Pastor’s Letter
Lenten Stories …
The Season of Lent is a time given to shadows and mystery. It invites us to pause out of our busy lives and just be still and listen for what God has to say to us. You may not hear anything with your ears when you sit somewhere in silence – but don’t let that discourage you. Your heart hears everything clearly. When you are intentional about listening, God will surely speak to you in the best way your soul can know – straight to the heart. So, do sit and be still - and listen as often as you can this month.
The scripture stories we will study together invite us to be good listeners of what God is trying to say to us. There’s a man named Nicodemus who comes to Jesus at night to ask him what he is all about. Jesus tells him “in order to understand, you must be born from above” meaning that to be connected to God and his heavenly ways, we must be “tuned in” to what God wants us to know. He encourages him to focus on God’s goodness – kindness – compassion – love --- without these as our core values, we cannot hear God or begin to be “like him” in our own lives.
Elsewhere in our scripture stories, we have a woman who meets Jesus at a well and challenges him about who really belongs in God’s good graces. Jesus tells her that God’s grace is for all people – including and especially for people “like her” who seek to know God better. He then reveals himself as the Messiah to this lowly woman at the well. Then, we hear of a man who has been blind since birth whom Jesus heals – giving that man a whole new life in which to become all that he wants. In the same way, when we are “in tune” with God, Jesus will help us to see the way we are called to live.
These are stories of Revelation and Restoration and finally, we have the stories of Resurrection. There’s the story of how Jesus calls his good friend, Lazarus, back from the tomb and back into life. We hear how Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, thus fulfilling the scriptures of old and revealing who he really is. During the week that follows, he restores authority to the temple when he overturns tables; he restores faith to the people to whom he teaches and preaches, he restores people to wholeness through healing and miracles. He is revealed as the Christ when Mary anoints him; when he shares the sacred meal of Passover with his closest disciples; and finally when he prays in the Garden of Gethsemane.
And then the nightmare begins – arrest, trial, humiliation, torture, suffering, death on the cross. His disciples are thrown into crisis, chaos, confusion. What will happen to them next? Well, we know - it is the greatest ending to this story that could ever be – Resurrection! Not just for Jesus – but for all those who follow him.
That’s why exploring these stories together throughout Lent is important for us. We can all identify with Nicodemus’ curiosity; with the doubts of the woman at the well; with the blind man who wants to be able to see things; with Martha and Mary as they mourn their brother, with Jesus as he wept for his friend and then brought him back to life; with the crowds in Jerusalem as Holy Week unfolded. And we look forward together to the very best part of this story that happens on Easter morning – new life! - not just for Jesus, but for all of us who follow him. It is the ending of our story too – thanks be to God! May God guide us through these shadows of Lent to find new life for ourselves this Easter! Love, Pastor Susan
About Our Pastor
This is our pastor, Reverend Susan Hanson,
She was ordained in the United Church of Christ at her home church, St. John's UCC in Lansdale, PA on January 9th, 1994 in the middle of a winter weather event of snow and ice. That storm didn't stop their celebration that day - and she hasn't stopped serving in the ministry since then – no matter what. We like that about her - and you will too when you get to know her.
Pastor Susan holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from Florida State University; a Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary; and a Master of Arts
degree in Pastoral Counseling from Moravian Theological Seminary.
And she completed her certification as a Reiki Master in 2013 – the same year she came to our church. She's also participated in specialized training through the United Church of Christ to serve as an intentional interim minister to churches while they are in transition from one settled pastor to the next.
Early in her thirty year career as an ordained minister, it became her calling to assist churches during these times of transition, taking her to twelve different settings in local churches, as well as chaplaincy positions in nursing home facilities. She'll tell you that she “has seen it all, heard it all, been through it all” with the people she's met – and even so, she still likes people and loves working with them in ministry settings.
That love is what brought her here to St. Vincent UCC – her “lucky number 13” setting as she likes to call it. When she arrived, it was to serve as a temporary supply pastor while we were in transition. But, we liked each other so much, we decided to just stay together on a permanent basis. In April, 2018, Rev. Hanson was installed as our settled pastor.
Our pastor believes that ministry is something we all do when we strive to be like Jesus and follow his ways. Her job, as she sees it, is to help all of us be the heart and hands and voice of Jesus in our own time and place and in our own way – so that we will do good; make a positive difference; and leave the world a better place for us having been here. She says, “That's the way real ministry happens – one gracious thought, one good word, one act of kindness - one moment at a time”.
Susan and her husband, Doug, who is also an ordained pastor at St. Peter's Pikeland UCC, live in Chester Springs. They have three grown children – their daughter Laurabeth and son Eric live in the local area. Their daughter Lindsay and her husband Charlie live in Alabama where they're raising the two grandchildren of whom Pastor Susan will be happy to show you pictures and tell you how wonderful they are – just like any other proud grandparent.
Come, join us – and meet our pastor. If you are looking for a worship experience which makes you feel good for having been here – then, come and meet us. We worship together every Sunday to share the spirit, the light, and the love of Jesus and become empowered to take it with us when we go back out into the world in which we live and for whom our ministry really matters.