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
Last spring, during our church’s study on spiritual gifts, we were surprised to learn how many people in our church are gifted in healing and in miracles. While that’s not something you’d expect to find in a Presbyterian church like ours, it does demonstrate that God sends gifts where he wants them to be used, whether they fit with our expectations or not. We learned that healing and miracles are part of our church’s life, not because we can summon fire from heaven or tell people in wheelchairs to get up and walk, but because of one simple but profound truth:
We see God answering our prayers.
Hardly a Sunday goes by that we don’t hear the testimony that a person we’ve been praying has experienced something powerful and positive. It doesn’t happen for everyone, of course. And it rarely happens how or when we expect it to or would like it to. But we have front-row seats to witness God working wonders as he demonstrates his love. We are always delighted, but no longer surprised, by the Lord’s demonstration of his power to transform lives.
As we continue to seek ways to “encourage one another and build each other up,” as our church’s theme verse 1 Thessalonians 5:11 puts it, your church’s leadership has decided to hold a special event for our community, so that together we can seek God’s wholeness and healing for the troubled parts of our lives. I encourage you not only to attend, but to consider whom you would like to invite to join us on the afternoon of October 17 for “Lifting up Body, Mind, and Soul.”
Because we experience brokenness in many aspects of our lives, God brings healing to us in multiple ways. Physical healing is the most obvious and noticeable, but it often is not what we need the most. Some of us struggle with our emotional and mental health but often are reluctant to talk about it. Others of us have contentious or fractured relationships that weigh heavily on us. Still others grapple with their relationship with God…. Suffering can strike every aspect of what makes us human.
The good news, literally, is that God is with us. Through the life-giving work of Jesus Christ, he is eager to share his grace with us and to re-create us to be the people that he desires for us to be. We worship the God of love who longs to bless us with peace, joy, and wholeness.
For the next several weeks, my sermons will explore the ways in which God brings healing into our lives. Please join me in praying for those who struggle with affliction in their lives, as we seek blessing for them and glory for God.
Peter
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com