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
As a church, we have a radical message to proclaim to the world. It may be easy, particularly for those of us who’ve been part of the church our entire lives, not to realize how shocking the gospel is, and to fail to grasp the enormity of the challenge that we proclaim it. I’ve recently encountered two examples of how the gospel undercuts the messages in the world around us.
“God loves you.” This simple statement can sound ridiculously simple, even trite, for those who have lived a long time with an awareness of God’s love for you. But in my work as your pastor, I frequently encounter people who don’t believe it, or who can’t comprehend, as Ephesians 3:18 puts it, the width and the length and the height and the depth of the love of Christ. Far too often, when I ask someone if they know that God loves them, they’ll respond with a comment such as “I hope so” or “I wish I could believe that.” I recently spoke with someone who believed that God would reject her because of a deep-seated pain from her past. And I recently spoke with another person who thought that God was angry with him for failing to meet a goal that was beyond his ability. And these were both people who grew up going to church! Never make the assumption that people can conceive of, let alone believe, the fullness of God’s love for us. The burden of our own sense of guilt, or of criticism we have received from others, or of the need to “measure up,” hinders many of us from realizing the power of grace: God doesn’t need a reason to love us. He just does. Unfortunately, this good news is often undermined by well-intended church leaders who feel it necessary to emphasize our sinful condition apart from God’s love. I don’t feel the need to point this out because in nearly 31 years of ministry, I have never met someone who was not already fully aware of their sinfulness. But I’ve met plenty who doubt God’s love for them.
“God desires unity.” If you’ve attended worship at Old Union even once during the past two months as we’ve been studying Ephesians (or if you’ve listened to my sermons on this website), you know that this is a pervasive theme throughout the letter. But this concept is not limited to one book of the Bible. For example, 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that God has given us the “message of reconciliation,” and Jesus’ final prayer with his disciples was that we may all be one (John 17:20). We look forward to the day when all of creation will be united under Christ’s lordship. No exceptions. Someone who heard me preach this recently took great offense at this concept of unity for all people. She proceeded to pepper me with outlandish claims about what “they” were doing, and that I am deceived if I don’t think we should do everything we can to oppose “them” with everything we’ve got. But even if “they” are guilty of everything she claimed, Christ is nonetheless calling us to work for reconciliation toward the goal of unity. I don’t think she’ll be listening to any more of my sermons, but unfortunately I suspect that she may find preachers who will support her divisive spirit.
God loves you. God desires unity. Such simple but profound truths. The world needs to hear these words. Our community needs to hear this message. Some of your friends and family members may need you to help them wrestle with the reality of the gospel.
Peter
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com
724-538-8672 | OldUnionChurch@gmail.com