Meet Rhoda

Rhoda Pfotenhauer and her husband Paul co-founded Woodbury Lutheran Church in Minnesota in 1967 and an additional church in Manzanillo, Mexico in 2001. I have a close connection to Woodbury Lutheran, as I attended church there for most of my life. Rhoda is a deaconess in the Lutheran church, she has been married to Paul for 55 years, is a former missionary, retired nursing home chaplain, world traveler, mother of three, and a self-proclaimed encourager. Above all though, Rhoda is filled with joy. As she reflected back on her life with gratitude, that joy radiated from her. It was contagious.

The truth is, we all get to choose what we will do with our life; will we use our influence and time to establish beautiful things in the world? As I spoke with Rhoda, it was clear that she has wholeheartedly committed her life to loving God and serving others. She has established very beautiful things in the world, communities where people are built up and feel a sense of belonging. Through her legacy of faith, being a relentless encourager, and choosing joy, she has helped develop the faith of countless people. I just so happen to be one of them.

THE INTERVIEW:

Melissa: The first question is how do you define beauty?

Rhoda: Well for me, beauty…I think I like the whole idea of what's in Philippians 4, if I can just tell you what that is.

Melissa: Yep.

Rhoda: This has kind of been what I [have] seen all my life, that "Finally, whatever is true, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things." So when you really look at those verses, you see everything of life and beauty and how God has created this world for each of us to see His beauty and how He interacts in our lives. And then [He] makes us see what a beautiful creation He has made for us and then how we become part of it as His children.

Melissa: So then the next question might be a little bit tricky... Where do you see beauty in the world?

Rhoda: I see beauty a lot in music and the arts. In choral music you are praising God twice with melodies and words. Just the beauty of music. We've traveled a lot around the world. I've seen so many different kinds of beauty in creation that God has really made... It's so awesome when you think of the oceans and the mountains and I can sit and look out my balcony and see the whales and hear the birds and watch the hummingbirds wake me up. I mean there are so many ways of seeing beauty in both creation and also in God’s special creation-His people.

Melissa: So the next question is about brokenness. Can you tell me about a time that you've experienced brokenness either currently or it could be an experience you've had in the past?

Rhoda: Okay. Well, I think my whole life changed when I was 13 years old when my father died very suddenly. It was a time of total change in our whole family. I have four brothers and my mother did a wonderful job raising us and bringing Christ into our lives. My mom, who had never even written a check in her life, this whole scenario changed our life. There was one day I can remember when I was 13 sitting outside and my dog was sort of my comfort. It was just like the clouds opened and God said, "I'm there for you. I will take care of you. You are mine." And the verses that God will always take care of the widow and the fatherless children. So that was sort of the comfort that I knew that God, the Father, became my father.

Out of that, I kept growing in my faith, and that really was how I became the person that God has made me today. That was the beginning of trusting in Him and having the knowledge and being able to then grow through that experience of death. [And] to know that we have life here on earth then to carry out to other people the message of who [Jesus] really is and how He can make us know who we are and then take that message to the world with joy.

Melissa: Wow. So, the next question is about finding beauty in the midst of that brokenness. You kind of spoke to that a bit. I don't know if there's anything else you wanted to say about that.

Rhoda: Well, I think that the path of my life then was kind of directed more by God and Jesus, the Father and the Son, in that I was able as a young person then to be involved in youth groups. Then I got to travel one summer when I was 17 around California with a group of three out of 51 youth from across the country. We worked in youth groups renewing their youth groups in a four day time period. We were called Youth Caravaners.

Out of that, I was at Valparaiso University in Indiana and met a girl that was going to be a deaconess. So, when I came back after that summer it was a time that my life changed a lot because I had a worldview [of a] much wider, bigger world than Underwood, North Dakota. Out of that, God just led me to go to Valparaiso, and then I studied religion and sociology and so forth and became a deaconess in the Lutheran church. That was supposed to be my career. I was never going to marry a pastor, but God didn't want it that way, so that's how I met Pastor Paul. We were married and then went as missionaries to Ottawa, Canada and served two churches for five years.

Melissa: That brings it full circle. I didn't know that back-story. So then the next question is about lies. What lies about beauty have you experienced?

Rhoda: When I look back I think you really have to not be compared to someone else or something that's happening in our culture. I think that maybe in the sixth grade way back then it was a time that I could remember that I didn't feel like I was beautiful or anything like that or have the joy of the Lord. It was like I didn't have a waist. The struggle of finding that it isn't on the outside that counts, it's what God puts in you to share with other people and to help them find out who Jesus is, to bring that same joy to them.

I think that as I matured and as life matures you... But you still struggle. I think everybody struggles with that because we have this whole struggle of flesh and spirit, and we see how we are in God's eyes that through our baptism we became God's child and beautiful. We always have the promise that He will take care of us. So, when you put yourself in His arms, then you become special, but if you look only in yourself, then you can lose that.

Melissa: Given that, have you had any particular experiences that have transformed your ideas about beauty that you haven't already talked about?

Rhoda: When we got married, it was a time about when we moved here in 1967 that the whole women's liberation movement started. So, a lack of contentment as to who I was in my role as a woman in the home and career wise. Both of us were very strong and independent. It really turned out that what we did, we actually went to a counselor and worked things through. It was kind of a really divisive time in the history of the United States where the roles of women changed a great deal. It's still definitely very much here.

Under that, with my husband, we came to the conclusion that we had to compliment each other to help each other grow in becoming who Christ really wanted us to be. So that's how we worked that out in 55 years of marriage. Helping each other be more complete and not be bickering and not see yourself as someone that doesn't have everything or you're not the beauty on the outside or whatever. But [instead focus on] the beauty together you can share in God's unconditional love but also in your love for each other and then your love for your children and grandchildren.

I feel totally blessed that even in the midst of the trials that we've had with our kids and with my husband…there's been joy in our lives together through all these sufferings and through being able to share many, many other people's sufferings.

For me, I see myself as an encourager. It's been what's been the joy of our ministry here, to be able to help people find who Jesus is in their lives and their Savior and then see how their lives grow spiritually and how they can become who God wants them to be. So that's kind of been the model. Does that answer your question?

Melissa: That definitely answers the question. Thank you. So those are all the specific questions I have. Was there anything else that you wanted to name or mention before we wrap up the interview?

Rhoda: This passage this morning was so beautiful. It was David's prayer of thanks. It was from Chronicles 16.

"Seek Jehovah and His strength. Seek his face forevermore. Sing unto Jehovah all the earth; show forth His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples. For great is Jehovah, greatly to be praised. Also is to be feared above all Gods. Oh give thanks unto Jehovah for He is good, for His love endures forever."

It kind of says everything. It really does. Then the passage Isaiah 12:1-6.

"You have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And that day you will say: ‘Give thanks to the Lord, call on His name, make known what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted. Sing to the Lord. Sing for joy.’"

My theme for my life has truly been Philippians. “Rejoice in the Lord always and, again, I say rejoice.” Basically that's what I want my funeral service to be about… the joy that God has put in my life, for what He's done, for the marvelous opportunities we've had. We've traveled and done mission trips all over the world. So we've been in Jamaica, we've been in the Dominican Republic. I've been to Venezuela eight times during mission trips. Then we have this great opportunity that God has put in our midst, we're going to do maybe our eighth trip to Israel next year to bring people to the sites where Jesus was to make their lives and their faith come alive in greater ways.

And then we also take people to Greece to show where Paul's missionary journeys were. So my life has just been so blessed that you just give thanks. Of course, we have six grandchildren that make it wonderful. Then I had the opportunity in my life to be able to go back to school when I was 47. I got my master's degree at River Falls for counseling and then created a job at Good Shepherd Care Center in St. Paul as a chaplain. I worked eight years as a chaplain mostly working, again, with this idea of helping people get ready to meet the Lord and know that Jesus is their savior and have the gift of eternal life to look forward to. Also, teaching them how to have joy in those last years.

I did many funerals. I did baptisms. I was the lady that carried the little keyboard around. Then I worked with the Alzheimer's people and had a little band for them. It's amazing the experiences in life that I've had and just thank God for all those opportunities. It's been a real joy.

Melissa: It sounds like your role of encourager too has been consistent in all of these things.

Rhoda: Yes. So Paul and I became really partners when we started this church. I helped start Women of the Word, and I did the Befriender Ministry for many years. The church that started in our home 52 years ago with the two of us and two children, now has 4,000 people with three sites in Woodbury and Stillwater. It’s been our joy to help disciple people to become missionaries for the world.

The theme for deaconesses is “to love God and serve His people.” So, I love to serve people. That's how I get filled up. Obviously, you can see I'm an extrovert. Life has been really very interesting as a pastor's wife, but at the same time people will say, "Well, isn't that just kind of a dull life or something?" I said, "Well, you better try it sometime and you'll find out that it's the greatest life you could have serving the Lord."

It's been an opportunity that we've been now given good health to be able to still do in our old age. We're the oldest people that this travel industry has used now. We've done 17 trips for them.

Melissa: Oh, my goodness.

Rhoda: Life has changed a lot in Woodbury, but at the same time the needs are always the same, to find the Lord in your life and live for Him.

Melissa: Thank you so much. That’s so good.

Rhoda: We'll see…Yeah, I mean it's amazing that all our kids are all in ministry too.

Melissa: Oh, I didn't know that all of them are.

Rhoda: Yeah. So P. Jay and his wife Raechel both serve Bethel Lutheran in Westmont, Illinois. Patra married Peter Mueller; both serving Hope Lutheran in West Seattle, Washington also. And our youngest son, Tom and his wife, Stephanie serves here at Woodbury Lutheran in Woodbury, Minnesota. So we basically have four churches. We have [one in] Chicago, we have [one] here, we have [one in] Seattle and we have [one in] Manzanillo, Mexico. God really opened the world. I think that that's what I learned a lot [about], how if you just let God work in your life it's amazing what He opens up to you.

Think back [to] where I was when God [said He] would take [care] of me. He took care of me. It's been a wonderful path, just blessing upon blessing. In the midst of suffering, He definitely has been there with us.

I can truly say God the Father has kept His promise and cared for our family our whole lives. God the Son Jesus, has showered His love on us and is our Savior and friend. God , the Holy Spirit has lived within us, strengthened us and guided our lives to share our faith. To God be the Glory.

Are you tired of being sold a broken brand of beauty?

The brand of beauty we are so often sold as women is way too small. It divides and dis-integrates us. I am on a mission to expand and re-discover beauty, authentic beauty. I believe beauty is the life of God at work in us and among us. Will you join me in exploring that kind of beauty?

Sign up and follow along on my journey. Let’s re-define beauty. Together.