BUTCH: Chris, did you see that new lamp I had in my room?

CHRIS: No, Butch, I didn't see it. Tell me about it.

BUTCH: Well, it is a very special kind of lamp. Since you didn't see it you wouldn't know that it doesn't have any buttons or switches.

CHRIS: If it doesn't have any switches or buttons, how do you turn it on?

BUTCH: If you want to turn it on, you just touch it. Just the lightest touch can turn the lamp on or off.

CHRIS: You turn it on by just touching it?

BUTCH: One little touch and it goes from light to dark, or from dark to light.

CHRIS: What if I come in and it's cold outside and I have my gloves on. Can I still touch it and have it come on?

BUTCH: No that won't work. If you try to use a piece of paper, or a pencil, or anything else to touch the lamp, it won't turn on.

CHRIS: So none of that will work. You just touch it with your bare hand.

BUTCH: You just touch it with your hand, it comes on right away.

CHRIS: That's really neat, Butch. I sure wish I had one.

BUTCH: You remember in Sunday School we had a special Scripture from Mark 1 about a very special kind of touch.

CHRIS: Yes, it was about a man who was a Tiger or something. Oh, I know, it was a lepard.

BUTCH: No, Chris, he was not an animal, he was a man who was very sick with a disease called leprosy.

CHRIS: Boy, was I confused. I'm glad you explained that. I was wondering how a man could be a man and be a cat.

BUTCH: I'm glad you understand now. No one would get near him or touch him. But he came to Jesus and asked Jesus to heal him.

CHRIS: How was Jesus going to heal him if He couldn't touch him.

BUTCH: Jesus could have done just that without touch, but Jesus reached out and touched the man, and he was healed.

CHRIS: You mean the leprosy went away?

BUTCH: That's right, Chris. Just like a touch of your hand can change darkness to light, Jesus touched this man's life and changed it from sad to happy.

CHRIS: That is neat.

BUTCH: And it is powerful, that's how powerful Jesus is. You know, Jesus loves each of us just as much as He loved that man with leprosy.

CHRIS: And Jesus wants to touch our lives, too, and take away our sadness.

BUTCH: He can't reach out and touch us like He did that man, but His Spirit can come into our hearts and touch us like that. Let's pray and ask Jesus to touch our lives like He did for the sick man.

CHRIS: When we get to Children's Church, that's the first thing we are going to do. Bye everyone.

(puppets down)