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To My Beloved PBBC Community

Holy Are You
(Written by the Rev. Deborah Swift)

Holy are you, Source of Creation
Holy are you, Source of Rebirth
Blessed your name, our liberation
Blessed your love, our universe.

Only in you is our defender
Only in you is there a way
Out of the dark this world engenders
Into the light of your new day.

Take my life and let it be
A living gift for you, not me
Take my heart and let it sing
In praise of the One who gives us the Son.

Open my eyes, Spirit of wholeness
Open my eyes, make them to see
All that divides is just illusion
Come, make your home inside of me.

Holy are you, Father of silence
Holy are you, Mother of song
Birthing me now out of my weak times
Birthing me now into the strong…

This song was composed by my seminary suitemate, Deb Swift, more than thirty years ago; she sang it while I signed it for a New Testament class project we called, “Romans - The Musical.” Our professor for the course was Dr. Paul Hammer who died this year after a lifelong journey of academic excellence and faithful ministry; he was a scholar, a teacher, a servant, and a friend. You may know this song by the way our own Holly Boyle has sung it over the years, bringing it to life and making the music her own for various worship experiences of our congregation.

These lyrics are based on a biblical passage from the book of Romans (12:1) where the apostle Paul urges us to present ourselves as a gift, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. As we continue to live through these fragile and frustrating days of interrupted dreams and cultural divisions, may we make of our lives a gift…to the world and to each other. May we find a way.

In the name of the One who births us, and blesses us, into being,
Pastor Claudine

To My Beloved PBBC Community

Psalm 23
(from “Psalms Redux: Poems and Prayers”)

This I know: my life is in your hands.
I have nothing to fear.
I stop, breathe, listen.
Beneath the whirl of what is
is a deep down quiet place.
You beckon me to tarry there.
This is the place where unnamed hungers are fed,
the place of clear water, refreshment.
My senses stilled, I drink deeply,
at home in timeless territory.
In peril, I remember: death’s dark vale holds no menace.
I lean into you; your eternal presence comforts me.
I am held tenderly.
In the midst of all that troubles, that threatens and diminishes,
you set abundance before me.
You lift my head; my vision clears.
The blessing cup overflows.
This I know:
you are my home and my hope,
my strength and my solace,
and so shall you ever be.

(Written by Carla A. Grosch-Miller)

I love the 23rd Psalm, and I love this new interpretation; for me it captures so much of what we long to find, what I hope you find, in these changing and challenging days.

Together we watch how things are going in our state, nation and world. Together we wait to see what happens with our schools, praying for students and staff and all those tasked with making such important decisions while facing such impossible choices. And together we look past this summer heat to October for a possible safe return to Sunday services in our sanctuary.

Next week we resume our “Bridging the Gap” prayer circles, with smaller groups this time around, and we look forward to being together once again. But for all of you there at home, may you find hope once again. May you find ways to remember, to refresh, and to be held in God’s presence once again. And may you find places of strength and solace once again.

Until we meet once again, Pastor Claudine

To My Beloved PBBC Community

Jesus, Saviour, pilot me
Over life’s tempestuous sea;
Unknown waves before me roll,
Hiding rock and treacherous shoal;
Chart and compass came from Thee:
Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,
Thou canst hush the ocean wild;
Boisterous waves obey Thy will
When Thou sayest to them, “Be still.”
Wonderous Sovereign of the sea,
Jesus, Saviour, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,
And the fearful breakers roar
‘Twixt me and the peaceful rest,
Then while leaning on Thy breast,
May I hear Thee say to me,
“Fear not, I will pilot thee.”

There’s something about a storm…

This week we experienced Hurricane (then Tropical Storm) Isaias as it made its way up the coast. For some it brought mostly wind and heavy rain; for others it destroyed property, brought down trees, knocked out power, and claimed lives. Storms are forceful yet sadly not always as predictable as we would like them to be. They can be relentless, unforgiving, fearful.

The same can be said for other storms we are facing. The effects of Covid-19 continue to rage on, creating storms of illness and loss, exposure and risk, testing and tracking, re-openings amid the threat of more shut-downs. There are storms of civil unrest and cultural division, personal grief and community struggle. When will they cease? We long for the calm after the storm.

The words of the old hymn “Jesus, Saviour, Pilot Me,” bring that sense of calm to my soul… Having weathered many storms together, we continue to trust that God will chart our course; we still turn to those we know and love to be our compass when we are lost; and we try to serve those who face the greatest perils, by calming their fears and leaning upon our faith.

Always with you, in the stillness and the storm,
Pastor Claudine

To My Beloved PBBC Community,

May I be a guard for those who need protection

a guide for those on the path

a boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood

May I be a lamp in the darkness

a resting place for the weary

a healing medicine for all who are sick

a vase of plenty, a tree of miracles

And for the boundless multitudes of living beings

may I bring sustenance and awakening

enduring like the earth and sky

until all beings are freed from sorrow

and all are awakened

These are ancient words, written in the sixth century, and yet they are as timely as if they were written today. Words have the power to console, create and inspire us; to comfort, challenge and change us. During vacation I immersed myself in the power and promise of words…reading novels, seeking new literature and language for our time, rediscovering hope for this time.

Words allow us to capture a vision of the world, not only as it is, but as God intends it to be. And so I pray you have someone to guard, guide and protect you; I pray you can be a boat, raft or bridge of understanding each day; I pray you will bring light to the darkness and rest to the weary, provide healing whenever possible, and still offer plenty wherever emptiness remains.

While we remain apart, may words both ancient and new be the miracles we need. I thank Heidi for preaching the Word to us, for us, with us; I thank YOU for being the Word among us.

May God sustain us on our path…freeing us from sorrow and awakening us to joy!
Pastor Claudine