Posts from August 2020

Posts from August 2020

Hannah is My Name

Today I have the honor of posting a poem written by a beautiful woman in our body. In the poem, she shares a part of her heart and journey. As you read, may the Lord speak to you of His faithfulness, grace and strength. Hannah is My Name My Faithful God Will Never Let Me Go August 14, 2020 Anonymous Hannah is my name Grace favored From the one who saves Comes incredible gift You have pulled me out From…

The Curious Case of Euodia & Syntyche

As I’ve been reading through Romans this summer (in preparation for our men’s bible studies this Fall), one of the things that has struck me is Paul’s commitment to having one united church in Rome. Now, of course, physically, the church in Rome would have been made up of various house churches but, spiritually, they are one. So that one could just as easily go to any of these house churches and find welcome in the one body of Christ…

A Prayer for Families

Each of us has different challenges during this season, whether we’re single or married, working or not, young or old. As the school year begins, families are on my heart. Though distance learning was a thing in the Spring, virtual learning is different this time around. My post today is a prayer for families, and I invite you to pray along with me. Father God, We come to you recognizing we don’t have control over every aspect of our lives.…

Who Knows Best?

We are the most technologically advanced society ever.  With telescopes, we can peer into deep space and see far away galaxies.  With microscopes, we can see the basic building blocks of matter.  And, after thousands of years of human experience, we now understand the basic foundations of life and can determine the intricacies that bring about human life.  But, with all these scientific advances, humanity still struggles with how to live life (the headlines of the news reveal the everyday…

Cultivating Faithfulness through Prayer

When I hosted a couple Sundays ago, on 8/2, I mentioned my recent road trip and taking scenic routes where I experienced the beauty of God’s creation as well as His presence. These longer, less populated, alternative roads became a metaphor for me of experiencing God’s presence in the midst of the pandemic.  Having a change of scenery is essential for me to realign with God, allow Him to renew my hope and strengthen me with healthy ways of coping.  I’ve only…

Then Sings My Soul

The hymn “How Great Thou Art” is a treasured favorite for many of us at PBCC. It’s introduction to the church in America came by way of the Billy Graham crusade in the late fifties. The themes of the hymn speak of the wonders of creation and the joys of salvation, culminating in the refrain “Then Sings My Soul”.  Those four words can have different meanings for many of us. As a worship leader and especially with the new orders…

Seeing What’s Really There

These last few months have been difficult for so many people at so many different levels.  Our conversations invariably turn to cancelled events from the spring, something we had hoped to do this summer but can’t, and plans we may have had for the fall that are now in doubt.  This week I was supposed to be at Cannon Beach on the Oregon coast, where we’ve met with family and friends every summer for literally decades – not that the…