“Encourage one another,” Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, twice in one letter (1 Thes. 4:18, 5:11). Today, I want to write about the spiritual gift of encouragement. Or rather, I want to write about a man I know who possesses this gift.

Ernie Spiekermann celebrated his 90^th birthday earlier this summer. He’s had quite a life: After retiring from the U.S. Air Force, Ernie then had a second career teaching middle-school math and science. On top of that, Ernie was also a licensed lay minister in my denomination, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

I got to know Ernie last year, when I preached several times as a guest at First Christian Church of Burnet, TX, where he is a member. I got to know him better when I served as part-time interim pastor of that church, from January through May of this year. To call Ernie a member of that church is woefully inadequate. Ernie is the beloved patriarch of that congregation.

Every Sunday – every single Sunday – Ernie would shake my hand, look me straight in the eye, and offer words of appreciation for my sermon. It was far more than a polite, “Good sermon, preacher.” Each Sunday, I left the church encouraged by Ernie.

I went back to Burnet earlier this month, to attend the party celebrating Ernie and his wife Peggy’s 70^th wedding anniversary. (Photo above.) It was a great party; lots of fun, with friends and family members sharing warm memories. But the highlight of the party, for me, was when Ernie rose to greet me, shook my hand, looked me straight in the eye, and said, “Bill, you will always be special to me.” At an event to celebrate Ernie and Peggy, Ernie, once again, was encouraging me.

“Encourage one another.” In these difficult days of pandemic, inflation, climate disasters, and war in Europe, we all need encouragement. There is an old gospel song (see video below) which offers the prayer, “Make me a blessing to someone today.” Ernie Spiekermann has shown me what a blessing simple words of encouragement can be.

Have you ever noticed that some people can just walk in and brighten a whole room? Some people lift your spirits just by being nearby? Some people can send you a note or letter with kind words and you know the words were borne on loving thoughts?

This personality trait is generally referred to as “affective presence.” A recent article in the Atlantic states that, “This concept was first described 12 years ago in a study by Noah Eisenkraft and Hillary Anger Elfenbein. [In the study, students were rated on the emotions of being] stressed, bored, angry, sad, calm, relaxed, happy, and enthusiastic.”

Aside from this 2010 psychological study, Ignatius of Loyola often wrote in his diary of his affect in his prayer experience. He described his deep feelings of love, shame, tears (of joy), and compunction in his relationship with God. This was during the 16^th Century. Nonetheless, Ignatius’s concept of “affect” became an essential aspect of discernment in the traditional practice of Spiritual Direction.

In a more contemporary and quotidian milieu, some people feel a recognizable and describable affect in daily human interactions – or with their pets, for that matter. I’ve noticed that these people seem to have cleared the clutter and dross from their mind so that they can be ‘truly present’. Another way of expressing this personality trait is that they bring their 'true self' into the relationship.

We all have met people with whom we enjoy an affective presence. I’ve saved many letters from my first Spiritual Director, Sr. Pat Sheatzley, CSJ (d.2012). She often wrote kind words borne on loving thoughts: “You fill my heart with joy, glad memories, deep gratitude….” She wrote that because of who she was, not because of who I am.

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