MONDAY John 16:1-4, Matthew 5:10-12
When John Wesley went to Epworth, his hometown, he drily noted that the curate “did not care to accept of my assistance.” Then, he wrote, “After sermon John Taylor stood in the churchyard and gave notice as the people were coming out, ‘Mr. Wesley, not being permitted to preach in the church, designs to preach here at six o’clock’ … at six I came and found such a congregation as I believe Epworth never saw before. I stood … upon my father’s tombstone, and cried, ‘The kingdom of heaven is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost’ [Rom. 14:17].”
- Jesus, John Wesley and many other servants of God throughout history called for life change, for deeper devotion to God. Yet most of those who fought them claimed their hatred grew out of their devotion to God. How can your love of God help to keep you open to needed changes (personal or organizational), rather than simply reinforcing an innate preference for the status quo?
TUESDAY 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 “Christ died for all”
John Wesley concluded, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, that Christ “died for the sake of all,” not just for “the elect.” His faith that God’s all-inclusive love and grace gives us the freedom to choose our eternal fate was not a mere theological technicality, but the basis for his powerful, urgent preaching of salvation. That belief in God’s free grace and our moral freedom (called “Arminian,” after a Dutch preacher, Jacobus Arminius) became a defining part of Methodism.
- Paul, expressing some of his core convictions, wrote, “So we try to persuade people.” What differences do you see between trying to persuade people and trying to force them to believe as you do? In what ways can loving and caring about someone be more persuasive than arguing in an “I’m right—you’re wrong” spirit?
WEDNESDAY Psalm 119:1-16 “The Rules of the Society”
It was ironic that his critics called Wesley an unruly agitator. He did reach people in atypical ways that shocked some staid British clergymen, but he was in fact a very disciplined man. It’s no surprise to find that, in the same spirit as the writer of Psalm 119, he wrote in his journal, “About fifty of us being met, the Rules of the Society were read over and carefully considered one by one; but we did not find any that could be spared. So we all agreed to abide by them all and to recommend them with our might.”
- Bishop Reuben Job, in his book Three Simple Rules, paraphrased the three General Rules as “do no harm,” “do all the good you can,” and “stay in love with God.” How can these rules (which Wesley never claimed were on the same level as God’s law in the Bible) help you live into the reality the psalmist expressed: “I will give thanks to you with a heart that does right as I learn your righteous rules” (verse 7)?
THURSDAY John 15:9-17 “No person ever misses his band or class”
After visiting a Methodist “band” (i.e. small group) of coal miners, John Wesley described their commitment in his journal: “No person ever misses his band or class; they have no jar of any kind among them but with one heart and one mind ‘provoke one another to love and to good works.’” This group of plain working people, Wesley said, could be “a pattern” for all Methodists. Love leads to commitment and obedience, as Jesus said in today’s passage. Jesus’ love for God the Father led him to commit, obey, and share God’s love with others, and he calls us to that same kind of commitment, obedience and love.
- Verse 9 started with ten transforming words from Jesus: “As the Father has loved me, I too have loved you.” God’s love for us calls us to share that love with each other (cf. Matthew 22:37-40). Love breeds commitment—the more we love God and others, the more committed we are to them. How does God’s love for you motivate you to greater loyalty? How does your love for others lead you to commit time and energy to them? In what practical ways do you live out your loving commitment to God and others?
FRIDAY Psalm 149:1-5 “Sing all”
Charles Wesley was the family’s hymn writer—probably the most prolific ever, with over 6,000 hymns to his name. John cared about worship music, too, and published “Directions for Singing” for the use of his Methodist societies. Like the Psalms, they urged everyone to join in singing praises to God.
- Do you sing in worship? Do you ever sing along with your car radio, TV commercials or your iPod? Do you ever sing or hum in the shower, or while doing basic household chores? In what ways have your life experiences created in you either an eagerness to sing to God in worship, or a reluctance to sing where anyone else might hear you?
SATURDAY Ephesians 5:15-21 “Above all sing spiritually”
Wesley’s “Directions for Singing” included some specific musical tips that may make us smile (or applaud). “Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength,” he advised. He followed with a caution: “Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation … but strive to unite your voices together.” “Sing in time,” he urged, and in particular “take care not to sing too slow.” But the most important idea came last: “Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature.”
- In what ways, musical or otherwise, have you been able to express your thanks for God’s gift?