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.

Car Seat Theology

The Rev. Franklyn Pottorff October 15, 2020

I call it car seat theology. It’s what happens when I’m driving and our five-year-old begins to question, or as is more often the case, pontificate about the world and God’s role in it. Perhaps it’s because I am a pastor, and he’s a pastor’s kid, that he maintains a high exposure to religious language. He hears a lot about “God” in our house, both as a word of blessing and occasional cursing (admittedly from me and not his mother).

Blessing of the Animals

The Rev. Rachel Pedersen October 8, 2020

For 77 years, the British animal welfare organization, PDSA, had awarded the Dickin Medal to animals who display “conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty.” This year the recipient was a giant pocketed rat named Magawa who, along with his human handlers, helped to clear more than 140,000 square meters of landmines and ordinances in Cambodia. Magawa was delightfully unaware during the ceremony as he received the medal.

World Communion Sunday

The Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick October 1, 2020

It is hard to believe that it is has been over seven months since we have gathered as a congregation and as the Body of Christ around the Communion Table.

Live Music Abounds

Jeffrey Brillhart September 24, 2020

Several months ago, Edward Landin Senn and I offered a three-week Facebook Live recital series on the BMPC Facebook page. For those unfamiliar with this concept, through Facebook, one can present a live concert online that may be viewed by anyone. You do not need to have a Facebook account to view these programs. Better yet, if viewers miss the live performances, they can watch a replay of the concert whenever it is convenient for them. In addition, video recordings of the concerts will be available on BMPC’s YouTube Channel. Much to our delight, nearly 5,000 viewers from all over the world watched this series.

An Invitation to Confess the Absurd

The Rev. Franklyn C. Pottorff September 17, 2020

Can we say all of the Apostles’ Creed without crossing our fingers at some parts? It’s the oldest of our statements of faith, first used as a baptismal confession beginning in the second century. It’s also one of the most recited creeds in the wider Christian faith. Many of us know it by heart; which makes it one of the most beloved and insufferable things we say in church.

WE Are The Church

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet September 10, 2020

A member of a former congregation said to me once, “I do not know what I would have done if I had not been invited to visit this church many years ago. It has become my home, my extended family, and I have long marveled at the ways this community has deepened my relationship with God.”

A Year Like No Other

The Rev. Rachel Pedersen September 3, 2020

“It’s not what we expected.” It wasn’t the first day of kindergarten we thought it would be. It wasn’t the retirement we had hoped. It wasn’t the birth we had planned. It wasn’t the funeral he deserved. In the end, the outcome doesn’t match the glossy photos we had imagined months before; and yet, here we are. We are living in this familiar-yet-different world where expectations are turned on their head, and plans are in constant motion. It’s not an easy place to be, and yet, here we are.