Pastor’s Letter
Love Means ...
Remember that famous line – “Love means never having to say you’re sorry”. It comes from the 1970 novel and movie “Love Story”, in which the main character, Jennifer says it to her husband when he apologizes for losing his temper and acting out in an angry way. She’s suggesting that true love transcends petty disagreements. But she’s wrong – because healthy love requires accountability for our words and actions - and thus, calls for apologies to someone when we hurt them. Saying you are sorry to another person when it is appropriate is important for maintaining a good relationship.
The same can be said of our relationship with God. Since God lives in every person, we are accountable to God for the what we say and do to one another. And when appropriate, we need to say we are sorry when we hurt someone. For God – love means saying “we are sorry” -so when we behave in ways that are not “like Jesus” – we need to say we’re sorry to God too.
God sees everything we do, hears everything we say, feels everything that we feel and make others feel. God is here with us in every moment, every situation, every relationship. God understands that we are not perfect. He knows what it feels like to be human – to make mistakes, to hurt others, to go the wrong way. He also knows how we struggle to do the right thing, to make amends for our wrongdoing, to fix what is broken in us and around us. God knows – and he wants to help us become the person we are meant to be.
When it comes to loving us – it means that God is always near; always sending strength to our spirits; always encouraging the best in us; always protecting us - even from ourselves. For God, love means everything. So when you make a mistake, say you’re sorry. When you hurt someone, make it up to them. When something gets broken because of you – help to fix it. When you should have done something and didn’t – go do it now. Love means everything in every moment, in every situation, in every relationship – all the time forever and ever, Amen.
Well, we designate the month of February as the “Love Month” – mainly because of our observance of Valentine’s Day on February 14th. We see it as a yearly reminder that “love can conquer all”. And with God, that is true. We’re not just talking about romantic love here – no, the man “Valentine” that this day is named for – he died a martyr for Christ – because he loved Jesus and would not deny him.
That’s what true love means – a commitment to following the Christ, to being like Jesus as much as we can all the time – and saying “sorry” when we fall short of that goal. For when you do – forgiveness is yours – now and always. That’s a promise.
This month, make it your mission to “Practice Love” in everything. Jesus said that when we do, everyone will know that we are his disciples. Let us go forth and show the world that love really does conquer all. 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.