Jul 28, 2020
You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/130
Here's the second installment of exploring John's Gospel. Missed the first episode? No problem! Each episode stands alone. You can listen to Episode 129 here.
As you explore John 1, consider how God's voice and God's touch animate the church.
John 1:1-5, 14
Max Dupree, in his book Leadership Jazz, tells the story of his granddaughter Zoe. She was born prematurely and weighed one pound and seven ounces. She was so tiny that his wedding ring fit over her arm. Additionally, Zoe’s biological father abandoned Max’s daughter the month before Zoe was born.
The first time Max suited up in protective gear to visit Zoe in her isolate in the neonatal unit of the hospital she had two IV’s in her arms, one in her navel, and a feeding tube plus a breathing tube in her mouth. A wise and caring nurse named Ruth gave Max his instructions.
“For the next several months, you will be the surrogate father,” she told him. “I want you to come see me every day. While you are here, I would like you to rub her arms and her legs with the tip of your finger. While you are caressing her, you should tell her over and over how much you love her because she needs to connect your voice with your touch.”
“Ruth was doing exactly the right thing for Zoe and without realizing it, she was giving me the perfect description of the work of a leader. At the core of being a leader is the ability to always connect one’s voice with one’s touch.”
So, what does this mean for us? The very voice of God, the Word of God, touches the community in and through you and me as the church. The church is the connection of God’s Word and God’s touch.
Respond: How will God’s voice and touch come together for you today?
Pay close attention to the people who are making significant investments in your life. How do those persons empower you? Pay attention to the people with whom you interact today. Be aware of the persons in whom you are investing. What difference does your interaction make in your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors?
Reflect upon the scripture and your interactions of the day.
O God, thank you for your presence and power in and through Jesus. I am grateful for your investment in my life and I pray that you will empower me to invest my life in the people around me. I am especially grateful that you are helping me become more who you created me to be. Help me focus my eyes more upon Jesus, so I may recognize you more often in the people I meet along the way. Amen.