This week in the lectionary we are dealing with the story Jesus and the woman who had a history of bleeding. We do not know her by name but we know that simply by having faith and touching Jesus, she was healed of her hemorrhaging. I think we all intuitively know the value of touch and its lingering effects even after the handshake or hug is long over. As I write this, I am sitting in my office awaiting feedback on my annual pastor's evaluation. I find this process particularly challenging for a number of reasons. I have some lingering history with this process from a previous parish, it requires me to do a whole lot of soul searching, and most difficult of all, it can kick you right in the ego if you're not looking for it. I really wish I could be in the room during the discussion. Even though I know that isn't practical for me to be there, I want to be in contact with those who are discussing my performance. I want to be able to touch them. Not to put undue pressure on them, but to reassure them that I want to be in community regardless of whether I'm their hero or their goat. (I now know how Charlie Brown felt when he came up to the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning, behind by one run, with the bases loaded . . .) Touch is that important to me, because the ministry here at Richardson Park is about what God is doing in our midst, not what I am doing. It's Jesus' touch that changes heart, minds, and lives, not my touch. And praise God for it! It allows me to continue to be human without having to be more than I am because it's God who is the great I AM. I want to touch others so they can feel God's touch through me. So, as I leave you to ponder this cryptic post, who have you touched today?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Personal Touch
This week in the lectionary we are dealing with the story Jesus and the woman who had a history of bleeding. We do not know her by name but we know that simply by having faith and touching Jesus, she was healed of her hemorrhaging. I think we all intuitively know the value of touch and its lingering effects even after the handshake or hug is long over. As I write this, I am sitting in my office awaiting feedback on my annual pastor's evaluation. I find this process particularly challenging for a number of reasons. I have some lingering history with this process from a previous parish, it requires me to do a whole lot of soul searching, and most difficult of all, it can kick you right in the ego if you're not looking for it. I really wish I could be in the room during the discussion. Even though I know that isn't practical for me to be there, I want to be in contact with those who are discussing my performance. I want to be able to touch them. Not to put undue pressure on them, but to reassure them that I want to be in community regardless of whether I'm their hero or their goat. (I now know how Charlie Brown felt when he came up to the plate in the bottom of the 9th inning, behind by one run, with the bases loaded . . .) Touch is that important to me, because the ministry here at Richardson Park is about what God is doing in our midst, not what I am doing. It's Jesus' touch that changes heart, minds, and lives, not my touch. And praise God for it! It allows me to continue to be human without having to be more than I am because it's God who is the great I AM. I want to touch others so they can feel God's touch through me. So, as I leave you to ponder this cryptic post, who have you touched today?
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