Poquonnock Bridge Baptist Church

To My Beloved PBBC Community

as I listened to the winds and rain hitting hard the windows all night
I thought of the tulips in my backyard
thin and long stems just out of the ground
such gentle petals
will they survive

the sun came out as if nothing happened
and I found the tulips
standing
as tall and proud
like a miracle

over and over again I learn
there’s power in gentleness
and often I find
it is a gentleness
that gets us through the storms

people like tulips
who seem too gentle therefore vulnerable
when the storm comes
while hard branches get broken
the wires get cut
yet they still stand tall
because their gentleness
kept them from damaging
themselves and others
(The Rev. Ho-Soon Han)

Today is the day our state begins its cautious and critical journey toward reopening, and I am mindful of my own need to find places of peace, patience and resilience along the way.

Despite my early hopes of gathering for Sunday worship in the next few months, and in light of anticipated state restrictions and church guidelines, we will likely need to wait until fall.

I plan to continue recording Sunday services; I also hope to create safe, joyful ways to hold small weekday prayer services at church during the summer. In this way we will survive and stand tall, and in gentleness, like the tulips, keep from damaging ourselves or others.

Eager to be with you again, in God’s resilience, patience and peace,
Pastor Claudine