Building One Another

WAKE UP! Vol 14 No 3

January 20, 2015

Dear Friend,

This morning I wrote two emails. In the first I used the word, “ecclesiology” (the theology of the church) and in the second I used the word, “anesthesiology.”

Later musing about these two rhyming words it occurred to me: ecclesiology is about waking people up and anesthesiology is about putting people to sleep!

It is the classic work of the church to call us to wake up – wake up to the love and reality of God – wake up to the presence of Jesus Christ and his invitation to follow him – wake up to new life, “Sleeper, awake! Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14*

Throughout American history there have been periods of intense awakening to the wonder of the person of Jesus, periods that are known as the Great Awakenings.

While we surely live in a day in which a new Great Awakening would lift the lives of countless people to know and experience the reality of Jesus who loves them, any such movement has to begin with a few – like me and like you!

Open yourself to the wonder of the person of Jesus, set your heart on embracing and following him and growing to know his love.  “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 

Wake up!  

Joy to you - E. Stanley Ott
Copyright 2015 E. Stanley Ott
*Scripture from the NRSV