TOUCHING JESUS

 Vol 13 No 7

April 29, 2014

Dear Friend,

I love the story of the woman who had bled for twelve years and approached Jesus through a crowd. Upon touching his cloak immediately she was healed. As a young person who was just beginning to attend church I remember first hearing this story described in a sermon by Dr. Harry Fifield of the First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta.  

After the woman was healed, Jesus asked, “Who touched my clothes?” She fell at his feet and Jesus, speaking through her anxiety, told her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:34*

Harry let us absorb that for a few moments and then asked a question that changed my life and continues to speak to my heart, “Are you crowding Jesus or touching him?” Are you one among the crowd Sunday morning, merely chatting with your friends, “Hi Bill, Hi Jenny, Hi Marty,” or are you touching Jesus – connecting to Jesus by means of your faith in and following of Jesus?

I recall hearing of a congregation that spoke of three kinds of people: the churched, the unchurched, and the overchurched. The unchurched are people who do not relate to a congregation in any meaningful way, even if they are members of a church. The churched are the normally involved church members.  By their definition, the overchurched are not people who spend too much time in church work. The overchurched are people who experience church without experiencing God.

As one who has spent much of his life in the swirl of church busyness, I find Harry’s question  helps me remain churched but not overchurched. It continues to center me on the Lord who loves me.

Are you crowding Jesus or touching him? May this question center you as well.

With joy –

E. Stanley Ott

HE LIVES

 Vol 13 No 6

April 15, 2014

Dear Friend,

When Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome arrived at the tomb of Jesus early in the morning they were stunned to discover the rock in front of the tomb had been moved. A young man dressed in a white robe told them Jesus had been raised and was not there. Mark 16

The various translations of the Bible use several words to describe the feelings of these women such as alarmed, terror, amazement, trembling, astonishment, and bewildered.

I find these words are in themselves a wonderful testimony to the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Someone writing a nice starry-eyed ending to the story would have pictured the women overcome with joy and happiness. Instead they experience raw shock.  

The huge stone was moved. Their beloved Jesus was gone. They are told not only that Jesus lives but also that he is going to Galilee ahead of them and that they would see him again.

These women knew something very exceptionally out of the ordinary had occurred.

Jesus is alive – right here right now with you wherever you are reading this. Allow this to be the Easter of your life. Open your life anew to this Lord who loves you and know and experience the love he has for you.

A joyous Easter to you  -

E. Stanley Ott