From the Pastor’s Heart

This past week a phone call came into the secretary’s office. I heard Joan talking and then I heard her put the caller on hold. Joan came to my office and said there is a man on the phone who thinks you may have been his teacher many years ago when he was in 3rd grade. I never taught school full time. In addition to my student teaching I substitute taught in the Albert Gallatin School District and the Erie School District. I couldn’t imagine why a former student would be looking for me!
Joan transferred the call and the man on the other end said this may seem like a strange call but I was wondering if you did your student teaching at Harmer Elementary School? I was more than surprised, as I told him indeed I did do my student teaching at that school. He said, “My name is Bob and I am so glad that I found you. I have thought of you so many times over the years. I googled your name and wondered if this was the same Russel Shuluga that I had as a student teacher.” He continued, “I wanted to thank you for all that you did for me back then. You were so kind and patient with me. My parents didn’t go to church or Sunday School and I had such a curiosity about God and you took the time to tell me about faith and God. You even brought in your Sunday bulletins (I was also serving as a student pastor at the time) and went over them with me explaining the worship service. I just had to thank you for being the face of Christ for me. Because of you I accepted Christ into my life during my college years and then went on and served as a Youth Pastor for ten years. I just wanted you to know.”

I student taught in 1985. I am a second career person and went to college a little later in life. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. After all these years, a student looked for me. At first I didn’t remember any of what he was saying. But as we talked my memory of him started to come back. He explained that he is now married and has three children and they are living in Glenshaw. I invited him to come to church, as I would love to meet him again. We ended our phone call with him saying, “Thank you again, Rev. Shuluga for taking the time for a little 3rd grader; it has made all the difference in my life.” I ended by saying, “Thank you for making my day, but it is God that you want to thank.”

After the phone call I sat and thought about what he said with a smile on my face. God had used me…even someone like me…in some small way to touch a young boy’s life. And then I became very troubled as I thought about those times when I know I had an opportunity to be the face, the hands, the feet of Christ but chose not to.

Bob is an example of how often we give very little thought to those lives around us that we touch. Sometimes we touch someone’s life for the better. But there are also those times when we have left scars rather than Christian love.

We are Easter people and the resurrection of the Christ not only means our victory over death but it also means we are to live resurrected lives. Paul reminds us in his letter to the Philippians… “Have this mind among yourselves which is yours in Christ Jesus…”

As Easter people we are to live resurrected lives by conforming our minds to that of Christ—not simply to imitate, but to have the living Christ come to life in us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God condescended to become human; now God calls us to begin to live as a resurrected people.

May our Easter celebration be more than an event; may Easter become our way of living.

Easter Blessings,

Pastor Russel