Known and Loved

By Mark Patterson

As you enter our church foyer, two words appear on a large sign: Known and Loved. Part of our vision at Redeemer is to be a congregation where every member is just that, known and loved. Long before that sign was installed, Mike Flom stood there every Sunday, embodying and living out those two words. I’m certain many of you would say that along with me about our dear friend.

In fact, the first two times I met Mike were there in that foyer. Our family walked in the building and was greeted by his smile and handshake. He asked all of our names and talked with us for a while, getting to know us. The following Sunday, Mike greeted us by name and followed up from our conversation the previous week. We were shocked. Here was a man who took the time to remember people. He remembered what we talked about the week before and he remembered our names. Our family felt known and loved, but we weren’t the only ones. I’ve heard a similar story about Mike from many people at Redeemer.

Along with greeting people, Mike made us all feel known and loved through his prayer life. When names appeared on the prayer calendar for the upcoming week, Mike would go around and speak to each person, asking how he could specifically pray for them. I have no doubt that many things happened in the lives of people at Redeemer as a direct result of Mike’s prayers. He knew us and he loved us.

Mike also specifically made me feel known and loved by how he participated in our ministry. Mike gave generously to our ministry, but that’s not what I’m talking about. Every time before I would leave for a trip to train pastors in El Salvador or the Amazon jungle, Mike would tell me he was praying for me and for the pastors that I train. When I returned home, he would ask how it went and again remind me that he was praying for me, my ministry, and my family. Again, I have no doubt that our ministry was impacted as a direct result of Mike’s prayers.

A lasting memory I have of Mike happened at The Original Pancake House in early February. Over the years of talking with him, Mike would often share what he was learning about the Lord and how he was delighting in Christ. He was a humble man who always wanted to know the Lord deeper. That morning, I was listening to Mike tell me how much he was enjoying studying the Lord’s providence and His love. He then asked me what was new in my life. I told him I had just started training a small group of young men at the church who aspire to ministry. Mike was really happy and started rattling off names, asking if they were part of the group. Indeed, they were. Mike then said in a broken voice, as he was struggling with shortness of breath, “I’ve been praying for those young men for a long time…praying that the Lord would direct their lives for His glory.” These young men were known and loved by Mike. He cared about them and their future and invested time praying for them.

Our dear friend Mike modeled the heart of Christ to us. He marveled that he was known and loved by the Lord and he deeply wanted others to be known and loved as well. As far as I know, Mike never led a Bible study or delivered a sermon from a pulpit, yet his life preached loudly in the church foyer and on his knees in his home. Even as his body was failing, we felt known and loved by Mike. Many people were impacted for the glory of Christ through Mike’s prayers, his gentleness, and his deep concern for others. I’m sure the impact Mike had on us individually, on our families, on our church, and even on ministries around the world is greater than we can imagine.

Mike often said to me, even as I sat by his bedside the last week of his life, “I’m nothing special. Jesus is a very gracious Savior. All glory belongs to Christ!” Friends, may you and I follow Mike’s godly example. May we all, like Mike, be deeply humbled that we are known and loved by Christ. May it not just be words written in the foyer of our church, but may we all make others feel known and loved, because we are known and loved by a great Savior!