Providence Presbyterian Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, 703.978.3934, www.providencechurch.org, Rev. Dr. Michael P. Burns, Pastor.

Scripture:

Psalm 24 –

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.

They will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God their Savior.

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, God of Jacob.

Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.

Who is he, this King of glory? The Lord Almighty – he is the King of glory.

John 1:1-5 –

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

Bob’s thoughts:

We were in northern Virginia to celebrate a granddaughter’s 3^rd birthday and got to worship with two of our daughters at a belated Earth Day service.

This service is in a multi-purpose room and I suspect the screen covers a large cross.

From the responses during the Children’s Message, I wish it had been projected on the large screen.

The sermon was on Earth Day and noted John Muir the naturalist had come from Presbyterian roots with some anecdotal information. I thought it was not a particularly easy topic to preach about, but the concept of “it is all God’s creation and we need to be good stewards in taking care of what God created” was a great summary.

After a few trips to the nursery I was needed to comfort two of my grandchildren, the role I like best. I thought the caregivers were exceptional and was pleased to know the children received such attention.

Child care may seem not to be part of worship, but I will bet to the parents of young children it is a most important part. I have talked to many families who worship where they can trust the child care providers…some who did not care for the service much but come because of the safety and love shown their children. That love was evident in the nursery this day.

Jan’s thoughts:

Yesterday’s worship experience was part of our continuing adventures in celebration of a 3-year-old’s birthday weekend…

This is a beautiful facility, thoughtfully arranged, decorated, and cared for. This time I was able to take a look at the sanctuary also, and even with only one stained glass window in the chancel, it is exceptionally tastefully decorated.

It was announced early in the service that Providence has been named an Earth Care Congregation by the Presbyterian Church (USA), signifying it has met the stringent requirements set forth by the PC(USA). (If you are interested in reading more about this program, click HERE.)

The message was entitled “For the Beauty of the Earth” and centered on Earth Day. I would never have guessed there was such a thing as a “Green Bible” printed on recycled paper using soy-based ink, that it comes in a green-letter edition (more than 1,000 verses pertaining to earth and creation are printed in green), and contains inspirational essays by scholars and leaders such as N. T. Wright, Barbara Brown Taylor, and Brian McLaren.

My heart was broken for the family but warmed at the same time to learn the extent to which the church leaders and members are willing to reach out to the community: following the worship service the church was to be the site of a large memorial gathering to celebrate the life of a local teen who died unexpectedly last week. What a truly significant way to show others the love of Christ. 

Our prayer for this church:
Awesome God, continue to pour out Your blessings on this church. Guide them to where You want them to serve. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Providence Presbyterian Church

Yesterday we worshiped at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, 703.978.3934, www.providencechurch.org, Rev. Dr. Michael P. Burns, Pastor.

Bob’s thoughts:

I am happy when we can visit Providence. We don’t get to the area often, but it is good to visit a church that has such balance between internal and external mission.

I was looking forward to hearing the lead pastor but a granddaughter who is teething needed to walk with Grandpa. She and I got to experience the excellent choral rendition at the end of the traditional service in the main sanctuary. After hearing my granddaughter squeal, some of the choir was sure she would sing soprano.

Jan’s thoughts:

We spent the weekend attending a lovely wedding in Baltimore then visiting our family in northern Virginia.

This church is quite large, modern, and lovingly cared for. It has very good signage inside and out. The people are friendly although we are virtual strangers (until our daughter introduces us to her friends).

Traditional worship services are held at 9 and 11 and a contemporary service at 11:15.

A very hospitable touch that was added since our last visit was rocking chairs at the back of the room for those holding very little ones. They were certainly well-used while our family was there!

We have only attended the contemporary service, but the music continues to be uplifting and impressive.

The sermon was called “Walking with Grace” and was based on Matthew 23:1-12. As it turns out, Grace was the pastor’s grandmother. He remembered her with great affection because she loved him unconditionally simply because he was her grandson.

During the sermon one of my daughters passed me a note she wrote on the bulletin thanking me for loving her children unconditionally. I took that as a high compliment. Love always matters.

Providence Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, 703.978.3934, www.providencechurch.org, Rev. Mary E. Rodgers, Associate Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

I’m sure the church has changed little since our last visit six months ago for Emma’s older sister’s baptism, but it seemed so different to me. I had a sense of how the Christmas/Easter worshiper must feel when I remembered that at the time of our last visit there was a considerable snowfall and Christmas decorations were displayed. We were able to worship with some family members whom we hadn’t seen in a while. The space was cooled, which helped me greatly.

The sermon was about the conflict between Martha and Mary, and I appreciated the presentation. I also enjoyed the praise team’s worship music and was looking forward to taking Communion.

Earlier in the day I had my first bona fide nosebleed, and it chose this point in the service to return. As I tended to this situation, a few of the men who came into the men’s room offered to get me help; this thoughtful consideration of someone in need speaks volumes for this church.

On our way home at a rest stop on the Turnpike a man collapsed in the rest room and was resuscitated with a defibrillator. He was tended to by many till the rescue crew arrived.

The caring compassion of strangers shown to God’s children.

Jan’s thoughts:

This was our second visit to Providence for the baptism of another granddaughter – God’s blessings abound!

The Narthex is circular with a huge skylight that allows the daylight to fall gracefully into the greeting area. This is a beautiful facility, well appointed with welcoming touches such as rocking chairs placed in various corners so folks can sit briefly (which we did, as we were early), and a visitor’s table just inside with a selection of information about the church (there must have been a number of visitors at the early service, as the supply was depleted this day).

The bulletin is one of the largest I’ve seen, containing the Order of Worship for both services, music, welcome information, announcements, calendar, and prayer list. So many churches struggle when they have two (or more) services with not becoming two (or more) congregations, and this seems a superb way to remind attendees at both services that the church of which they are a part is larger than the congregation with which they worship.

Last week was Vacation Bible Camp week so there was LOTS of evidence of the week’s activities, including a terrific photo of the children and volunteers gracing the cover of the bulletin and the children’s’ participation during worship.

The music sounded professional, although I’m sure they’re not. I was glad we happened to be there for Communion Sunday and could celebrate both sacraments.

The Associate Pastor led worship and explained that the Prayer of Confession is included each week whether or not Communion is celebrated, because we all sin throughout every week and we need to confess whether or not we are preparing for Communion. I really appreciated the wisdom in that line of thought.

Sitting with a granddaughter during the service meant I was somewhat distracted, which perfectly played into the sermon topic. The message was based on Luke 10:38-42, the well-known Mary and Martha story, and how we are all worried and distracted about many things, just as Martha was. We need to remind ourselves that there is one thing that is necessary, and then choose it. I sometimes need a reminder of that.

Providence Presbyterian Church

Today we worshiped at Providence Presbyterian Church, 9019 Little River Turnpike, Fairfax, VA 22031, 703.978.3934, www.providencechurch.org, Rev. Dr. Michael P. Burns, Pastor, and Rev. Mary E. Rodgers, Associate Pastor.


Bob’s thoughts:

We attended Providence for our granddaughter’s baptism. We were early but parking appears more than adequate. This weekend we experienced one of the rare early snowfalls in Virginia, and while the parking area was plowed and salted and most walkways were cleared, one large section of walk was snow-covered. There was little signage outside, but good direction inside. We got to tour a little but this is a large facility and I’m sure we missed a lot.

I don’t recall being welcomed in particular beyond the passing of the peace, but almost all we saw gave a welcoming smile. I think most churches with more than one service just think they haven’t met you.

We saw some outstanding banners on burlap and “stained glass” panels on Plexiglas in the youth area. Very well done bulletin boards and displays. There is a table decorated with poinsettias in the narthex with cards to be signed and sent to those serving in the military. The table is directly under a domed skylight that was partially snow-covered…very cool – no pun intended. There were quite a few military listed in the bulletin.

I was pleased to see so many references to mission and an apparently active youth contingent.

We worshiped at the contemporary service and I was pleased with how many children I saw besides our grandchildren - always a sign of a healthy church. The offering was taken in response to the Word, and I don’t know if there was a large cross in front as the screen was down.

We learned after the service as the chairs were being moved and tables set up that we were in a multipurpose room and the Sanctuary was elsewhere. We did find the Sanctuary later: it was very tastefully decorated. Hope to return sometime to hear the impressive-looking organ.

The Elders were well trained in Communion service and offered the elements verbally. The bulletin covered both services and had many inserts which I found a bit confusing. I was blessed to hold my latest granddaughter during the service, so my notes taken during the sermon were unreadable. I had previously handed another granddaughter off to Jan for the service, so we were both so blessed.

There was a large display of literature dealing with abuse, domestic violence, neglect, etc., including the congregation’s response to these issues. I hope to check out this information on our next visit.

Another highlight was a notice in the bulletin of the shawl ministry, different than most: “You are welcome to borrow one if the service area feels cool to you on Sunday morning.”

There were a lot of positive aspects about this church and I am very glad we have family worshiping here.


Jan’s thoughts:

First the disclaimer: We – along with the rest of our family – visited Providence for the baptism of our granddaughter, Ashton. Consequently, there were some, shall we say, distractions during the service, albeit very loving ones!

This church building is quite large and very well laid out. A great deal of obvious thought was given during the planning, and I must believe some members possess extraordinary gifts in decorating, because it presents quite a beautiful appearance. One thing after another appealed to my sense of organization:
Upon entering the welcome area I noticed a large table with poinsettias arranged in a vertical fashion. On the table were greeting cards (Christmas, probably) with pens for members to sign;
A perfect little coat room;
All sorts of bulletin boards for all the activities of the church (youth, upcoming events, service opportunities, Logos, adult education, financial commitment, prayer ministries, missions) which coincide with the categories in the bulletin. Also various literature racks quite attractively laid out containing information about just about anything in the church and community;
Excellent signage allowed us to find our way around, with my lack of directional sense my only hindrance;
A gorgeous conventional Sanctuary for the traditional service and a well-appointed fellowship hall hosts the contemporary service.

OK, enough about the building. What about the church? It’s always different when we attend church with our children. There was a time when the church we attended accepted our children as an extension of us; now when we visit our children’s churches, I have a sense that we are accepted as an extension of them.

The people were friendly in spite of somewhat limited opportunities since Bob and I were holding little ones throughout. Immediately after worship one of the women introduced herself and gave me nametags for both of us.

The worship music was fantastic: the praise band is so gifted and not just musically. After worship I watched as our 4-year-old grandson Luke, who just loves guitars and music (especially country music), slowly walked toward the stage awestruck by the sight of the instruments. One of the guitar players, Chris, thoughtfully brought his guitar down to Luke’s level and let him strum it. Afterward Luke hugged the guitar and I sincerely thanked Chris for his kindness.

The sermon, “A Piece of Peace,” centered on the hope of finding some peace in this season. I had a 2-year-old on my lap throughout the service so I know some of what I heard did not stick (OK, much of it slid out of my memory…), but there was one line that stuck with me: “Joy has a much longer shelf life than happiness.” There’s a lot of truth in that. We tend to make happiness our goal, but happiness is transitory and often situation-based. Joy takes a lot more effort to find, but it also lasts a lot longer. And the best part is that it’s based on Someone Who, once you find Him, will never let you go.

I look forward to visiting this church again, although it is a bit of a commute.