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Friday, June 28, 2013

A Pillar of Remembrance for Pastor Katy

Throughout Scripture, people set up pillars of remembrance to honor and glorify a Great, Mighty, Awesome God- a Miracle-working God, a Holy God- the One, True God. While it's not customary any longer for Christians to erect large stones as a testimony to glorify God, there are now even more remarkable Pillars of Remembrance. Those pillars are people- people who respond to Jesus's call to come unto Him. People whom Jesus graciously pours out the Holy Spirit upon. And today I remember an especially beautiful, strong, ornately adorned pillar full of the Spirit. Her name is Pastor Katy Vinciguerra.

Pillars are a vital part of a building structure. They support the structure above and rest upon the foundation below. Without pillars, the structure will fail. And that is the best way I can describe our beloved Pastor Katy- she was a Pillar resting on the firm Foundation of Jesus Christ. She held up a ceiling of protection over others, as a Shepherdess protects her sheep. And Pastor Katy was an especially strong Pillar. She often bore the weight of life for many woman and beautifully shifted that load into the Foundation- trusting and relying fully on Jesus to meet the needs of her sheep. 

Pastor Katy was no ordinary pillar, either. She was a beautiful Pillar. You see, life had chipped away at her, too. Even through her painful experiences though, she remained steady on the Foundation. She placed so much faith and hope in the Foundation, that she would allow the Master to carve her- to shape her- to mold her. God used many tools to shape Pastor Katy throughout the years- suffering, faith, submission, service and waiting upon the Lord. And the result was an ornate and breath-taking Pillar. She was a strong pillar that was tested and approved to be solid. She never proclaimed her self as strong, but always boasted in the all-sufficient strength of God. And she was a Pillar of true beauty- the gentle, quiet and sweet spirit that emulated from her was evident to all. 

Mostly, pillars go unnoticed even though they are doing their job. Pastor Katy was a vital part of the house of Beach Fellowship. It's now we realize through the grief in our hearts just how much support in the faith we are missing. Yet, we also realize that Pastor Katy was not the only pillar of faith in the House, in our church. Pastor Katy knew she was a pillar made of wood- wood that decays and ends. So while she was here she helped Jesus build His church. Her mighty faith and strength helped to fortify and raise more pillars. She spoke words of encouragement and words of wisdom to many, calling out the strength within them that God had given. Pastor Katy- while a beautiful Pillar- will be sorely missed. But her legacy will continue in every person she touched, as we learn from her example how to stand firm on the Foundation.

Just as the Jewish people would erect pillars of remembrance to mark God's presence, today we memorialize the memory of our precious Pastor Katy. Surely, we mourn and miss her presence on earth. But because she is a Pillar of faith, we know even future generations will look back upon her and recall the Presence of God and His Provision for those He calls His own.

Pastor Katy is stlll a pillar, but now she is in the palace of heaven. She has the privilege of being a part of God's Kingdom fully, and now truly abides in the Pillar of the Lord- that Cloud & Fire she so desperately sought after while she walked this earth. We who also believe in Jesus can rest knowing someday we will be beside her again. 

Just as Pastor Katy was blessed to be a blessing for generations that come after her, we can all follow her example and do the same. We can stand still and let the Lord carve us through all of life's circumstances, by exercising faith in WHO God is and not in how He performs. And when our time comes to pass into the palace of Heaven, may we also be remembered as a great Pillar for Christ as we now remember our dear Pastora.


"Our daughters are like {sculptured] corner pillars cut for the structure of a palace." Psalm 144:12b 

1 comment:

  1. Thats worded beautifully to describe Sweet Pastor Katy! She sure was All of those things! & will be missed!

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