Relational Reading

Yes! Jesus is alive and still inviting people to apprentice him the same way they did during his earthly ministry. Relational Reading is for people who are tired of religion but want to deepen their relationship with Jesus. It's for people who want to cultivate a meaningful friendship with him that can actually transform their hearts. It's for people who want their followership fueled by relationship not rules, rituals, or self-reliance.

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SO, WHAT'S RELATIONAL READING?

It's a way of reading the Gospels that transports us on-site to hang out with Jesus

and enables us to process what we're seeing and hearing in a way that impacts us at a heart level.

Relational Reading is a way to accept Jesus' invitation to hang out with him so he can disciple us the way he intended.

Relational Reading is a way for us to place ourselves into an apprenticing relationship with Jesus where we get to watch and listen.

Relational Reading facilitates heart-changing hangouts with Jesus so we’ll desire and do what he wants as a result of connecting to him, not our own strength and willpower.

Relational Reading is a simple method for reading the Gospels for the purpose of apprenticing his life, not just learning his teachings.

Hangouts with Jesus?

For most of us, we’re so far removed from the first-century Jewish context of disciple-making that we lack any real understanding of this rabbi-centered relationship. We’ve basically reduced it to learning and applying biblical content. That’s a shame because there’s so much more to it. I think the word “apprenticeship” from our modern context can really help us recover the original idea. We all understand that concept and it really seems to capture a fuller sense of this ancient practice . . . a relational context for training with the goal of the learner doing and becoming not just knowing.

The apprenticeship program Jesus instituted while on the earth unfolded in the context of a friendship. Jesus didn’t invite people into a class or a meeting, he invited them into a relationship. He invited followers to hang out with him and do every-day life together.

I may have just lost some of you at "hang out" . . . . you’re not quite sure Jesus should be associated with such worldly human street language.

I get it.

It can seem crass and disrespectful.

That’s definitely not my intent but I do love using that provocative language. It grabs our attention, challenges our categories, and forces us to see the son of God participating in a very human and earthly activity.

That’s a good thing.

The original people Jesus ministered to knew him first as a son, friend, and dude next door and struggled to accept his deity. We know him first as God and struggle more with accepting his humanity. We should be just as comfortable seeing him as a down-to-earth guy hanging out with his disciples in John as we are seeing him as the son of God being worshipped by the creatures and elders in Revelation.

Unless we come to grips with Jesus’ humanity, we’ll have a hard time apprenticing him the way he intended. We’ll miss out on critical aspects of following him if we can’t relate to him in the human ways he’s asked us to . . . as a brother and friend. And what exactly did his highly relational apprenticeship process involve? Five basic things stand out . . .

Apprenticeship Features

INVITATION
Jesus always invited people to hang out with him so the relationship itself would make a deep impact.

OBSERVATION
The hangout culture Jesus created was in the context of doing normal life so his followers could actually watch how he acted and the works he did in the “every day”.

APPLICATION
Jesus expected his followers to apply his teachings to their own lives.

PARTICIPATION
Jesus expected his followers to do the things he was doing.

IMMITATION
Jesus expected his followers to develop the character he modeled.

This is what he’s still doing and what apprenticing him looks like for me and you today.

I know the idea of Jesus directly discipling people after his ascension can seem a bit weird at first, but I’d really like you to consider it. I fear that with so much emphasis on us making disciples the reality of Jesus continuing that mission gets lost. Jesus’ command to “make disciples” in Matthew 28:18-20 is not his two-week notice . . . he’s not quitting what he’s been doing all along! He’s letting his followers know they’re expected to join him in his ongoing work. He’s not present just to help us with our part, he’s also still doing the work himself!

About Me

Hey, there!

Here's a bit about me. If I've missed something you'd like to know, please don't hesitate to email.

I was born and raised in Staten Island, NY but have lived in York, PA since 2005. I've been married to my high-school sweet heart since 1994 and have two fantastic young-adult sons, Justyn and Jason.

My thirty years of ministry experience includes pastoring in family-life, youth, assimilation, and church planting roles. I have primarily served in the context of a non-denominational evangelical tradition.

I currently own a small business that is run by my youngest son and serve as a career guide to teens and young twenty-somethings who are confused about their future. My wife and I are regular attendees at a local church and actively disciple a small group of Jesus-followers.

Sometimes, knowing a bit about the influences that have shaped a person can help you get a sense of who they are. Here are a few of the people and organizations that have had a significant impact on my life and ministry:

PEOPLE

NT Wright
Alan Hirsch
Jon Tyson
Tim Keller
Mike Breen
Neil Anderson

ORGANIZATIONS

Freedom In Christ Ministries
3DM Ministries
Bilogos
5Q
The Bible Project

Not that this matters, but some of you may want to know my educational credentials!

Bachelor of Arts

Church Leadership

Kairn University

Master of Divinity

Ministry Leadership

Missio Seminary

I'd love to connect with you! If you have questions about me or Relational Reading, here's how you can reach me . . .

EMAIL JAY