A friend and seminary classmate of Jana and mine died yesterday… Jennifer Anderson Koenig. Jennifer was one of the pastors on the St. Olaf College campus. She was also one of a band of four of us Luther Seminary students who did our internship in Southern California. We
would meet at the beach or a local restaurant now and then to talk about how the year was going, share our experiences, blow off some steam, laugh, cry and support each other. Those are fond memories.
She always amazed me for her great compassion for people, her beauty, her extreme intelligence, and her genuine and contagious desire to live life fully. As an artist myself, I perhaps enjoyed, most of all, her professional dance background and the graceful and seamless way she integrated that passion within and throughout her ministry. I have no doubt she influenced thousands during her time as a pastor on the St. Olaf campus.
So here is something amazing that took place in the moments just after her death yesterday. Her husband, David, wrote the following. Sylvia, who David refers to here, is their daughter. It gave me Holy Spirit goose bumps the first time I read this.. and it continues to do so each time I re-read it. Wow. Take a look….
“It was a very peaceful passing and I was holding her hand and stroking her hair as it happened. She was surrounded by music even at 1:30 in the morning. As I straightened her blanket, thinking about when I was going to wake the kids, Sylvia rushed over and gave me a hug. She said that she felt a tap on her shoulder to wake up. It was not me.”
What can you say to that?!! Wow. Holy Spirit moment. A God thing. I have no doubt.
We love you, Jennifer… and we’ll see you on the other side… soon enough, friend. Soon enough. Let’s go to the beach, first thing. It will be good to catch up…
http://wp.stolaf.edu/blog/st-olaf-mourns-death-of-associate-pastor/