Pastor’s Page

“Speak, for your servant is listening,” the young Samuel spoke when he heard a voice calling to him while in the care of the priest Eli.  But it wasn’t the first time God called out to Samuel. The first two times, Samuel thought it was Eli calling out to him.  Knowing he had not called to Samuel, Eli discerned that Samuel may be hearing the voice of God. He told Samuel, “If he calls you, say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”  The Lord shared many things after Samuel offered himself to God and the unknown author of First Samuel says “The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.” The Lord did great things through Samuel.

Norma Woodward was my “Eli.”  God began calling my name as my leadership at my home church increased. I began to contemplate a vocational shift but had many questions – even questioning if I was hearing God correctly.  One particular Sunday, after leading worship in place of our vacationing pastor, Norma was waiting for me at the rear of the sanctuary. She pulled me aside to say, “you should consider becoming a pastor vocationally.”  Needless to say, that is what I did – taking my first church in 2007.

My breath was taken away when I recently learned of Norma’s tragic death. Losing loved ones is always very hard. Losing those who have been vital to your Christian formation is more difficult. It makes me feel like those Israelites whose world was turned upside when God directed them to return to their home after years of Babylonian exile. All of their traditional elements of comfort and peace had been reduced to rubble and were no longer present. Home was no longer “home” in the sense they once knew.

Knowing and seeing the fear in their hearts, God spoke messages of hope, promise and encouragement to them through the prophet Isaiah. One of those messages is found in the 40th chapter of Isaiah:  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

The day after I learned of Norma’s death, I learned from her son that she planned out her funeral service in 2015. Those plans indicated her desire that I officiate the funeral service. Those funeral notes also included the scriptures she wanted read.  The first one was Isaiah 40…the one I reference above. Using that scripture, I was able to share about our God that anchors us in life’s storms.

Grieving and then pressing into a new normal are very hard processes. It is made easier by a God who uses his people to comfort one another and speak the messages God wants held in our hearts. Many times, Norma was used to be that vessel. I can’t wait to see her again…when we are present with the God who now holds Norma in his embrace.

Journeying together,

Pastor David