feel the temptation to isolate ourselves. We are ready, willing and able to partner with you!
 
In that spirit, I urge you to connect with one of the small group opportunities that begin next week. Be with each other for important conversations and for corporate prayer as we continue to make our way through the Lord’s Prayer each Sunday. You can contact our Education and Discipleship team at edndiscipleship@lbpc.org for more information.
 
With deep gratitude for you,
 
Lina

---