Long before iCloud, there was the “cloud of witnesses” mentioned in Hebrews 12. I recently attended the funeral of one of the cloud, my father-in-law Rev. Marvin Ottmers.
He died at 87 surrounded by his family. We should all be so blessed.
Marvin served as a pastor in the Lutheran church for more than 60 years. He retired at 80! All the parishes he served were small, rural congregations throughout central Texas. He and Louise raised four great kids (my wife Elaine being one). And they endured a parents worst nightmare when their oldest, Kathleen, died in an apartment fire while in her early 40′s.
Marvin also served in the United States Air Force and fixed planes coming back from combat in North Africa.
He was a quiet, unassuming man who faithfully served his God, his family and his country. In our age of media celebrity he would never be noticed, nor would he want to be.
Hebrews 12 reminds us that we are surrounded by “so great a cloud of witnesses.” Some of the people in this cloud are mentioned in chapter 11, but most are anonymous and forgotten. Nevertheless, they made a difference and it is upon their shoulders that we all stand. Marvin was one of them. A quiet servant of the Gospel.
I’m curious to know who are the people in your life who are part of the Cloud?
My Dad. He is a simple quiet man and is still living at 77. When his mother passed away the modest property and etc was divided up between the living sons and daughters. My mother recently let me know that the money inherited Dad did not use for them. He would search on the Internet for entities that served Christ in the community. Sometimes an individual, sometimes a church and sometimes a non profit. He would take his parents money and write them a check honoring his father and mother. His father was a rural Baptist minister–small churches. It took him 10 years to disperse, He kept no list. I can not think of a better way to honor a pastor and his wife than that. I am sure God did amazing things with it. I am sure Marvin did the same at all those rural places and churches in ways we will not understand until we too are there. Take care. Dr. Paul.
By: barnababaruch on February 3, 2012
at 2:52 am
Wow, what a testimonial to your Dad. He really got what it’s all about didn’t he.
By: Thoughts From Paul Hill on February 22, 2012
at 4:04 pm