PBPC Announcements

PBPC Family, Last Wednesday, we observed Ash Wednesday - the beginning of the Lenten season, which traditionally is an extended reflection on our mortality. I was recently gifted Every Moment Holy: Volumes I & II by Douglas McKelvey. I've been richly blessed by his prayers and liturgies. As a follow up to Ash Wednesday and in the spirit of Lent, I wanted to share with you this prayer he wrote. May it disrupt and bless you in equal measures. A Lesson we May Learn from Death My own death is a limit, O Lord, upon which my last prides will dash like waves against the face of a cliff. If I have yet any misplaced confidence in my own strength, my own wisdom, my own power or ability or ambition, let it be here crushed - and rightfully so. Death makes a mockery of my foolish pride, reminding me that I am not the measure of all things nor the center of the world, nor the lord of my life. My strivings to make meaning from my own existence apart from You, to build a kingdom of my own, to...

PBPC Family, Tomorrow is the beginning of Lent, a season of reflection, repentance, and spiritual preparation for Easter. Traditionally, Lent has been a season within the church where people have practiced fasting - abstaining from something (i.e. food, alcohol) as a spiritual act. I remember growing up, when Lent rolled around, people would share with one another what they were "giving up." Usually it was chocolate. I never understood how refraining from chocolate helped prepare one for Easter - did it make the chocolate bunnies taste better on Easter morning? I could never connect the dots in my head. I now realize this is a complete misunderstanding of Lenten fasting. Fasting is more than just abstaining from something - it involves both "giving up" AND "taking up." In fasting, we give up something of importance, something we'll notice when it is absent, maybe even feeling a slight pinch. And in forming an absence in our daily routines, we then take...

PBPC Family, Happy Valentine's Day! Recently, I've become interested in the Saints behind our cultural celebrations. Santa Claus is rooted in the life and stories of Saint Nicholas - who was he and what do we know of his life? And today, as people celebrate Valentine's Day, many do so without knowing anything about the Saint who inspired this day - Saint Valentine. For fun, here's what we know of Saint Valentine There are actually two stories of Christian martyrs named Valentine. One is of a Roman priest who suffered martyrdom circa 270 under Claudius II. The other is of a Bishop in Terni, Italy who was also martyred around that time. Most historians believe the two narratives actually apply to the same individual. Saint Valentine was actually removed from the General Roman Calendar in 1969 because not enough information was known of him though he is still honored and celebrated today. One story attributed to Valentine is of a judge who challenged his Christian faith, a...

PBPC Family, At the annual meeting two weeks ago, Session named one of our priorities for this year is to deepen our understanding and practice of prayer as a congregation. To that end, I will use this weekly newsletter with thoughts, quotes, articles, and any other resources to help us live a more prayerful life. This morning on my drive into work, I was listening to first hand accounts of those who have survived the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. It was heart wrenching to hear stories of people who have lost friends and family. It was also powerful to hear how these same people are doing all they can (in harshly cold conditions) to rescue others. Hearing these first hand accounts helps me to pray with specificity and deepens my compassion for those impacted. I invite you to pray with me for those impacted by the earthquakes, those working to rescue people from the rubble, and those who are providing aid and resources to people in crisis. Here's a link to the podcast . If you wo...