Magnetic Discipleship

“Magnetic Discipleship”
Condensed Version of a Message by Rev. Ken Morrison, Pastor – July 25, 2010
Copyright 2010 by Kenneth L.Morrison  All Rights Reserved
Via de Cristo United Methodist Fellowship
7430 E Pinnacle Peak Rd, Ste. 134
Scottsdale, AZ 85255
Phone:  480-515-4490
www.viadecristo.com
e-mail:  ken@viadecristo.com

Read Luke 19:1-10

It is not often that a pastor gets to be a religious outsider. It happened for me one spring day in 1976. From my auto I had observed a religious group preaching on a street corner a few days earlier and noticed them setting up in the city park across the street from the church where I served. I decided to investigate who they were and what they were doing. It turned out that they were followers of Rev. Moon or “Moonies” and two of them came to engage me in a conversation. It did not take long to see that it was all about them and not about me. They were all right and I was all wrong. Very quickly I was ready to extricate myself from the situation. I could not get away fast enough.

With so many religious people ready to get in your face and push their agenda, it is no wonder that many Americans have an increasing desire to keep their religion and spirituality a private matter. Increasingly young adults across our country are identifying themselves as “spiritual but not religious” because religious organizations and institutions have left them with a bad feeling.

Our strategic planning team discovered that the “dechurched” are the largest group of people in our area who do not have a current congregation. The dechurched are simply people who have not been to church in more than six months. The team developed a vision of becoming a magnet congregation planning our life and ministry to attract this large body of people who may be as many as half our neighbors.

Let me push back at that vision of us trying to make our church a magnet. In Luke 19:1-10, Zacchaeus is the ultimate “dechurched” person because his role as a tax gatherer and Roman lackey makes him an outcast from the synagogue and any other form of Jewish fellowship. In Luke's story, Zacchaeus is attracted to Jesus, but of greater importance is the fact that Jesus allows himself to be attracted to Zacchaeus. The transformation in Zacchaeus' life is a result not of preaching or teaching, but of attention and an invitation to dinner. The act of kindness inspires Zacchaeus to draw Jesus closer.

Maybe we need to let people around us attract our attention instead of trying to attract theirs. Maybe the invitation to church is not the first invitation we need to give. Instead, how about inviting someone new to join you for coffee, a glass of wine, a meal, a round of golf, or your book club. Letting people attract our intention and acts of kindness is what I call magnetic discipleship. By the way, I am not sure who picked up the tab between Jesus and Zacchaeus, but if you give an invite and pick up the tab I will be happy to say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”