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Pastors’ Column

photo showing part of a bible.

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.

God’s Good Creation: Exploring Faith and Fun at Vacation Bible Camp

The Rev. Rachel Pedersen

Just 144 days or 3,456 hours or ~29,000 episodes of Bluey until the start of this year's Vacation Bible Camp! Beginning on June 23, our congregation will welcome over 150 children to see God at work, experience belonging, and explore faith in new ways. Each year, we select a theme that weaves together an important value of our congregation, core bible stories that define our faith, and the unique learning needs of our youngest members. This year's theme explores God's good creation and our place within it. We will learn about light, water, land, plants, and animals. We will also practice what it means to be caretakers of this beautiful creation. 

Church Officers and Institutional Accountability

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

Jessica Grose describes herself as a “secular, mildly observant Jew” who covers issues of religion, family, education, and culture as an opinion writer for the New York Times. Despite her almost apologetic religious self-description, her journalistic reporting of American religious life is significant. Anyone who loves the church should know she’s a writer with her finger on the pulse of changing religious trends.

King’s Prayer for the Church

The Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick

As we approach this coming weekend and the days ahead, as a nation, we are asked to remember the life and legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. As people of faith, and even more importantly as a community of faith, we cherish his legacy and his vision for our world. In particular, we are called to consider the church's role in helping to move the world and our lives to more closely embody that vision.

Courage and Strength

Jeffrey Brillhart

Many years ago, BMPC member Nena Bryans introduced me to Sister Helen David Brancato. Walking into the court to meet them, I saw Nena with a diminutive older woman. The closer I drew, the more I saw that this nun was a force to be reckoned with! From her dancing eyes to her exuberant energy, I was captivated and immediately became a fan!

Epiphany

The Rev. Dr. Kirby Lawrence Hill
When a story is told, how a main character is introduced usually allows a reader to gain insight into who that person is. The four gospel accounts in the New Testament each have their own way of introducing Jesus. Two of the accounts start with birth narratives. Luke’s nativity account is beautifully written and is the inspirational piece we usually hear on Christmas Eve. The lowly shepherds are the first visitors who get to see who Jesus is in this account. Matthew has a much briefer birth narrative, but it is quickly followed with a more detailed account of the first visitors that this gospel writer mentions. They are the magi, sometimes referred to as wise men.

The Imminence of Christmas

The Rev. Andy Greenhow

In 2018, I went with a delegation from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to visit our partners at the Evangelical Theological Seminary in Cairo, Egypt. People in Egypt have a different conception of time than we do. There is a strong sense of the imminence of the past in the present. For example, when asked for a brief history of the seminary, people would invariably say something like, “Certainly. Saint Mark came to Egypt in the 1st century…” 2,000 years is as brief as it gets in Egypt!

A Prayer for Deep Peace

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

I’ve had more than a few people tell me that Advent has flown by fast, and they can hardly believe it’s almost Christmas. It is true that this year the calendar gave us the shortest Advent season possible, but it always feels a bit rushed in this last week before Christmas, doesn’t it?