Valencia Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Valencia Presbyterian Church, 80 Sterrett Street, Valencia, PA 16059, 724.625.2002, www.valenciapresbyterian.com, Rev. Gary Weston, Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

On our second try we were able to visit Valencia Presbyterian Church. It was simply a matter of a left turn as opposed to a right, but I really feel it was more than that, like when Christ would tell the disciples something and Scripture says the meaning was clouded for them at the time. I felt that sort of fog last week and was unable to follow the very simple directions.

Speaking of directions, this church has directional signs outdoors, an area often overlooked.

When we entered the smaller, colorful Sanctuary it was apparent everything else was downstairs. We had a brief look around before the service. The pew line from the Sanctuary was angled into the addition, giving the effect of focused seating and a very pleasant worship area. I especially enjoyed the pendant lights with red and blue glass.

A lot of children came forward for the Children’s Message, which was very well tied to the main message of the Prodigal Son. For the children the idea of a lost dog notice and relating how they would react to the dog returning was a great way to relate the message.

The Scouts were honored after the message and were included in prayers. There were numerous prayers throughout and of course I appreciated the large wood cross and that the offering was taken in response to the Word. Also the very professional bulletin.

The sermon, “Prodigals Welcome,” got me thinking of something I read recently about how the father running out to greet his wayward son had a benefit we wouldn’t think of: saving his son’s life. The robe, sandals, signet ring, and father’s embrace and kiss signified to the locals that the father welcomed the son home; otherwise the locals would have stoned the son for disgracing the father.

May we emulate the father’s unconditional love when we welcome our prodigals.

I sensed the strong presence of Christ in worship today.

Jan’s thoughts:

Today we arrived at the church we planned to attend last week. Immediately upon pulling in to the parking lot we noticed the outdoor directional signs and parking spaces marked and set aside especially for visitors – a very welcoming gesture.

The Sanctuary is not deep but had obviously been widened, and once the service began I could see why – it was nearly full. There were several unique touches here.
We were too early for the prelude, but music playing softly as we entered the Sanctuary seemed to quiet people’s talking.
The stained glass was intricate and colorful.
The overhead lights hanging down had some color in them.
As I mentioned the Sanctuary is very wide, so some of the pews were angled effectively.
The signage was excellent, including restroom signs protruding into the hallway.
During worship the Parish Associate spoke about an upcoming mission trip via train to an Indian reservation in Montana.

The bulletin was excellently arranged and looked professionally done, with an extra flap on the right page. Usually these are for gleaning further information about visitors, but this one was used for prayer requests on one side and event sign-ups on the other.

It seemed to take a while for the people to approach us, but the greetings were friendly.

There were a surprising number of children of all ages, and the Children’s Message about a lost puppy was geared to their ages and mindsets. Also, for the second week running – in different churches yet – we were treated to a well-done ceremony acknowledging Boy and Girl Scouts present.

The music was blended, with the words to all the music as well as other parts of liturgy displayed on the screen in the Chancel.

The sermon, called “Prodigals Welcome,” was based on Luke’s telling of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. Following the reading of the Scripture the pastor read “The Prodigal Son in the Key of F” – a humorous re-telling of the parable with every possible word beginning with the letter “f.”

He also mentioned C.S. Lewis’ statement that grace is what sets Christianity apart from every other world religion and tied that to what he called the “conceited” (meaning self-righteous) people who do not believe they need grace because they do not believe they’ve done anything wrong.

I tend to agree with Lewis – grace is indeed amazing, and I for one am exceedingly grateful every time I find myself on the receiving end of it.