Mardi Gras, and the other things surrounding it [such as school holidays and family vacations] have really taken a toll on our attendance numbers the last two weeks.  This followed shortly on the heels of the awesome excitement of Sunday, February 2nd, when we had our highest attendance in a long time, accompanied by a buzz of energy in the building generated by the enthusiasm of that many people gathering to worship.  But, just as I was on the verge of lapsing into discouragement, Bethany reminded me that it was not all that long ago when the “small” number of souls present the last two weeks would have been cause for great rejoicing.    

 That’s how easy it is to take God’s blessings for granted.  That’s how quickly it can happen.  

 That’s also how simple it is to have a failure of vision.  Just when you think you are seeing things clearly, you get a reminder that your vision isn’t really very good after all.  That’s when you find that you are in need of a “second touch” from The Spirit, like the blind man in Bethsaida in The Gospel of Mark 8:22-26.  And, aren’t you glad that Jesus is still in the business of providing that “second touch” when we need it?  Watch for it, listen for it, wait for it.  The “second touch” may very well come from the wise words of one of your brothers or sisters who, without even realizing it, are restoring your spiritual vision to 20/20 again.

Here’s one more quick thought from the story of the blind man in Bethsaida.  As you recall, after Jesus touched him the first time and asked if he could see, the man said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking around.”  Is he seeing some of the Ents from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth?  No.  But, in some ways, what is happening is almost as strange.

Jesus was in the very act of performing a miracle, on a man whose blindness must have been known by many, if not most of the people in that place.  And yet, people were moving around, “walking around”, going about their business without even noticing, without even caring that something amazing was happening right there, before their very eyes.  They couldn’t be distracted from their own lives long enough to see what was happening.  They were “blind” to the movement and presence and power of God being displayed right there among them.  How strange.  [And Jesus knew it.  Read Matthew 11:20-22 to hear His harsh condemnation of their apathy.] 

I guess you can “see” where this is going.  Who were the real “blind” people that day in Bethsaida? 

But do we not “see” that their blindness is something that can easily infect us as well?  Do we not realize that The Spirit’s movement and work at TOCC each time we gather is as much a miracle as the healing of the blind man in Bethsaida?  Do we not notice, do we not care that something amazing is happening before our very eyes?  Are we so caught up in the daily busy-ness and trials of our own lives that we are blind to the movement and presence and power of God being displayed right here among us?

And it’s not just inside our building on Sundays and Wednesdays that The Spirit is doing amazing things.  I know that some of you are constantly seeing The Spirit at work in your lives.  Please keep sharing your experiences with the rest of us.  And I pray that Jesus will give those of us who need it another “second touch” so that we can all see clearly and rejoice in what The Spirit is doing, and so that we can all join Him in His work.

Ambrose K. Ramsey III
Shepherd