What is Compelling?

Yesterday, I attended a Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the Hope Meadows Recovery Complex in Burlington. It is a ministry of Burlington United Methodist Family Services. During the speeches, the CEO, Chris Mullett, asked us what we found compelling about Jesus. For him, it was best seen in the story of blind Bartemeaus (Mark 10: 46-52 (also Matthew 20:29-34, and Luke 18:35-43)) .  The man asked Jesus for help.  Jesus asks him, "What do you want me to do for you?"

For Chris, this question was very important. He told us that this is how Burlington operates. The ministry first asks, "what do you want me to do for you?"

This raises two important questions for me (and for you).

First of all, this is how ministry should be done. We are to do ministry WITH people, not AT them. Do we ask "What is it that you want me to do for you?" 

Secondly, what is it that you find compelling about Jesus? I've been giving that some thought, because I imagine what we find compelling about Jesus, others would find compelling, too?  Maybe this will show us the good news we are to bring. When I think about Jesus, I think about someone for whom no one was invisible, or worse yet, no one was their sin. He brought the tax collector out of the tree, he brought the woman out of the space where she was to be stoned, healed the woman who was excluded because of her bleeding issue. Jesus saw the person. To Jesus, people were valuable, and their value wasn't lost due to their sin.  That is good news for me, and for you, and is something we can share with others - either through our words or our actions.

But there is so much more - what is it that you find compelling about Jesus?