Dear Govans Family,
I am overjoyed to write to you as we prepare to worship together for my first Sunday after Candidating Weekend! Since starting on Monday, I’ve gotten my first week under my belt, taken part in a couple of committee meetings, and experienced firsthand the incredible teamwork and support of our staff, as well as the warm welcome from so many people who have stopped by the church office.
This Sunday is especially meaningful because we gather for World Communion Sunday. In worship, we will open the Scriptures to Matthew 21:33–46 and reflect together on the sermon theme, “Bearing Abundant Fruit.”
World Communion Sunday originated in the 1930s during the Great Depression and the rise of European totalitarianism. In that fragile moment, the Church offered a clear theological counter-narrative: our ultimate allegiance and identity belong to Christ, never to state power, national borders, or cultural supremacy. As a naturalized citizen, I feel that call with particular urgency today. Christian nationalism, by improperly fusing Christian faith with American civic power, directly undermines both the constitutional ideals of a pluralistic democracy and the core of the Gospel itself. At World Communion, we name this ideology for what it is: a theological error that distorts our faith and replaces the universal love of Christ with cultural and national supremacy. The sacrament insists that God’s covenant cannot be hoarded or weaponized; it calls us instead to put our faith into action. At this Table, we remember that our neighbor is not just the person next door, but our global siblings and the natural world itself—reminding us that we are bound together as one family within God’s good creation.
That commitment to putting faith into concrete action is the heartbeat of our 2027 Stewardship Campaign: Gratitude for Who We Are and Who We Are Called to Be. This campaign embodies the priesthood of all believers—a shared commitment to rolling up our sleeves together to feed our neighbors, organize for racial equity, and nurture our wider community. As we each consider our pledge with deep gratitude for God’s abundance, we show that ministry here belongs to all of us as we follow Jesus, seek justice, and share generously.
I look forward to celebrating the sacrament with you this Sunday at 10:30 AM as we begin this new chapter of worship, public witness, and service together.
Mooi Loop,
Dries