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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.

Christ is Made the Sure Foundation

The Rev. Dr. Franklyn C. Pottorff

mock up from scan 5

The text dates to the seventh century, written originally in Latin, the lingua franca of the western Christianity for centuries. But I stumbled across it recently in our archives, a place in which I have spent an inordinate and unnatural amount of time over this last year in preparation for our 150th anniversary celebrations. You can see it in the photo here. It’s a copy of the worship bulletin from January 7, 1923.

Anniversary Greetings from Afar

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

The big 150th Anniversary Celebration weekend is now just hours away! We are excited that so many church friends have indicated plans to be here from among our active congregation as well as from afar. Many months ago, out-of-town members received a Save the Date mailing, and former pastors, Lilly residents and staff received a special letter of invitation.

A Time to Celebrate

Jeffrey Brillhart

One hundred fifty years ago, on January 13, 1873, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church was founded. Three men and 13 women gathered together in Temperance Hall on Lancaster Pike for the purpose of founding a Reformed congregation in the quickly-growing borough. Making plans to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the founding of our church has been a multi-year process.

Table Scraps

The Rev. Dr. Franklyn C. Pottorff

blessing of the animalsIt was far too quiet. And by the time I noticed, the sacrilegious deed was already finished. I had purchased the loaf of bread that I would break the following morning during worship in my small congregation in Kentucky. When I left it unattended in the center of our dining room table, our dog, Sophie, jumped up and took a massive bite out of the yet-to-be-consecrated body of Christ our Lord. Jesus wept.

 

Celebrating Twenty-five Years of Mission

The Rev. Rebecca Kirkpatrick

An essential part of our congregation’s identity is its foundation in mission. From the beginning, members of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church were especially committed to sending and supporting mission workers around the world to teach and heal and share the Gospel. But it in the 1960s, the church significantly expanded its mission paradigm and considered what it would mean to give and work in mission in underserved areas of Philadelphia.

Third Grade Bibles

The Rev. Rachel Pedersen

“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)

The Joy of Being Christ’s Church

The Rev. Dr. Agnes W. Norfleet

From the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times; from the Christian Century to the Presbyterian Outlook; from journalists, seminary presidents, political pundits and countless internet newsfeeds in between, there is a lot of conversation in the public sphere about the state of church and the declining numbers of adherents to Christian faith and practice.