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.
Palm Sunday is the beginning of the end of our Lenten journey to the foot of the cross and onto the glorious dawn of Easter morning. It is a very holy pilgrimage indeed – set apart for the purposes of God and the followers of Christ to step from joy to pathos to joy again. This coming Sunday we begin with that ancient shout Hosanna which is a liturgical word of adoration that means “save us, we pray.”
Last Saturday, the Outreach Council gathered for a session of dreaming and discernment. Our first task was to ask one another, if you had unlimited finances and people power, what would you hear God calling this church to do? That started us off on a morning of insights, ideas, and dreams.
By now, you have heard about the recent tragedy involving the Shipley School student who was a victim of suicide. As a person, I grieve the loss of a bright young man. As a pastor, my sympathy goes out to the family and the Shipley School. As part of a church community, anytime our neighbors experience loss, I am often moved to respond.
We are now at the mid-point of our Lenten journey. I hope that all of you, in ways appropriate to your needs, have been taking advantage of BMPC’s resources for this special season of the year. My daily routine has included reading the offering for that day in the “Lenten Devotional,” our collection of meditations on Scripture from various members of the congregation. The breadth and depth of these reflections have added a valuable spiritual component to each day.
This coming Sunday, March 1, at 2 p.m. in the Chapel, we will have the opportunity to encounter two men whose families came from opposite sides of WW II – Henrik Eger’s father was a Nazi propaganda officer. Bob Spitz’s mother was an Austrian Jew who rescued her husband from Dachau and Buchenwald concentration camps.
Asked about these past painful chapters in human history, Thich Nhat Hanh said recently, “Suffering and happiness are both organic, like flowers and garbage. If the flower can be on its way to becoming garbage, the garbage can be on its way to becoming a flower…During the 20th century, we have created a lot of garbage... Now it is very important for us to learn how to transform the garbage we have created into flowers.”
In many ways the season of Lent turns back the clock to help us understand who Jesus was in his life and ministry, especially as he made his way toward the crucifixion. When people of faith remember what God has done in the past, we are given courage for the present and hope for the future. It’s important to remember in order to move forward in faith.
