Rev. Peter C. de Vries, Ph.D. has served Old Union since November 1993.
To learn more about Rev. Dr. de Vries, go to FaceBook, Linked-In, or his blog.
FROM THE PASTOR
During the month of December, we Christians are out of step with the rest of society. For everyone else, the “Christmas season” begins the day after Thanksgiving (or even earlier in many stores). By the time we get to December 26, everyone is done with Christmas and ready to move on. But for us Christians, December 25 marks the beginning, not the end, of the Christmas season. On the church calendar, the “twelve days of Christmas” run from Christmas Day until Epiphany on January 6.
While the world around us is all abuzz with Christmas in December, we are celebrating the season of Advent. The name “advent” comes from the Latin word for coming or approaching. During the four weeks leading up to our celebration of the nativity, the focus of our church and hearts can be summed up in the slogan:
“He came. He comes. He is coming.”
He Came: Songs like “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” may seem like we’re hopping in a DeLorean to travel back in time to the world before Christ’s birth. Actually, we are recalling what the human condition was like, and what it would still be like, if God the Son had not become human to share our life with us. We would be cut off from God by our sinful nature, unable to experience the fullness of love and joy that he desires for us. Sometimes, the best way to appreciate what you have is by considering what life would be like if you didn’t have it. Ask yourself, “What would life be like for me without Jesus?” As you consider your answer, thank God that this is a condition you never have to face!
He Comes: We open our spirits each day, each moment, to welcome Christ into our lives. He is not a God who lives afar in heaven, but who enters into our everyday world. He is active and live, here in our midst. Jesus is making things happen, and he is changing lives. Advent is a time for us to seek his continuing presence, that we may experience his guidance, his comfort, his challenge, his power, and his love. During this season, are you holding the door of your heart open for him to fill you and be with you? In what ways are you responding to his presence in your life?
He Is Coming: Christianity is a forward-looking faith. While we remember what God has done in the past, and while we celebrate what he is doing right now, we live in hope for what God will do in the future. We know that the time is coming when Christ will return in power and glory to vanquish once and for all the forces of sin and suffering and death. He will vindicate those who have put their trust in him, and he will establish his perfect and eternal kingdom. We are able to bear patiently the struggles and heartaches we face now, because we know that the time is coming when “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 22:4). This Advent, how is your hope in the promised return of Jesus Christ giving you strength and inspiration for the challenges you are facing?
Happy Advent!
Peter
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com