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.
As each child runs past me, I read the same question written across the back of their VBC T-shirt: “How do you tell the story of God’s love?” This week as we’ve been learning about Jesus’ parables and the ways he described God’s love to the world, and while we’ve been learning those parables, I’ve also seen the story of God’s love told in the actions and the work of our camp’s participants.
One thing that pastors have to get very good at early on is telling their “call” story. This is an essential element in determining as a larger church whether or not that particular person should become a pastor. And so every time an aspiring pastor meets with their Session, their Presbytery and their potential first congregation, they are asked to tell the story of their “call” to ministry.
We made it! We made it through the May sweeps of Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduations and confirmations and all the end of school year events… Weddings. Pentecost. Things are winding down for the summer, and you can almost hear sighs of relief.
Last summer we got so much positive feedback about our sermon series based on the Old Testament stories we teach our youngest children, we are doing a reprise with the New Testament! In the summer, preachers and congregants come and go, but the series provides a continuity of theme. Again, with artwork adorning our bulletin covers from the curriculum of our four and five-year-olds, we hope that worship will be a truly intergenerational experience as we explore the treasured Bible stories from the life of Jesus.
I am continually filled with gratitude during this season of transition. In fact, a spirit of thankfulness has filled each of the past six years in my ministry at BMPC. The first sermon I ever preached in the Sanctuary on Thanksgiving weekend was on the theme of cultivating an attitude of gratitude. Now, as I am preaching my last sermon in Bryn Mawr, I feel the same sense of gratefulness.
This Sunday, May 21, at 3:00 p.m., nearly 200 singers and 38 orchestral musicians will combine forces under the leadership of two of the world’s greatest choral legends, Anton Armstrong and André Thomas. Dr. Armstrong is conductor of the famed St. Olaf Choir, arguably one of the greatest choirs in the world and certainly the finest college choir in America. Dr. Thomas is renowned for his arrangements of African-American spirituals and composer of dozens of works, including a new Mass in gospel and jazz style. You will hear two movements from that Mass this Sunday.
As I approach the end of my ministry at BMPC, I find myself reflecting on the milestones and memories of the past six years. One of the greatest joys in my ministry is the opportunity to walk alongside our eighth graders each year during Confirmation.
