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 -
It is very easy to Old Union Church’s pastor, because so many of you are pastors for each other. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear about someone reaching out to another congregation member to offer the caring touch that they need. Sometimes it’s a kind word or deed, sometimes it’s a loving response to an unspoken need, and other times it’s a heartfelt word of wisdom or support when something seems amiss. Our congregation is a wonderfully intricate network of words, prayers, and deeds, each of which is an expression of our call to “encourage one another and build each other up.”
I can see in our congregation the embodiment of the words of Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.” First, the mutual care and support that we offer each other must be grounded in the word or message of Christ, which is the gospel. Otherwise, they are simply nice human sentiments, rather than vehicles through which God’s grace can touch our lives. Our goal is to bring Christ’s love and Christ’s presence to each other. Next (although it comes at the end of the quote from Colossians), we rely on wisdom to guide our interactions with each other. We thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the ways in which we can be a positive influence for each other. While spontaneous expressions of good will are wonderful, we serve God and one another best when we reflect on the best way to express Christ’s love for a person in a particular situation.
Colossians urges us to “teach and admonish” one another. Teaching one another goes beyond imparting knowledge or speaking about facts and information. The goal is not to puff ourselves up as being knowledgeable, but to share insights that may be beneficial for each other. And the word translated as “admonish” refers to an effort to guide or correct someone’s disposition or spiritual attitude. We seek to direct one another toward what is good and healthy without provoking bitterness or resentment. Doing so requires first that we consider each other with tenderness and affection: the person we speak to is more important than the issue being discussed. It secondly requires humility: the recognition that we are all on a journey toward becoming the people God created and redeemed us to be. I might be admonishing you today, but tomorrow I may benefit from the admonishment you can offer to me.
I’m also delighted when I hear about the ways that many of you reach beyond our congregation in your efforts to encourage and build up. Just a few verses after our theme verse of “encourage one another and build each other up” in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul points out that the call for encouragement and up-building extends beyond our church’s walls: “Always seek to do good to one another and to all” (verse 15).
Our church is a safe place to practice encouragement and up-building, teaching and admonishing. Not only are we able to help each other grow in our faith and learn how to relate better to one another, but we can practice with each other as we seek to be faithful to our call to share Christ’s love with all.
In Christ,
Peter
It is very easy to Old Union Church’s pastor, because so many of you are pastors for each other. Hardly a day goes by that I don’t hear about someone reaching out to another congregation member to offer the caring touch that they need. Sometimes it’s a kind word or deed, sometimes it’s a loving response to an unspoken need, and other times it’s a heartfelt word of wisdom or support when something seems amiss. Our congregation is a wonderfully intricate network of words, prayers, and deeds, each of which is an expression of our call to “encourage one another and build each other up.”
I can see in our congregation the embodiment of the words of Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom.” First, the mutual care and support that we offer each other must be grounded in the word or message of Christ, which is the gospel. Otherwise, they are simply nice human sentiments, rather than vehicles through which God’s grace can touch our lives. Our goal is to bring Christ’s love and Christ’s presence to each other. Next (although it comes at the end of the quote from Colossians), we rely on wisdom to guide our interactions with each other. We thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the ways in which we can be a positive influence for each other. While spontaneous expressions of good will are wonderful, we serve God and one another best when we reflect on the best way to express Christ’s love for a person in a particular situation.
Colossians urges us to “teach and admonish” one another. Teaching one another goes beyond imparting knowledge or speaking about facts and information. The goal is not to puff ourselves up as being knowledgeable, but to share insights that may be beneficial for each other. And the word translated as “admonish” refers to an effort to guide or correct someone’s disposition or spiritual attitude. We seek to direct one another toward what is good and healthy without provoking bitterness or resentment. Doing so requires first that we consider each other with tenderness and affection: the person we speak to is more important than the issue being discussed. It secondly requires humility: the recognition that we are all on a journey toward becoming the people God created and redeemed us to be. I might be admonishing you today, but tomorrow I may benefit from the admonishment you can offer to me.
I’m also delighted when I hear about the ways that many of you reach beyond our congregation in your efforts to encourage and build up. Just a few verses after our theme verse of “encourage one another and build each other up” in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Paul points out that the call for encouragement and up-building extends beyond our church’s walls: “Always seek to do good to one another and to all” (verse 15).
Our church is a safe place to practice encouragement and up-building, teaching and admonishing. Not only are we able to help each other grow in our faith and learn how to relate better to one another, but we can practice with each other as we seek to be faithful to our call to share Christ’s love with all.
In Christ,
Peter
Old Union Presbyterian Church | 200 Union Church Road, Mars, PA 16046
724-538-8672 | [email protected]
724-538-8672 | [email protected]