Recent News  >  Weekly Words for the Journey

Weekly Words for the Journey

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