Before God touched his heart and transformed his life, Rudy Rasmus was a businessman running a "borderline bordello" in Houston. But thousands now know him simply as "Pastor Rudy"-with a downtown ministry at St. John's Church that he and his wife Juanita started to reach out to those who Jesus called "the least of these." TOUCH is the amazing story of Rudy's life and ministry of grace that is changing lives daily. The church has become one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the country with people from every social and economic background, including the homeless, sharing the same pew. Pastor Rudy's message to touch the lives of those in our own communities has a lesson for us all. Pastor Rudy is also a featured contributor to O , The Oprah Magazine-answering questions on ethics and marking one of the few times O has asked a Pastor to serve in this manner. TOUCH Pressing Against the Wounds of a Broken World By RUDY RASMUS Thomas Nelson Copyright © 2007 Rudy Rasmus All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8499-1985-5 Contents Acknowledgments.........................................................................viiForeword................................................................................ixPart 1 A Touch That Transforms Lives1 Sometimes, It's Messy.................................................................32 Grace with Skin On....................................................................273 He Touched Them.......................................................................514 Through His Eyes......................................................................715 Holy Disgust..........................................................................976 Walk This Way.........................................................................113Part 2 A Touch That Transforms a Church, a Community, and the World7 The Call on Crawford Street...........................................................1378 Keeping It Real.......................................................................1619 Intentionally Different...............................................................18310 It's Worth It........................................................................207Notes...................................................................................219Going Deeper: A Study Guide.............................................................221About the Author........................................................................237How to Begin a Ministry to Homeless People..............................................239How to Lead a Touch Group or Class......................................................243 Chapter One Sometimes, It's Messy Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed" (Mark 1:41 NKJV). Whatever makes us feel superior to other people, whatever tempts us to convey a sense of superiority, that is the gravity of our sinful nature, not grace. -Phillip Yancey He came barreling down the aisle-police in hot pursuit-cradling something shiny under his arm and sweating heavily in jeans, no shirt, no shoes ... wild-eyed and dangerous looking for such a young, skinny man. The guest preacher looked over at me and kept preaching. He was the U.S. ambassador to Tanzania, had traveled extensively, and had vast experience in unique situations. He'd survived the bombing of Tanzania's embassy; we both knew he could handle a little interruption in an eight o'clock church service. Truth is, despite the big stained-glass windows, vaulted ceiling, and theaterlike stage that clearly indicate "church," we have little interruptions like this about once a quarter at St. John's. Sometimes it's threatening, sometimes comical, sometimes insane, but every "interrupter" looking for sanctuary ... a spiritual shelter. We serve a part of downtown Houston that attracts every segment of society from 150 zip codes-a melting pot of wealthy and powerful, poor and fragile, educated and uneducated, very young and very old, black, white, and brown. For ninety minutes every Sunday, the lines of class distinction disappear and the pews are packed with white-collar professionals, the family next door, the homeless and addicts. And I was looking at an addict. The wild man jumped on the stage, turned and faced the congregation-the more conservative, traditional, and less reactionary crowd of the day. If this was happening in the ten o'clock service, we'd need the police to pull the crowd off this intruder. I moved from the stage to the front row to get his attention. What is under his arm , I wondered. Is it a gun? I knew the two policemen-armed and in full uniform-were wondering the same thing. Neither had drawn his weapon, but the moment was tense. They hung back as instructed, waiting for my signal, unwilling to make a bigger scene until absolutely necessary. The preacher kept preac