"For the Son of Man (that's Jesus!) came to seek and to save what was lost (that's us!)"
Luke 19:10
One day Jesus came across a man called Zacchaeus. Being vertically challenged he had climbed a tree in order to see over the top of the crowd and so catch a glimpse of Jesus as he walked by - he never expected for one moment to meet the great man in person.
Like many of us Zacchaeus had a lot of material things and didn't really want for anything. Yet something seemed to be missing and for some reason he was drawn to Jesus - perhaps because Jesus looked and sounded like Good News - healing the sick, setting people free from evil, offering forgiveness and welcoming the people that everyone else despised.
Also like many of us Zacchaeus knew that he had done things wrong - the religious system within which he lived told him that God wouldn't want anything to do with someone like him. He knew he had been judged and found guilty - religion couldn't help him, so why not just live a life that revolved around himself and his own needs? Sound familiar?
But Jesus had other plans! He invited himself to Zacchaeus's house to spend the day, and by the end Zacchaeus was a changed man - not because Jesus had condemned him and demanded that he change or else; but because Jesus showed him a love that ruined his heart and inspired him to live a different kind of life. Jesus - the holiest man who ever lived - made a man whose life was far from holy feel welcome and loved, and as a result caused him to change.
At Bolney Village Chapel we aim to be the place where anyone and everyone can spend time in the presence of Jesus and be changed as a result.
You are welcome to join us!