Weekly Words for the Journey

To My Beloved PBBC Community

Grace from your pastor and greetings from your moderator, your staff, your church family and your worship team! We miss you all more than words can express, but we feel your prayers each day, we pray for your safety each moment, and we lean mightily on your faith each week. It has been an honor to share worship services with members and friends.

I am grateful to Richard, Barbara, Betty, Ron, Pete, Mei Ling, Janet, Jonathan, Li Ling, Holly, Noelle, Marvin, Sue, Dianne, Pat…for making sure we are connected, clean and comforted, for tending to our finances, future and fellowship, for leading, learning and loving along the way, and for keeping us inspired, tethered and grounded in God’s peace.

It has been more than a month since we have been able to gather together, and it looks like another month (at least) lies ahead of us on this challenging yet critical journey toward health, healing and hope. I share these encouraging words by Evan Drake Howard.

Almighty God,
by whose power tragedy becomes triumph…
I rejoice today because the tomb is empty,
the stone rolled away, the Easter miracle accomplished.
When I thought the adventure of following Christ was over,
you surprised me with the good news that it was just beginning.
You did not leave me without hope;
you fought the battle against death and despair until the victory was won.
Now I need not be afraid.
No matter how dark the night, no matter how hard the struggle or ominous the foe,
I am more than a conqueror through him who loved me.
Thank you, Lord, for proving that nothing is impossible for you,
for kindling the fires of resurrection and renewal in the ashes of defeat…
O God of new beginnings,
bring life where there is death, I pray.
Set before me some high challenge that will force me to rely on your power,
the power at work within me to do far more abundantly than all I can ask or imagine.
Focus my thoughts not on what I cannot do because of my limitations,
but on what you want to do in and through me by your Spirit.
May I live in the light of Easter’s dawn,
and may there always be room for an alleluia in my heart.

What a wonderful image…making room in our hearts for an alleluia! In my heart there is room for every face mask you carefully create, every member you lovingly adopt, every call, card, text and email you faithfully send, every prayer you urgently whisper.

In the words of the apostle Paul, let us fight the good fight, finish the race, and keep the faith. In the spirit of the Risen Christ, let us look for signs of new life around us and within us. And in the power of God’s presence for those who most need our prayers, let us care for one another and for this world with courage, imagination, gratitude and joy.

With love so amazing, so divine…Pastor Claudine

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