| God is here, pastor tells church in aftermath of tornado BY MELISSA LAUBER
UMCONNECTION STAFF God is here, the Rev. Edward Voorhaar told the children who gathered for worship in the auditorium of McDonough High School after their church was damaged by a tornado that swept through La Plata April 28. Surrounded by butterfly decorations to symbolize the possibilities of rebirth, and being filmed by several television cameras in a congregation that included Bishop Felton Edwin May, Washington East District superintendent the Rev. Mary Jane Coleman and more than 200 others, Voorhaar spoke from the heart, with a Bible in his hand, focusing intently on the children. Asking them to notice all the differences in the worship, he reminded them that God is always present, and that nothing can ever separate them from the love of God especially tornadoes that can sweep in without warning and change a community in a matter of minutes. The May 5 worship service was the first time the church family had the opportunity to gather together after the disaster, said Coleman. It was an opportunity for grieving, sharing, hope and healing. As the church gathered, several questions served as a common refrain: How is it with you? Was your house affected? Is your family okay? People told their stories. They spoke of panicking after hearing incorrect reports that the youth group was in the church when the tornado hit, of falling to their knees to pray, of hiding in bathtubs and hearing a sound like a giant train, of wishing there had been more warning, staying in temporary housing and, most of all, of counting their blessings, feeling grateful and relying on their faith. When the first hymn Great is Thy Faithfulness was sung, some people wiped away tears and neighbors reached out to touch one another. Bishop May brought words of condolence and challenge to the church. He applauded their courage, energy, wisdom and efforts at working to be a neighbor to their neighbors in a way that pleases God. He told them how he was at a Council of Bishops meeting when the tornado struck and 105 bishops from around the world paused to offer prayer for them and their church. He also challenged the church to be holy and bold. Look what God has saved you from, the bishop said. What is it that God has saved you for? To start the congregation on their way to restoring the steeple, which was toppled onto the church lawn, as a bigger and brighter beacon of Christ, the bishop pledged $500 to the churchs recovery and building fund. For the sermon, Voorhaar put aside the notes he traditionally uses and spoke about his experiences during the tornado. He gave thanks to God for his spiritual and physical wellbeing, but admitted to the congregation that he was grieving. The pastor was not home when the tornado touched down. Following a frustrating and frantic journey home, he and his wife discovered a tree had crashed through the roof of their bedroom. Sleep did not come that night, he said. The next morning he went to the church and found the building that housed the fellowship hall, education program and preschool in rubble. Part of the churchs roof had blown off. Climbing a nearby knoll, he looked down at the destruction in the community a Burger King, hardware store and real estate office were gone. It was a sad site, he said. That night as he went to bed, Voorhaar was struck by the magnitude of all the human suffering that lay in the storms wake. There was a deep grief down inside me, he said. I have not felt grief that deep down since 1987 when our son was killed in an automobile accident. And yet, as he ministered to the community, Voorhaar also gained strength from knowing that the churchs sanctuary still stands and is structurally sound. In the midst of all the rubble, there is the church. The sanctuary is a symbol of the presence of God, he said. God will bring healing. Following the service, the congregation drove over to the church site. Together, they stood on the parking lot and remembered the experiences they had with God and each other in that building. One day we will come back to this site to worship as the people of God and as the people of La Plata UMC, Voorhaar said. God is here. | 
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