I came across this article today about a church that is handing out shot glasses (with the phrase “give us a shot” on it) in a local bar to invite people to their church. I love to hear stories about churches doing things like this. I’m personally up for just starting a church service in the bar, but this is a step in the right direction.

You see this past Sunday our pastor spoke about the story of Zacchaeus in Luke 19. One of the things that he pointed out that really struck a chord with me was in verse 7. Jesus enters Jericho this famous rabbi who everyone loves. Then he decides to go against the grain of what all the religious people have been doing (separating themselves from sinners), and he tells the greatest sinner in town that he is going to go eat at his house (the den of iniquity….dum, dum, dum).

Then you see in verse 7, “And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.”" I love that verse. With one act of love and compassion for a man that was the least to deserve it, Jesus looses his entire reputation. You constantly see him loosing his reputation because he would go where “righteous people” wouldn’t go and hang out with people that “righteous people” wouldn’t hang out with.

We need to do the same. Our churches need to the same.