Monday Musings

The Presbyterian Church of Mt. Washington...


On Monday mornings (sometimes Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday!) I take some time to reflect on my observations of life in the presbytery. I try to find a way to "put a face" on our "organization" so that it begins to live.

After returning home from General Assembly this weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Mt. Washington Presbyterian Church "good bye" celebration for Rev. Bebb Wheeler Stone. I wound my way up Mt. Washington with my GPS insistently commanding me to turn into one way streets the wrong way. After numerous "re-calculations", my disembodied satellite friend and I arrived at the church just as the lighting and rain emptied from the clouds. Despite this, the view from the "urban mountain" was breathtaking.

The view from the pew was breathtaking as well. Well, not exactly a pew, we were gathered for a wonderful meal. My only regret is that arrived too late to join the little kids for hot dogs. I love hot dogs (everyone is entitled to a few weirdo habits, right?). Kids were running around, Uncle Sam came in, bigger than life - he was on stilts, and a juggler entertained the children while the congregation and community gave grateful thanks for Beth's, oops, Bebb's ministry.

Bebb was in one of our interim education groups at Pittsburgh Seminary a few years back, so my visit was to say goodbye to a colleague friend. I never expected to hear the "resurrection" story of this church on the mountain. The story began with the small congregation investing their all in calling a full time pastor. Bebb honored their risky commitment with her usual edgy, expansive vision. The stories I heard were about a faithful minister, but they were almost more about a community that began to blossom with her nurture. The life of this mountain top community found the voice and with Bebb's energetic vision, began to plan, work together, help families and children, save green space, and partner with the city and the local Community Development Corporation to plan pro-actively for a vital future. And all of this is with the goal of creating new life for children now and into the future.

The investment in children is funded by The "Urban Mountain Gathering Place." www.pcomw.org/UrbanMountainGatheringPlace.dsp This retreat and conference facility sits astride Mt. Washington and inspires the vision of the scores of city groups that have met there. All income is invested in the children of the community.

What I heard was about a people. What I saw was the Gospel in action. One faith community was captured by an irresistible vision and it spread to the Methodists, the two local Roman Catholic parishes, and others. Christian community began to be lived out in the local community.
I know that if I wander the streets of Mt. Washington and say the word, "Presbyterian", people are going to respond, "oh, those are the people who care about children."

When Christ is our center, our witness will reflect the same values that Jesus had. For, to quote Bebb, "our church belongs to Jesus, not us."

That makes me rejoice in being Presbyterian!

Bob Anderson
Interim Pastor to Presbytery