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.
This coming Friday night, the BMPC Youth Ministry will be taking our middle schoolers to see the Disney Pixar movie Onward. With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86 percent and 100 percent from audiences, the Middle School Movie Night is sure to be a delight!
After worship this Sunday there is a very special meeting at 11:15 a.m. in Congregational Hall. The Renovations Committee will give an update on the Education Building, and show the most recent design plans for the upcoming work on the Ministries Center, the Atrium which will connect the Ministries Center and Sanctuary, the Memorial Garden’s planned expansion and beautification, and the Sanctuary’s stained glass windows that need to be repaired. The meeting will be informative and exciting, and I encourage you to attend.
Five years ago this week I baptized our then six-week-old son, Charlie, into the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church in the congregation I served. Since he was the first PK (pastor’s kid) born to that congregation in nearly 20 years, parishioners piled into the pews like it was the Second Coming. Some showed up the day before to help me shovel snow from the church’s sidewalks. Our family came in from out of state. Charlie managed to not throw up on his christening gown. The reception following was bountiful. And the boiler in the sanctuary basement held steady. It was a glorious event for me as a pastor and as a new dad.
The ordering of our world means that every year ends with an extra one-quarter of a day, hours that eventually add up and result in Feb. 29 on our calendars. We are given this tiny bonus — like a fifth Sunday or a special assembly, we know it’s coming, but Leap Day remains an odd and wonderful gift. It is the extra day we always claim that we need.
This has been an historic week, politically speaking. As I write this on Thursday morning, the Iowa vote tally from Tuesday’s caucuses is still incomplete, and anxiety pervades the democratic process.
This coming Sunday, February 2, is not only the Souper Bowl of Caring, the day of the Super Bowl, it is also Youth Sunday!
I have grown fond of telling visitors and newcomers to BMPC that we are a congregation with swinging doors. It is a metaphor, of course, for the many ways we open wide our doors to any who would come in, and those same doors open out upon a world in need of Christian witness and service. At BMPC all are welcome to worship, attend programs, and participate in opportunities for nurture and mission, members of the church and community alike.
