Just a quick question

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

Todays Reading

Matthew 9:1-17

Jesus Heals a Paralytic

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city. And behold, some people brought to him a paralytic, lying on a bed. And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, pick up your bed and go home." And he rose and went home. When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

Jesus Calls Matthew

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners."

A Question About Fasting

Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved."