Treasuring Our Pastor Wende

There are moments I catch myself staring at her during services. She is alert, sensitive and calm. She leads us through worship services calling on us to be present, ever present in what we are doing. Giving thanks to the Lord God for the universe we are a part of. The intentionality of our lives moving forward through possibility in service to others around us. She is leading us, not preaching at us, not ‘making us do anything’.

Over the years – she’s been with our congregation nearly 12 years, and we have been attending a little over 10 years – I have watched Wende do her ministry. At the pulpit and in fellowship hall, or in meetings, or at conferences away from the church building. Wende is a pastor. She helps us understand other people in the room, at the meeting, the ideas we espouse whether in concert or wildly separated. She helps us understand the concepts and locate unifying thoughts that bring them together.

She accepts me and my dysfunctional theology, ill-formed from years of questioning and struggle. She acknowledges my faith journey and its honorable intentions. She engages quiet discussion of a few small ideas which later you realize were anything but small! No, she is teaching us, showing us, leading us.

Wende West is the first minister I ever knew to be a true pastor. She embraces us as much as we embrace her. In fact, it takes time to realize you are embracing her wholly. But that’s because she is embracing you – supporting you and your journey – and in the end you feel the oneness of her spirit.

In time I realize this is also the oneness of the church. It is the way it should be and should have always been. Most congregations, however, don’t experience this oneness. It is very special. It is a gift from God through our very special pastor!

I’ve been fond of declaring Trinity Lutheran Church in Warrenville, Illinois as a ‘do it yourself church’. And to that Wende has said Amen! She follows with the lesson: the church is not a place or a building; it is the people of faith in God working their lives together. We ought to be ‘do-it-yourselfers’ in this enterprise! It is the very spirit of the church universal.

Ah yes! Wende the Pastor will be missed by all of us in so many different ways. And yet she will remain with us always. She has had that effect on us. We are all better for having known her. Her life eternal is in her teachings and modeling of the way.

For that I will be forever grateful.

God Bless you always, Wende!

June 10, 2016