Welcome
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.
The summer in between my junior and senior years of high school, I participated in a trip to Malawi, Africa, with about 50 others from the Pittsburgh Presbytery as the first of what would become many exchanges between Presbyterians in Western Pennsylvania and Presbyterians in Malawi.
The sunlight is filtering through oak leaves and a breeze is rustling through the branches. Although it is quiet time, the occasional squirrel, local birds, and the sound of pen on paper means it’s not silent. I am sitting with a small group of students enjoying the peace of the “Old Chapel” at Camp Johnsonburg. It’s hard to believe that this time tomorrow we will be packing up and heading back to Bryn Mawr. I could tell you about camp, but our students will do a better job.
Some of my favorite memories from my adolescence revolve around summer camp trips with my church’s youth ministry program. I remember sitting around campfires, singing silly songs, learning about Jesus, and getting to know the people I was with in brand new ways. My teen years were punctuated by adventures with other young people to places I’d rarely, if ever, been so I could get to know God, myself, and my neighbor a little better. I pray at some point in your life that you’ve had similar experiences – going somewhere different with people you may or may not love yet and learning to see God in a new way.
Last Sunday evening a 20-year-old man, carrying a rifle and multiple rounds of ammunition, opened fire indiscriminately inside the Greenwood Park Mall and in 15 seconds killed three people before being stopped. The Greenwood Park Mall is in my wife’s hometown, only six minutes from her childhood home, and only 25 minutes from mine. It is a grand shopping center we have visited countless times.
I am a beach person. The mixture of sun, sand, and the seashore lifts my spirit and renews my body. It is a balm I reach for every summer, a place I go to replenish myself for the year ahead.
From what I have seen and heard in the news, flying anywhere this summer is a little crazy! There seem to be a lot of rules to help make trips (be they for work or pleasure) a success. Here are just a few examples…
Last week BMPC welcomed 80 children and over 60 volunteers to a week of learning, serving, and fun at our annual Vacation Bible Camp. If you just drove past on Montgomery Avenue you might have noticed the green fencing marking our games area or maybe an exuberant group of children playing on the front lawn. For me the beauty of camp is found in the details:
