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The Valley of the Shadow of Death
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In my lifetime, I have not heard anyone give a better sermon on that scripture reading, than what you just heard from Eric.
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When I was FOURTEEN years old, I lived on Kwajalein Island, a US military base in the Pacific Ocean. The Protestant Chaplain for our small island was the Rev. Elden Buck, UCC. Rev. Buck was also a missionary among the Marshallese, Trukese, and Ponapean peoples. With Rev. Buck's Youth Group, I traveled to places and peoples of great need. I was broken by this poverty. My heart was broken by poor people of faith who had nothing, yet who with joy and welcome showered rich and privileged American kids with gifts. My heart began to open, as I perceived how these islanders were not poor at all, but rather rich in joy, in life, in faith, in love. I longed to be like Rev. Buck, bringing people to that thin place where we could experience God, be blessed by life. . . .
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In the summer of 2023, I was gifted with the opportunity to return to Micronesia, to the peoples of Pohnpei, Ebeye, and Majuro, and say, Thank you, or kommol tata, in Marshallese.
I was greatly honored to give my remarks to one thousand worshippers and delegates, at the Marshall Islands, United Church of Christ, JRD Bi-Annual 50th Conference. To date, over nine thousand people have viewed this video. |
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Eric is also a gifted preacher . . . . He has a way of wedding Bible stories and experiences from his own life that almost indelibly emboss both on one’s mind. Some were so deeply personal that under different circumstances they might seem embarrassing, but that they so perfectly illustrate the Word of God. They are parables for our time, spoken with such clarity and emotion that you cannot help but have the meaning suffuse your mind. I believe I told Eric at the Deacon’s meeting that some of his Bible stories were better than those of the Big Guy Himself, and I don’t feel the need or desire to back away from that statement now. |
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Eric is kind and compassionate, he is giving of his time and person. Eric had the ability to relate to the youth group in our church. This was much needed at this point in our church community. I was teaching Sunday School the day he announced he was leaving and the class cried for their loss of the pastor who would lead them through Confirmation the following year.
Sunday School youth with perfect attendance are rewarded with pouring buckets of ice water over the heads of our CE Director and the Minister of Congregational Life, Eric.
Pastor Eric Wefald has a special gift for preaching, weaving together his deep knowledge of Scripture and Biblical history, his faith journey, and his pastoral care, delivered in an interactive conversation with his parishioners, making them feel as though he's speaking right to them with just the message they needed to hear that day. His sermon illustrations are gleaned from current events, travel, local and international news, church issues, and family life, sprinkled with his keen sense of humor that inspire and make the Bible come alive.
Open-hearted and genuine, Rev. Eric Wefald brings energy and dynamism to ministry. A committed Christian who devotes himself to forming new disciples, Eric’s faith is contagious. He forms relationships across generations and is adept at pastoral care. Eric brings a host of program resource and new ideas to ministry. He imagines possibilities the congregation cannot yet see and is able to bring members together around a new vision. He is an excellent storyteller and uses his craft to preach accessible, engaging and relevant sermons with both emotional resonance and deep theological grounding.