PBPC Announcements

PBPC Family, During Sunday's Lenten Book Discussion, the author recommended Lectio Divina as a way of focusing one's attention on God through a specific passage of Scripture. Lectio Divina is Latin for "divine reading" and is an ancient practice of the church; it was practiced by Benedictine monks in the 6th century. Father Boniface Hicks has a wonderful and simple overview of Lectio Divina on his blog.  This week, I encourage you to set aside some time to practice Lectio Divina - 15-20 minutes is more than enough. Read this upcoming Sunday's passage (see below) and follow the steps outlined in the above blog. In between each step (reading, meditation, prayer, contemplation) read the text again. This helps to enter more deeply into the text, prayer, and ultimately God's presence. If you would like to be led in Lectio Divina, Lectio 365 is a free app that can guide you through a passage of Scripture. Also, this week is the last week I'm collecting stories ...

PBPC Family, One of the great challenges in prayer is that God doesn't always seem present. We pray in the hopes that we might feel close to God, that we might experience the peace that comes with God's presence. And yet, it is painfully common to feel God's absence in prayer as much, if not more, than God's presence. This can be disheartening, even heart breaking, and a major reason why many forsake a life of prayer. Richard Foster notes that this has been a common experience for Christians throughout history. We are actually in good company when God feels absent in prayer. He writes "I want you to know that to be faced with the 'withering winds of God's hiddenness' does not mean that God is displeased with you, or that you are insensitive to the work of God's Spirit, or that you have committed some horrendous offense against heaven, or that there is something wrong with you, or anything. Darkness is a definite experience of prayer. It is to be exp...

PBPC Family, The Lenten season has officially begun. As shared on Ash Wednesday and Sunday, we will explore Jesus' "I Am" statements in the Gospel of John each Sunday in service. We will also, through our Lenten Book study (see below) be examining our attention. If you haven't already, this week I encourage you to take an attention audit. What do you give your attention to throughout the day? Throughout the week? Are there certain things you run to as a distraction? When does your attention feel strongest? When do you feel most present? When are aware of God? When does God feel distant or absent? Before we grow in faithfully stewarding our attention, we first must be honest about what consumes our attention. I pray that God will meet you, and all of us, as we seek to grow more attentive to God's ever present Spirit and presence! Looking forward to worshipping with you all on Sunday! Grace and Peace, Pastor Calvin " Jesus is a Shepherd" John 10:1-18 Calvi...

PBPC Family, Today is the last day before the season of Lent, known as Pancake, Shrove, or Fat Tuesday. Three different names for the same day. Though they overlap, each has a unique history and connection to the beginning of Lent. Pancake Tuesday - Traditionally, Christians have fasted from animal products during Lent. In an effort to put their eggs, milk, and butter to good use, families would make pancakes on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday. It was a way to prepare for Lenten fasting. Even if you are not refraining from animal products during Lent, I encourage you to make pancakes tonight as a way to prepare for Lent. Shrove Tuesday - "Shrove" comes from the English word "shrive" which means to give absolution to someone's sins through the practice of confession. Shrove Tuesday is an invitation to take stock of your life, consider where you have fallen short of the glory of God, and confess those things. This confession is a way of preparing for Lent and can...