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.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
From the Wall Street Journal to the New York Times; from the Christian Century to the Presbyterian Outlook; from journalists, seminary presidents, political pundits and countless internet newsfeeds in between, there is a lot of conversation in the public sphere about the state of church and the declining numbers of adherents to Christian faith and practice.
Little Bee is a novel written by Chris Cleve. The title character is a young Nigerian woman who encounters murderous oppression in her native land and steals away to England, seeking refugee status. The missionaries who had established the church in her small Nigerian village had left. Little Bee describes it this way: “In our village our only Bible had all its pages missing after the forty-sixth verse of the twenty-seventh chapter of Matthew, so that the end of our religion, as far as any of us knew, was My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? We understood that this was the end of the story.” Imagine having a Bible that ends that way, without resurrection hope and other assurances of God’s ongoing presence with us!
Practice is a funny word. Sometimes we use it to describe preparation — we practice in anticipation of something, we go to practice before a big game. But practice also can mean the “actual application or use of an idea, belief or method.” It is how we live out what we believe. As Christians we have a number of “practices,” the practical things we do that mark our Christian life. These practices grow with us.
From August 6-11, 20 teenagers and six phenomenal adult leaders headed to Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center for a week of fellowship, fun, and faith!
It is my pleasure to welcome the Rev. Dr. Kirby Lawrence Hill as our Interim Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care and Senior Adults! Kirby will begin his work among us next week, on August 15, and be introduced to the congregation in worship on August 20.
Like many things, it started during the pandemic. Born out of necessity and a deep desire for the church to stay connected while we were apart, the Prayer Partner Ministry began matching adult members of the congregation with groups of six to eight students. Prayer Partners simply committed to pray for their students throughout the year. Some built connections through cards and notes. Others found connection in surprising moments during committee meetings and church activities. Some never met or exchanged a word.
