On Wesley

I had a member of the church remind me that today is John Wesley's birthday (I don't normally keep this on my calendar).  He would turn 305 today if still alive.  I was visited yesterday by two young men exploring their faith and call to ministry who asked me the question, "Why are you a United Methodist?"  One answer is that my parents were United Methodist and my grandparents and on down the line.  It is what I know and where I am comfortable.  But an even deeper reason is because of the vision and teaching of John Wesley.  In January I was present for a sermon in Houston, Texas by Lord Leslie Griffiths, Dean of Wesley's Chapel, London, England.  As he talked about Wesley I was reminded once again why I like the guy so much (Wesley, not Griffiths although Lord Leslie was pretty cool as well).  His movement was based on two foundations.  The first was that the offer of God's free grace was extended to all people.  As Griffiths said, "Methodism was never an excluding church.  It was always an including church.  The doctrine of the universality of grace, the offer of God to every single creature he ever made, is the sure basis on which faithful Methodists were built."  The second foundation was the belief that this grace of God had the power to change the world, but only if we as Christians lived it out in concrete actions.  Wesley was an amazing man when it came to social action in the world.  Today United Methodists stand in a rich tradition of social action.  No other protestant denomination has created more colleges, hospitals, child-care facilities, and retirement homes.  I agree with Lord Griffiths when he stated, "It is the combination of personal religion and social action that I find positively inebriating. Not one without the other.  Both together.  Personal piety energizing social commitment.  The need to transform the world fueled by a spirit released for action."  Happy Birthday John, your faithfulness has changed the world.

Comments

[Mark]

Have we left these???
"the offer of God's free grace was extended to ALL people." and "the belief that this grace of God had the power to change the world, but only if we as Christians lived it out in concrete actions." I believe that we have not entirely left them, but perhaps we can strive to return to them in a fuller sense.

The use of the word "was" intrigues me...
"As Griffiths said, "Methodism was never an excluding church. It was always an including church."

Do we believe that as a denomination we are inclusive??? Is that inclusivity represented in our local congregations?? In our Doctrine?? In our actions??

Personally I know that my actions wreak of exclusivity...this is a great area for me to work on.

Happy Birthday John!!!!

[Brad]

Just a thought....The Methodist church has traditionally been one of social outreach by starting hospitals, colleges and the like. Do we take that same Wesleyan enthusiasm to our local communities in outreach and evangelism as passionately today?

[Barry]

Mark and Brad, you bring up good points. The Methodist Movement has always had a strong social outreach component, but it was also highly evangelical. The church historian Martin Marty once said something like "Methodism in 19th Century America was the hottest lava flowing, beware if it ever gets hot again." In the United States, as the frontier moved west, Methodists were on the front lines with camp meetings and church plants. Somehow we have lost that fire and passion today. Where did it go, and how do we get it back?