Pastors’ Column

Each week one of our pastors or staff members writes a column observing what is going on in our congregation, the Church and the world, and offering reflections on the Christian life and faith. Through this series of columns, we hope to connect your and our story to the enduring story of Christ; to offer pastoral reflections on our ongoing congregational life and mission; to report on news of the Presbyterian Church and Church universal; and to invite further reflection and deeper discipleship. We welcome your comments and suggestions. In other words, our words here are an invitation to continue the conversation.

Hoping for Peace

The Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick September 30, 2021

It often surprises people when I tell them that during the two years we lived in Egypt, we never visited the Holy Land. Now some Egyptian Christians would take offense at that description, since they consider Egypt to be a holy place – the refuge to which Jesus and his parents fled, according to the Gospel of Matthew. It is only 700 miles across the Sinai Peninsula to get from one country to the other, if you don’t take the circuitous route Moses did when leading the people to the promised land. Of course, years of conflict, both political and violent, have meant that traveling between the two countries is fairly inconvenient.

Celebrating Church Officers

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet September 23, 2021

This coming Sunday during worship we will celebrate the Ordination and Installation of two classes of Elders and Deacons. These church leaders were elected in January of 2020 and 2021 and have begun their service, but we wanted to wait until we were worshipping together in person to have them respond to the Constitutional Questions and ordain and install them to their respective offices.

The Winning Numbers

The Rev. Franklyn C. Pottorff September 16, 2021

If you are someone who notices changes in the liturgical lineup on Sunday mornings, then you may have observed that in our desire to retain the ritualized act of offering as a part of worship, we have introduced the phrase “Invitation to Discipleship.”

Rally Day and Regathering

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet September 9, 2021

We have come to call the first Sunday after Labor Day when we kick off a new program year “Rally Day.” To rally means to come together again to renew an effort; to join in common cause; to recover and rebound after illness; a mass meeting of people for a purpose. Each of these definitions seems appropriate just now as we begin a new program year of Christian nurture and discipleship. Continuing to emerge from this long pandemic season we have much to celebrate as a community beginning to regather.

Take a Deep Breath and Begin

The Rev. Rachel Pedersen September 2, 2021

Some of our students are a week into school, while others are enjoying a few more days of vacation. As the school year begins, our students are facing another year filled with uncertainty in addition to the normal back-to-school worries. Some are worried about going to new schools; some are concerned about new academic pressures; and others just want to make a friend. Our children are navigating this strange world as their teachers, administrators and families balance worries around health, safety and community.

Sighs too Deep for Words

The Rev. Leigh DeVries August 26, 2021

Sixteen months into the pandemic, I didn’t think I could be more overwhelmed with everything going on in our world.

Then came August. Clearly, I was wrong.

Back Home Again

The Rev. Franklyn C. Pottorff August 18, 2021

Like some of you, I am a transplant to this area. And because ordained ministry can be fairly nomadic, clergy often find ourselves settling for seasons in locations far from where we grew up. Which leads me to think about how we talk about “home.” Is home a place? A person? A feeling? An idea? A dream? Is it something we can taste or smell? How often do we go home?