Pastors’ Column

What will happen next week during Vacation Bible Camp?

A pile of cardboard boxes will become a village.
Old t-shirts will be woven into new rugs.
Broken pottery will form garden mosaics.
Bible stories will become familiar.
Canned food will be gathered and distributed Philadelphia.
A garden will be harvested and there will be fresh strawberries available at Chester Eastside.
Children will serve sisters and brothers in Philadelphia, Syria, Mexico City, and in our church.
Birdhouses will be built.
Youth will be leaders.
Strangers will become friends.
New songs will be sung.
God will be praised.

This Sunday, musicians from BMPC, Singing City Choir, the National Music Festival Orchestra, Frederick Chorale and Chester River Chorale will descend on BMPC to present Ludwig von Beethoven’s epic Symphony No. 9 (“Choral Symphony”). The concert also includes Mozart’s marvelous Concerto for Bassoon. With 65 orchestral musicians and 151 singers in the chancel of our church, this will be the largest assembled musical ensemble in BMPC’s history. This concert, along with the opening of a BMPC Congregational Mixed-media Art Show, will fill our campus with uncontainable, creative joy.

The Wisdom of Ecclesiastes reminds us of how God has created life to be lived by a certain rhythm. For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted…God has made everything suitable for its time… We do not always understand the rhythms of life and unexpected interruptions, but we can trust God to hold every season in holy hands and bestow upon it meaning and purpose.

At 6:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning several weeks ago, 26 senior adults boarded a bus in our parking lot for a trip to Washington, DC, to tour the Washington National Cathedral and visit the National Art Gallery.  A light but persistent rain lengthened the travel time considerably, but the sights of that day linger indelibly, I’m sure, in the travelers’ memories.

Each Sunday more than 50 volunteers take on the enormous task of teaching our children in Sunday School and leading our youth in the Youth Gathering. That’s over 1,400 volunteer hours between September and May. Some of our teachers are dedicated veterans with years of service under their belts. Others came into the classroom for the first time this year. Every week we have gracious substitutes and the occasional special guest to help lead an important project or conversation. As pastors, we are blessed by the time, energy, imagination and love they share with the children and youth of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church. We could not do our work without them.

When Confirmation began earlier this year, we asked the question: “What can we do to encourage the participation of our youth in the church after they are confirmed?” We decided to do a “Confirmation Reformation” and revamp the project and process that our 8th graders undertake during the year of Confirmation. The result of revamping the program was a new name: The Confirmation Disciple Project.