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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.

Where Will You Be for Christmas?

The Rev. Franklyn C. Pottorff

Where will you be for Christmas? We pose that inquiry to one another time and again, in this busy season of holiday abundance; many of us trying to carve out moments for visits with family and loved ones; making merriment over baked hams and sugary pies; attempting to keep our little ones entertained with gadgets and gizmos, so we don’t pull our hair out in frustration with them before New Year’s. But we all have some place to be for Christmas, don’t we?

Sharing the Christmas Story

The Rev. Rachel Pedersen

“I know this story.”

Every year at some point in the first week of Advent, I hear the exasperated proclamation of a student, “But I know this story! I heard it last year. I know what happens.” 

The Longest Night

The Rev. Brian K. Ballard

Sometimes the holiday season can be too much overload: the lights, the decorations, the festivities – the joy. For some, this time of year is anything but celebratory and joyful. While we are assured of the birth of our Savior, some suffer without the birth of their desired child. While we proclaim the beauty of the holy family, some can only remember the difficult relationship they have with their own family. For some, Christmas is not jolly, and it can't end quickly enough.

Magnificat: A Concert in the Season of Light, Love and Need

Jeffrey Brillhart

This Sunday at 4:00 p.m., the family of BMPC choirs, along with the renowned Brandywine Brass, present its annual Christmas Concert. This concert, the third in this new season of “Concerts with a Cause,” will celebrate the Christmas season with the words of Mary’s “Magnificat” – My soul doth magnify the Lord. You’ll hear a spectacular setting of the Magnificat by Gerald Finzi, along with works by Franz Biebl, Paul Halley, Anton Bruckner, Johannes Brahms, William Dawson, and more. In the spirit of magnifying the Lord and in response to God’s incredible gift of love to each of us, 50 percent of the offering received at the concert will go to support Prevention Point Philadelphia.

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

God of all creation, as we celebrate this uniquely American tradition of Thanksgiving Day, we give thanks that we are a country founded among diverse peoples. For our Native American predecessors and for our immigrant ancestors who came to these shores and enjoyed a season of peace together, we give you thanks.

Thanks for Pancakes

The Rev. Leigh DeVries

It’s Thanksgiving morning. You’re going to be cooking all day, everyone is staying at your house, including Uncle Bob who never seems to understand that everyone doesn’t want to hear about his latest medical procedure. This day is going to take a lot of energy and effort, and you just need to take one thing off your plate.

Celebrating Leigh DeVries’ Ordination

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

In this season of Thanksgiving, we at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church have much for which to be thankful. We celebrate that by the abounding generosity of this congregation the hungry are fed good things, those who thirst drink from the rivers of life, the sick are visited, and the poor have good news brought to them in word and deed. By the generosity of this congregation, people of all ages are being nurtured in faith, upheld by hope and encouraged to trust that the future belongs to the goodness and faithfulness of God who blesses each of us with abundant life. By the generosity of this congregation, for the first time in a decade we have a full pastoral team to help lead the congregation to fulfill our mission as disciples of Jesus Christ.