Weekly Words for the Journey

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

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