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Seeing is believing...right?

At last Jesus appears to his closest followers - but one of them is missing. Join us now in the upper room where faith and doubt, peace and fear all co-exist: (26 min)

MUSIC to enhance your experience of ENCOUNTERS

Jesus' first words are, "Peace be to you." His next task is to allay their fears. Listen to this lovely piece by Stopford: 

 Do Not Be Afraid

Our last consideration was the wounds of Jesus as the source of our healing. This song captures that sentiment:

 By His Wounds


Encounters with the Risen Lord

Each week will feature a different Resurrection appearance to reflect upon.

  • Women at the Tomb: April 20th 
  • Mary Magdalene in the Garden: April 27th
  • The Disciples on the Road to Emmaus: May 4th
  • The Upper Room and Doubting Thomas: May 11th
  • Jesus at the Sea of Galilee: May 18th
  • The Ascension: May 25th

This resource is made available in response to Jesus' saying, "Go and tell the others!" Please share these emails widely and freely to spread the Good News and extend with me the joy that is Easter.

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WHY THESE WOMEN: Four Stories You Need to Read Before You Read the Story of Jesus

In WHY THESE WOMEN, you are invited to consider that we are missing something in skipping over the four women in the opening of Matthew’s Gospel, their names, and their stories—something critical to the full appreciation and understanding of the Gospel which follows.

What if we took seriously the anomalous presence of four women in the all-male lineup of ancestors that opens the New Testament? What if we read their colorful stories for more than the titillation they contain but probed them with sacred questions and expectation?

We might see these women as examples of those for whom he came, women who suffer injustice, then and now. Their stories serve as evidence of our failure to notice; their placement redirects us toward addressing that exclusion with all that it implies.

We might find hope that the God who planted their stories within the great larger Story provides purpose and meaning for our stories as well. We might even find that we read the Jesus story that follows somewhat differently, changed by what we have read.

If you do not yet have a copy of Kathleen's latest book, you may purchase it through Amazon. Click below to take a look:

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Again, a few comments from readers:

Regarding the Encounter with Mary Magdalene in the Garden:
Among the many gems that you present, the one that stirred my inner imagination the most was the discussion about Jesus' words to Mary: Noli mi tangere. I think most likely the phrase was "don't cling to me". After all, as you noted Jesus had no qualms with the women embracing his feet after the Resurrection in the gospel of Matthew...and he invited Thomas to touch him in the places he had been wounded...so to tell Mary not to touch him seems to me to present a deeper, personal message. Touch is one thing, but to cling! That's something else. So when Jesus says to Mary, "Don't cling to me!" he could very well be meaning to say it to himself as much to her. It was an act of cutting loose an earthly attachment so as to have freedom to be available to others. - Laura


And about the Encounter with the Disciples on the Road to Emmaus:
A friend and I were discussing this scripture, particularly the way they recognized Jesus in the breaking of the bread. It occurred to us that perhaps it was at that moment that they saw the nail prints in his hands. - Linda

Feel free to send me your thoughts on any of these Encounters. Email me at Contact Kathleen

Author, Kathleen MacInnis Kichline