An Observation of the Triduum

In these final days before we witness the Resurrection, perhaps we enter the most traumatic part of the church year. From the betrayal of Maundy Thursday to the terror and heartache of Good Friday, to the joyful feast on Sunday morning, I invite you, as much as you are able, to sit with Christ in these three days. The Triduum (translated as “three days”) is not an easy thing to endure in the moment, though two millennia later, we’re fortunate to see how it ends. 

This Good Friday, I invite you to a special service in the Sanctuary at 7:30 p.m., where a service of Worship will be presented, featuring Arvo Pärt’s haunting Passio, sung by the Chamber Singers, accompanied by a small chamber orchestra. Composed in 1982, this seventy-minute work recounts the Gospel of John (chapters 18 and 19), sung in Latin, and employs a particularly unique style of composition. Tintinnabuli was first ‘invented’ in the late 1970s by Pärt himself, and this work, Passio, uses it to its greatest extent. In essence, two vocal lines work together; one by stepwise motion, the other by small or large leaps. The resulting effect is both dissonant and consonant. Beyond this, rhythm and orchestration are treated carefully throughout, creating an almost trance–like quality to the work. 

Pärt choral scoring for this work is interesting, too; Jesus (sung by a bass) and Pilate (sung by a tenor) sing solos throughout the piece, while a quartet narrates the story (the Evangelist Chorus), in addition to the “Coro,” the “Crowd Choruses” punctuating the story with short outbursts throughout.  

What is our role here? I believe our role is to sit, listen, observe, wait, and watch. This powerful work speaks to the heart of our Christian life in a profound way, heightening the pain and anguish of the day ahead, all while preparing for the resplendence on Easter morn. 

Hearing the Story Again

A few years ago, I was working on a resource to help students visualize the gospels in new ways. In a moment of weakness, I started to categorize how many verses each of the Gospel accounts dedicate to different parts of Jesus’ story: 24% on teaching, 10% spent on parables, 11% on healing stories, 3% calling disciples, 4% on resurrection stories, and 5% on “other.” While I was intrigued to learn that more than 1% is dedicated to Jesus foretelling his death, I was struck by the fact that 30% of the Gospel’s witness focus on the events of Holy Week—more than any other section of scripture. Scholars estimate that Jesus spent around 3 years in active ministry, by time alone, Holy Week represents less than 1% of Jesus’ ministry. Or to be more accurate, .64% of his ministry becomes the central narrative of our faith and one of only a few stories we return to each and every year.

When I start a Bible story, there is a moment, just a few words in, when a child will squint and give me a wary look asking, “Haven’t you told this story before?” or declares, “I’ve heard this story already.” There’s an implied question, wondering if, indeed, this story is worth a repeat; if it’s worth their time and attention. I was taught long ago, to answer the question, with a shrug “I don’t know, maybe you’ll hear it in a new way.” Some of our students accept this challenge, while others continue skeptical. When I gave this challenge a few weeks ago, a student conspiratorially told their neighbor, “It’s probably another story about God’s love.” Indeed this old story that takes up so much of the Gospels, is the story of God’s love. But can we hear it in a new way? Can it speak to us this year? Can we hold it with the same care that made the Gospel writers spend 1 out of every 3 words trying to capture these seven days?

Maybe you have an answer to those questions. Maybe you’re looking for one. Maybe you know which part of the story will speak to you this year. Or maybe you’re ready to be surprised by the possibilities. Will it be the bright green palm fronds waving, or music giving voice to ancient words, or times of prayer, or the sign of bread breaking, or the solemnity of a cross on Friday at noon, or the cool of an early morning or the blast of brass and the bright white of an easter Lilly? I wonder How will you hear the story this year? I wonder how God will speak in new ways through ancient words? I wonder how you will see the story of God’s love poured out?

As you prepare for Holy Week, the 1st and 2nd graders are excited to share their work. Panels will be hanging in the atrium. Each panel tells one story from Holy Week. The projects are cooperative and process driven—look for the explanations to accompany each image.

A Message from Mr. Rogers

On my PC(USA) calendar, Friday of this week is noted as Mr. Rogers Day. I’m not sure how widespread such an observance is, but it got me thinking about him even so. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood began airing when I was in fourth grade, and it stopped before our children were old enough to watch, so I don’t have firsthand memories of the program that many of you do. I’m of the generation that might think first of Eddie Murphy’s parody on Saturday Night Live, known as “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood.” Yet the more I have learned about Mr. Rogers, the more I come to appreciate the person behind the TV show.

Some of you might recall that Fred Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian minister. I once read that a regret he had was not keeping up with the original Biblical languages. While the same fading of skills is true for me, I don’t share his sense of remorse! Others will remember his oft-repeated counsel that whenever there is tragedy, to look for the helpers; those individuals who step in to assist. Both quotes tell us important things about the man.

A few years ago, a journalist named Tim Madigan was assigned the task of writing about Fred Rogers. Madigan recalls thinking it would simply be a fluff piece about a TV personality. What emerged, though, was a wonderful friendship that endured until Rogers’ death in 2003. Madigan wrote a book about the experience, describing, among other things, how Rogers helped the journalist repair his marriage and reclaim a life of faith. Each of the letters Fred wrote to him ended with the letters IPOY, which stood for “I’m proud of you.”

In one chapter, he shares a handwritten note from Rogers after Madigan received the Knight Rider Batten medal for excellence and humanity in journalism.

“That speech of yours,” Fred said, “is so eloquent, so human. I’m exceedingly impressed and moved. What I wrote down as I listened was ‘We’re journalists, not stenographers. We have a duty to let our outrage show through when we come across injustice. We need to let our compassion show through for other people’s suffering, and we need to let our awe show through at the glory of life. We have as much responsibility to celebrate life and the goodness of it as we do to root out evil.’ All I could think of as I heard you speak those truly magnificent sentences was, ‘That sounds like a 20thCentury Jesus talking.’” (Madigan, Tim. I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers).

 As we wind down our observance of Lent, I pass on that comment from Reverend Rogers, or Mr. Rogers, or Fred, to you. Adding that it sounds like a good description to me of our calling as 21st-century disciples of Jesus Christ, too.

Reflections on an installation (and register for Montreat, please)

When this date for the pastor’s column first came up, I wanted to write about why youth should register for the Montreat Summer Youth Conference, the deadline for which is this Sunday. And they should do that! But I’m calling an audible. Melanie Hardison is being installed this Sunday at 4:00 p.m., and I want to tell you what it means to be installed as a pastor from my perspective as the last person to be installed as a pastor at BMPC.

From one perspective, the installation of a pastor is a bit of administrivia, the fulfilling of all righteousness with our partners in the Presbytery of Philadelphia. And sure, that’s true. There is nothing innate that changes as a result of a pastoral installation – my work with youth wasn’t different before and after my installation. It formalizes a thing that’s already true and, in that way, it’s easy to dismiss.

But I do think there is something special that happens at these services. At my installation in September, my dear friends Vincent Kolb and John Francis came to preach and to sing. They got to meet you all, and you all got to meet them. The installation commission was made up of diverse people from the Presbytery, from my own vocational life, and from this congregation. This mashup of places, spaces, and times led to a sense that we were really finally getting to know each other. The initial awkwardness of mixed company gave way to small-world moments, personality insights, and a-ha realizations about why we are the way we are and why we are such a good match for each other.

Don’t go to Melanie’s installation service this Sunday because you think something magical will happen or because you think you should. Go because it will help you see who she is and how she will be your Associate Pastor for Congregational Care. Go because you’ll see how connected we are and how small the world is. Go to see what makes this such a remarkable community.

Also, youth, please register for Montreat by Sunday. Pretty please!

Hope Amidst Grief

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). All of us carry heavy burdens from time to time. Even though we feel these burdens internally, we are not meant to carry them alone.

This year’s Caring Ministries Spring Symposium, this Saturday, March 7, from 9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon, explores how grief shapes our inner lives, our relationships, and our shared world. In addition to viewing the documentary Voices of Grief as a group, a panel of clinicians and faith leaders will explore various types of grief: personal, societal, ambiguous, and anticipatory. Panelists include:

Emilee Duckworth, MSW, LCSW, has a private therapy practice in West Chester specializing in grief and loss, chronic pain and illnesses, anxiety, and life transitions
Carla Levins, LCSW, FT, serves as a bereavement specialist and therapist with both children and adults at Peter’s Place in Radnor
Rev. Beth Toler, Th.D., M.Div., LMFT, an ordained Baptist minister, has a private practice and serves in our Middleton Counseling Center
Rev. Melanie Hardison, M.Div., MAMFT, serves as Associate Pastor for Congregational Care at BMPC

Following the panel, there will be a chance to gather in small groups, with the panelists rotating among the groups. We will conclude at 12:00 noon with a group blessing.

For those who need a break or a quiet place to process at any point in the morning, space will be set aside in the Converse House Parlor. Additionally, the BMPC Chapel will be available for prayer and reflection after the Symposium and throughout the season of Lent.

Our Caring Ministries team looks forward to shining a light of hope on the universal experience of loss and grief. Registration is encouraged, and walk-ins are always welcome.

Lent is an Adventure 

I remember early in my ministry sharing the story of Jesus in the Wilderness. We looked through famous paintings of Jesus in the wilderness, and several of the students seemed surprised by the doleful expression and crouching Jesus. “Shouldn’t he be exploring?”

In their mind, the idea of spending 40 days in the wilderness was an invitation to climb rocks, chase lizards, find hidden water sources, build forts, and more. They heard the 40 days as an adventure.  That response has stayed with me. What if, in between debates with the devil, Jesus was practicing his bouldering skills on some of the rocks or sketching out a giant pattern in the sand? What if Jesus spent just a few of those 960 hours imagining the Israelites crossing the same space on their way to the promised land or praying by stacking one stone on top of the other?

This year in children’s ministry, we are inviting our families to explore their faith during Lent: to run through the wilderness, to search for God in surprising places, to practice and build new skills. We invite you to join us on this adventure. All of our children have received Lenten Passports filled with ideas and activities for families to complete together. You can learn more about our passports by watching our How to Use Your Lenten Passport video. If you’re looking for a few Lenten Adventures of your own, consider one of the following:

  • Pack meals for neighbors on Saturday, March 14
  • Join a Sunday morning class
There are just 768 hours left!  Happy exploring!

Fruits of Silence

As an undergraduate in London, I was required to attend several performances each semester that I was not a part of. It could be the musical theatre ensemble on campus putting on a new production, or it could be the London Symphony Orchestra premiering a new symphonic work. In any case, I was always inspired by hearing and seeing the flourishing of music from peers to professionals. From unfamiliar repertoire, or a different interpretation, to new styles of singing and playing, there was always much to learn and much to admire. 

We here at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church are fortunate to welcome the Westminster Symphonic Choir to our Sanctuary on Sunday, February 22, at 4:00 p.m., as they present a program entitled “Fruits of Silence,” conducted by the Grammy award-winning conductor, Donald Nally. The program of “father and mother” pieces will include works by the famed French twentieth-century composer, Maurice Duruflé; music by Igor Stravinsky, one of the most important and influential composers of the 20th century and a pivotal figure in modernist music; the prolific living Latvian composer, Pēteris Vasks; Johannes Brahms, whose Requiem the Sanctuary Choir sang just a couple of years back, alongside contemporary works.  

Come and be inspired by this elite group of students, as they take on incredible repertoire, both old and new, ringing out in the vastness of our Sanctuary. 

From Dust You Come, and to Dust You Shall Return.

Each year on Ash Wednesday, these familiar and grounding words land in my soul in the softest of places. A reminder of my mortality, these words can be at once discomforting as well as soothing: discomforting because we humans do not like to think of death, and soothing because they remind me that I have a place of belonging in the natural order of things: to God as God’s precious child, to the earth from which we all came, and to the human family. As we gather together as a body of faith, we proclaim and bring into our hearts once again the ancient words from Genesis 3:19: From dust you come, and to dust you shall return.  

This coming Wednesday, February 18, we will mark ourselves with ashes and these words during two worship services: a child-friendly service at 5:30 p.m. in the Chapel, and a traditional service at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary.

Of course, Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of Lent. Historically, the focus has been on confession and expressing our reliance on God’s grace. As The Rev. David Gambrell writes in the Book of Common Worship of the PC(USA), “Ashes are an ancient symbol of repentance, sorrow, and sacrifice. Traditionally, the ashes for this service are made from the palm branches of the previous year; thus, the ashes and psalm together frame the season of Lent.”

While many churches today simply order ashes online, our practice at BMPC is to engage the age-old practice of burning last year’s dried-up palms on the Sunday prior to Ash Wednesday, and then to mark our foreheads (or hands for those who prefer) with the ashes.

As you receive the ashes on Wednesday, I invite you to remember last year’s Palm Sunday celebration and to reflect on God’s promise of love throughout the cycle of life. Similarly to the way that palm fronds were once vibrant forms of life, which then died and became something new in the form of ashes, we ourselves live vibrant lives, and then die, and then are resurrected to new life. On Ash Wednesday, there is a sense, too, that even as we are living, we “die to our old selves” and have the opportunity to be renewed in the presence of God and the community of faith.

Information about the 5:30 p.m. service can be found here. The 7:00 p.m. service will feature the artwork and poetry of Jan Richardson, an artist, writer, and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church. I invite you to visit her website The Painted Prayerbook and search for “Ash Wednesday” in order to peruse her artwork and poetry as a way of preparing your heart and mind for worship on Wednesday. I also invite you to read and contemplate the scriptures for Wednesday in advance: the 5:30 p.m. service will focus on Micah 6:6-9 and John 1:35-50, and the 7:00 p.m. service will focus on John 3:16-17 and Psalm 51:1-15.

Friends, it is from dust that you come, and it will be to dust that you return. I look forward to worshiping with you on Wednesday.

Swelling With Pride

This Sunday, February 8, is Youth Sunday, and since December, the BMPC youth have been hard at work dreaming, praying, planning, learning, and writing. Youth Sunday at BMPC is a high holy day, and they can feel it. These are extraordinary young people, and I am so proud of them.

A month ago, I met with the preachers – Peter McConnell, Finley McGuirl, Andrew Quigley, and Elizabeth Rothman – to discuss their initial ideas and desired scripture passages from which to preach. They did their best work, and so did the Holy Ghost, by which I mean a theme emerged almost immediately: God is with us. God is with us in worship and music, in our various identities, in our suffering, and wherever we go from here.

From that theme, the middle and high school Sunday school classes got to work throughout January, writing the call to worship, an affirmation of faith, pastoral prayer, and prayers of dedication and illumination. Our Wednesday night Student Serve crew wrote the prayer of confession and met with James Kealey to select hymns and anthems that would support this central message.

Meanwhile, the preachers got together every Wednesday to run their sermons, offer each other supportive feedback, and find their voices in the pulpits of the chapel and sanctuary. They met with John Willingham to learn more about the task and craft of preaching every single Sunday. Last night was our dress rehearsal, and they are ready.

I’m going to repeat myself: the youth of this church are extraordinary young people, and I am so proud of them.

Come to worship this Sunday to support them, to learn from them, and to meditate on all the ways God is with you.

There is one more thing: The youth specifically asked to sing “Crowded Table” by The Highwomen, which has become one of their favorite songs over the last several years. And so, it will be our offertory anthem at the 10:00 a.m. service this Sunday. If you love this song (you should!) and want to sing it, join the one-time-only Youth Sunday Mass Choir. We are rehearsing in the sanctuary at 9:20 a.m. on Sunday, and we would love to have you.

Sacred Cows, Proud Peacocks, and an Eager Beaver: Learning the Heart of BMPC

One of my primary tasks as Interim Senior Pastor is to learn about you. Certainly, there is a formal history and a description of this congregation’s vision as articulated in the most recent mission statement. Both of those documents tell me some important things. There are bylaws and titles for each of the committees and task forces here as well. I suspect some of those groups have an articulated vision, too. All of those pieces help me understand something about the ethos here, but what are the underlying norms and values? I want to learn those pieces, too.  

On Sunday, February 1, there will be an opportunity for you to share such perceptions with me. Immediately after the Congregational Meeting, I will be hosting a gathering in Congregational Hall where, through the use of animal imagery, you will be invited to tell me more about BMPC. What are the sacred cows here, and what is the elephant in the room that needs to be discussed? What is it about this church that makes you proud as a peacock, and what are the kinds of things that you think cause this body of believers to be as stubborn as a donkey?  

At the gathering, you will be given a stack of 4x6 cards on which you can write your answers to such questions and a couple more that draw from old expressions about animals. There is no limit to what you can share about each of those clichés. Nor will there be a group discussion where other members can dispute your perceptions. Rather, the gathering is designed to be a time where each of you helps me learn more about the diverse views of BMPC among its members and friends. There will be a supply of push pins, too, where, after writing your perceptions on the cards, you will be invited to walk up to bulletin boards around the room and add your insights to those of others.  

Once the exercise is complete, a member of our staff will collect and compile your comments. Certainly, that event will not be the only time that you can offer those perspectives. If you cannot join us on that morning or think of other insightslater, email your perceptions to me, and I will add them to the list. Such insights will help me continue to learn about BMPC and be invaluable as I seek to prepare the landscape for your next installed Senior Pastor and Head of Staff. They will also give me fodder for future sermons and other tasks. Time will tell.  

I am excited to learn more about this congregation and can’t wait to hear what you think. One might even say that I am an Eager Beaver!