A 4th Day Primer on Palanca By Larry M. NicholsPalanca is a Spanish word
that means, "lever." Just as a lever enables a person to move something beyond his or her normal strength,
the use of Palanca in 4th Day empowers the accomplishment of things that would not be possible without the grace of God.
Without God we are incapable of doing anything of spiritual value. Therefore, whatever service we perform on a 4th
Day weekend will have little or no value if done in and of ourselves. Palanca is effective only when the prayers, sacrifices
and works of mercy are done in conjunction with the presence of the Holy Spirit, thus allowing God to use us to serve His
people.
The purpose of Palanca is to serve as God's arms and hands in the lives of the Pilgrims by extending the grace
that has so freely been extended to us.
Let’s clear up a common misperception: letters in and of themselves
are not Palanca. Letters are merely a vehicle by which we convey the actual Palanca. In other words, the effort,
thoughts and prayers that go into the letters are the Palanca, not the letters themselves.
Palanca can thus
fall into three categories: Personal, General and Service.
PERSONAL PALANCA:
This is Palanca performed on behalf of individual
Pilgrims and team members. It is most frequently demonstrated in personal notes that are not meant for anyone but the
recipient and may include:
THIS:
A brief encouragement
Reassurance that God will meet
the Pilgrim right where he is
Adding an encouraging scripture is recommended (reminding of God’s promises, etc).
Let them know you are praying for them (and do it!).
NOT THIS:
Do not refer to any special events that happen over the weekend. Your Palanca may not be delivered
when you expect it to be, so you wouldn't want to spoil the surprise.
Do not refer to home or family, i.e., “your
wife and children miss you.” It's important that the Pilgrim maintain the focus and sequestered nature of the
weekend.
Do not talk about how you felt on your weekend. The Pilgrim may be having a very different experience
and you wouldn't want to set him/her up for disappointment.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:
Do not
send gifts as Palanca.
Don’t mark Palanca for delivery at specific times.
It is understood that
people often write Palanca in a progressive manner, trying to keep the notes in line with the theme and focus of each day
of the weekend. However, Palanca may be delivered at different times on each weekend, as determined by the Rector, so
the time your request may not be valid.
You cannot (and should not) write all of the Palanca to
your Pilgrim yourself. You are encouraged to contact other 4th Dayers to write to your Pilgrim (and you can
write to theirs). Ask 4th Dayers in your church or Reunion Group, or perhaps those you have served on team
with, or experienced a weekend with.
GENERAL PALANCA: This
is Palanca most frequently demonstrated in notes, letters or posters that are addressed to the team and Pilgrims. The letter
should be addressed to the team and Pilgrims on a particular weekend. It should include the actual Palanca that
you will be providing to the weekend, such as:
A gift of prayer. Let the team and Pilgrims know that you will be
praying for them. Perhaps you will pray for the weekend every time you stop at a red light, or something like that.
They should know it. (And you should be sure to honor your commitment). .
Encouraging scripture or a comment
on the theme of the weekend is always welcome.
Posters with brief notes signed by individuals in your church or Reunion
Group are an excellent form of general Palanca.
General Palanca may also include:
Providing decorated letter bags
for the weekend
Providing decorated aprons for the cha-chas
Providing supplies for communion
Providing break
food
Providing candy for the tables
Providing flowers for the dining room or Rollo Room SERVICE
PALANCA: This Palanca is service performed
before or during the weekend, often behind the scenes and without specific recognition. (The exact definition and how
it may differ from general Palanca is somewhat vague and is usually determined by the user of the term. It is often
considered to be physical effort). For instance:
Assisting in the set-up and break-down
Running errands to
obtain supplies during the weekend;
Serving meals to the team and Pilgrims
Remember: Palanca is a lever. It is no good unless you use it. |
