to consider as we pursue God together: Does the attractional model (where we meet on Sunday and invite people to come meet Jesus) continue to be an effective way to pursue God? Does it continue to be an effective/inviting method for reaching the UnChurched?
Not trying to create controversy or stir up trouble ... just reading Matthew 9 and notice that:
- Jesus told Matthew to come and follow
- Jesus then took Matthew home ... to Matthew's house!
And in going to Matthew's house, Jesus created a safe environment for other "tax collectors and sinners" to come and learn from Jesus. The "churched people" (Pharisees and religious leaders) did not get the comfortability or the connection, they did not understand that Jesus was all about the one lost sheep. Yet by going into their midst, maybe Jesus allows them to enter a comfortable place where they can settle in and get to know Jesus and develop relationship rather than coming to some "religious gathering" where they hardly know anyone and or this particular groups "rituals".
Maybe, in pursuing God we need to go to where the "tax collectors and sinners" are more often, so we can join them in getting comfortable, settling back in and redeveloping that relationship with Him again.
What do you think?
R
