My background as a Christian is largely Calvinist Reformed, with a dash of Roman Catholicism thrown in. So how in the world did I end up drawn to the United Methodist Church? Well, as I've stated in previous entries, I eventually found the other perspectives to come up short when I tried to square them with what I actually believed, not only about Jesus, but about the world around us and how we, as Christians, should respond to that world. Then came a man named John Wesley.
Now, I already knew a bit about Wesley. When I was considering going into the ministry I studied a lot about different perspectives on Christianity. I knew he was the founder of Methodism, and I knew he used to travel around and preach outdoors. As a musician, liturgist, and worship leader I was more acquainted with his brother Charles, who penned many of the classic hymns of the faith. I never seriously looked into the Wesley theology though.
That changed over this last year as my search for light, my search for the sacred, brought me to the United Methodist Church, where my parents have attended for 10 years or so since our church closed. I began to read about Wesley bit by bit, to see what it was already about. I watched a biopic about his life, which I figured was going to be like a B movie type deal, but I actually found it to be quite good and inspiring. This lead me to read more and more about him.
As all this was going on, I heard that our adult Sunday school class was going to study Wesley and his teachings through a book by Adam Hamilton. Even though I work most Sunday mornings and can't attend class after church, I bought the book and jumped at the chance to learn more about this man and his philosophy.
I'm happy to say that the book was outstanding. It's a fairly short read. I was reading it one chapter per week in concert with what the Sunday school class was doing, but I could have probably finished it pretty quickly otherwise. Over the course of six chapters, Hamilton looks at various pivotal moments/time periods in the life of Wesley and talks about how they affected his teachings and ministry. He covers Wesley's early life in Epworth, his formative years and the first rise of Methodism at Oxford, his short time in the United States which led him to a crisis of personhood and faith leading to his Aldersgate experience, the regeneration of his ministry of grace at Bristol, the rise of Methodism in London, and finally how Wesley persevered and guided his faith and the faith of others until he died in London at age 87.
However, the book is more than just a biographical sketch of John Wesley. Adam Hamilton really dives into Wesleyan theology and how it effects us as Christians today, and how it should inspire us in our daily lives. This was finally a version of Christianity that was in sync with what I believed to be true.
There's a couple of things that struck me. First, Wesley preached that Christianity is for everyone, regardless of race, gender, social status, economic status, or anything else. After his Aldersgate experience, he traveled throughout the English countryside and ministered to the needs of the poor, the hungry, and the marginalized: people who were not usually welcome in the churches of the day. Much of this was done outside in fields, on mountainsides, and in market squares. These people flocked to his message of Christ for all.
Second, I like what Wesley had to say about grace. For modern Protestant Christians, it's the grace of God through Christ that "saves" or justifies us. It's a gift that can only be accepted and not earned. Wesley was opposed to ideas like Calvinist predestination which claims that God destined some to be saved and some to be condemned from the very beginning. As mentioned, for Wesley, God's grace is for all. Wesley mentions three kind of grace. Prevenient grace is God's grace at work in our lives before we ever believe in him or seek him. It guides us closer to God through those in our lives and events around us. This kind of grace is not irresistable and will not override one's free well, but can lead us finally to God. At this point, we experience Justifying grace, the acceptance of Christ in our lives. But for Wesley, it didn't end there. Further we can experience Sanctifying grace. This is how God works in us after we become Christians. It's how we grow and mature in our faith and respond to the world around us, and for Wesley this was very important.
The last thing is how Wesley viewed works of mercy. For Wesley it wasn't enough to have achieved justification. God wants us to reach out to others, especially the poor and marginalized. This doesn't just include preaching, it includes helping them, attending to actual physical needs. However again Wesley is quick to underline that these works of mercy are not the means to grace, but the ends of grace. They are the result of the people of God actively going out into the world to serve others.
So these are just a few things highlighted throughout the book. I would encourage anyone, Christian or not, to read it and think about how you can affect the world around you for the better. Perhaps, like me, and like Wesley himself, you will find that your heart has been "strangely warmed" to the message and mission of Jesus Christ.
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