Newsletter 2 / 2010

Waiting for a friend to arrive for a recent breakfast meeting, I passed the time browsing through the card kiosk near the door. I laughed out loud at a card whose front pictured two well-dressed women (in obvious 1960’s attire) sitting on a bench. The caption above them read – “The older we get…” – and inside it read – “… the older ‘old’ gets!”

Age, like so many other things in life, is relative – it all depends on what you’re comparing it to. And we generally affirm that notion, especially as we encounter more of life. Like Tevye in “Fiddler on the Roof,” we find ourselves grappling with difficult issues in terms of “on the one hand,” and “on the other hand.” With experience there seem to be fewer and fewer things we find ourselves making absolute statements about or taking rigid positions respecting.

Nevertheless, there is a place for absolute statements, as contrary as that notion is to so much of contemporary thinking. Like Tevye, while we recognize the consequences, we insist that some things simply do not have an “on the other hand.” Some lines must be drawn and some positions must be maintained, as Luther is said to have declared at his trial before the Diet of Worms: “Here I stand. I can do no other.”

While these particular words are not considered reliable by recent scholarship, they do illustrate the nature of personal conviction – we must take our stand on those things which we are convinced are true, regardless of the outcome and, as Luther is reliably quoted as saying, “May God help me.” Luther’s words in defending his faith are striking: “Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason …, I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.” These words were spoken in defense of the central truths of Christianity, the most important of which for him was the doctrine of justification – God's act of declaring a sinner righteous – by faith alone, in Christ alone, through God's grace alone.

The Gospel is one of those absolute statements which simply do not have an “on the other hand.” One of the awesome yet sobering joys of celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Great Valley Presbyterian Church is to reflect that the truth of God’s Word has been faithfully proclaimed in and through this congregation for over 3 centuries. And it is the faithfulness of our sovereign God which has made such a continuing ministry possible, both in season and out of season. To Him be the glory!

Greetings GVPC.  We are back home and into our daily routine.  As some of you were aware, Irene and I traveled to the U.K to attend a nephew's wedding, after which our extended famiy planned to fly to beautiful Marbella, Spain, for a week of sun, surf, golf, and of course, shopping.  But alas, it was not to be.  You know by now that the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, Eyjafjallajökull, brought Europe air traffic to a grinding halt.  Say, "Eyjafjallajökull" five times quickly.

 All our carefully orchestrated plans were dashed.  The wedding went off without a hitch but after that we had to accept the fact that there would be no Spain this year.  Not only was our flight to Spain cancelled, but every alternate mode of transportation was employed to bring stranded Britons home.  That included the railways, the highways and the ferries.  This meant that we were basically marooned in southeast England.  Why am I going on about this trip?  Well, in this day and age with the obsession for technology, mobile communications and instant gratification, it was quite apparent that nothing of this world compares to the power and might of our God (Exodus 9:16  - But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth).

 Our meticulously planned itineraries were dashed aside as the powerful and the beautiful volcano did what it was designed to do as it shapes the earth and brings destruction and renewal.  Simple ash, halted man made machines and threw economies into a tailspin.  It brings to mind one of the plagues that God unleashed upon Egypt (Exodus 9:8 - Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. ⁹ It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on men and animals throughout the land.").  No boils were reported in Europe but there was a lot of indigestion and gnashing of teeth.

 God has a purpose for everything at so many levels and it is sometimes very difficult to see.  For our family, stuck together in England, the volcano also brought renewal and reflection as we rekindled relationships, torn apart from over 40 years of political strife.  We spent quality time together in close quarters and had daily prayer

and devotions, between eating and golf.  We were able to minister to our younger generation in ways that were at the same time frustrating and fruitful.  We marveled at God's power as we appreciated being with our families and knowing that our U.S families and friends were safe as well.  God speaks to us in various ways and as we draw nearer to Him, we begin to hear Him and see His signs, being careful that we don't only see what we want to see and only hear what we want to hear.  I for one, am guilty of misinterpretation for my own selfish reasons.

Well, as I pen this reflection, I see on the news that the Icelandic ash is at it again, grounding flights in the U.K. and Ireland.  But we're back with our families and safely in His hands.  As the Lord brought His people out of Egypt while they doubted His word at every step and turned against Him at every hardship, our God remains faithful to us.  He has proved it to us here, in this place, as we prepare to celebrate 300 years of worship in The Valley.  The time that Irene and I have been at GVPC is but a spec of dust in that time as the 300 years is but a blink of an eye compared to the eternity we will spend worshiping Him.  Praise God.

Les Zan

Spring has sprung at the Preschool in the Valley!  We celebrated Earth Day by planting pansies outside our classrooms - when you walk by, notice how pretty it looks. Thanks to Ken Garrison, we now have an irrigation system to keep them watered, even though they are under the eaves, and don't get any rainfall. Spring brings many other fun activities: Dr. Seuss Days, Donuts with Dad, Muffins with Mom, and Silly Hat Days. With warmer weather, we have also been enjoying gym class outside with Teacher Tina, as well as nature walks through the church grounds.

In March, the teachers had an opportunity to attend a conference in Lancaster, sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International. We learned alot, enjoyed fellowship with other teachers, and came away inspired with new ideas to implement in our classrooms. It reminded us of the importance of Christian education, and why we work so hard to do what we do!
The last few weeks of school are packed full of many fun activities. One of the events will be the Spring Sing, next Sunday, May 16th. Teacher Carol Jones has done a wonderful job, as usual, preparing the children for this special day. Then, on May 20th, forty five students will be graduating and moving on to Kindergarten. Pastor Jim will be our graduation speaker!  Immediately following the ceremony, we will celebrate with an all-school picnic at Wilson Park.

If you walk by our playground, you will notice new mulch, compliments of the Champfleuri team. Also, a new piece of equipment - a rock climber. We purchased this with the proceeds of Acme receipts!
Finally, our school year will conclude with Nature Camp in June. This year's theme is: Eric Carle and the Wonderful World of Insects. The children will learn to create art like the beloved author and illustrator. We will learn all about bugs, and enjoy a special program from the Tyler Arboretum.
Our numbers for the Fall are looking good - most of our classes are filled, with waiting lists in some of them. We are expecting 92 children back in the Fall!

Bailey Barstar, Meredith DiRico, Becky Fanus, Christine Farrell, Jennie Holland, Stephanie MacDonald, Corey Pittounicos, Rachel Schuck, Natalie Scott, Liz Turner, Kris Peterson, Tim Shackleton, Jon Steel, Justin Sybrandt, Chris Yake, and leaders Wendy DiRico, Christina Hoffman, and Jim Shackleton

Champfleuri 2010

Schedule/Timeline of Preparation Activities:

Most importantly, Champfleuri is a 'life-on-life' short term missions trip that I (Jim) have not found elsewhere.  The kids eat, sleep, work, and play with their counterparts in a way that strives to bring Christ to the fore.  The attendees (including leaders) learn intentionality to life that affects how life goes forward.  I am unaware of any adult or youth short-term missions trip that is as productive in this light, although I am interested in one for adults for the future.