I sat down in a terminal in the Seoul, Korea airport and received the news that Ruth Davis died. The family wanted me to officiate the funeral. Without hesitation, I told my staff that I would be honored. No need to get back to me with a day or time. I gave my “yes” and boarded a long flight home.

On Sunday at 2PM I will have the great joy of celebrating Ruth Davis’ eternal relationship with her Lord, Jesus Christ. 

I want to use Ruth’s life as a brief field guide for “How to Encourage Your Pastor.” It doesn’t matter the name of your church or the name of your pastor.

Ruth allowed the gospel to impact her life in many ways. I name just three:

One: She was faithful to church.

Two: She sat near the front, smiled, and worshipped. 

Three: She was extremely kind to my family.

Those are three simple ways to endear yourself to your pastor.

We called her “Momma Ruth.” She was a spiritual mother to many of us – she demonstrated wholehearted passion for pursuing Jesus, she was a faithful member of our Milwaukee Mission Trip Team. She constantly provided an encouraging word. She often told me “We are so thankful that you’re our pastor.” She loved my family. She went out of her way to speak to them, get to know them, and share her life with them.

I will spend time the afternoon writing the funeral sermon. In short, we all need a Momma Ruth.