The Wilderness Way #42

We have stated with great clarity both as a larger United Methodist Church and as the Central Texas Conference that our mission is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” As a mission, it is biblically anchored in Christ’s great resurrection teaching called the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20). In examining the transformation of our lives and our congregations, we need much greater clarity on what it means to be a disciple. We measure membership but what we really need to measure in discipleship. What does it mean to be transformed as an apprentice to Jesus Christ?

For those of us who come out of the Wesleyan stream of faith, part of transformation I believe will involved a reclaiming of our Wesleyan identity. I’m tired of apologizing for being a Methodist. I’m proud of being a Methodist. Faith development and spiritual growth in the life of love needs and is nurtured by disciplined (methodical, hence Methodist) growth in spiritual, maturity, loving God and loving our neighbor (every accessible human being we may reach). I think Wesley’s theology has it right in its grasp of a synergy between God and humans. I love St. Augustine’s comment, “without God we cannot, without us God will not.” In reading Dallas Willard’s The Great Omission in which he lays out the case for discipleship development, Dr. Willard makes the point that grace is opposed to earning but not opposed to effort! Wesley grasped the essence of faith: human response to God’s outpouring of gracious love.

Do you recall the movie The Bourne Identity? It’s a guy’s flick, and you have to love action. In the movie Jason Bourne (played by Matt Damon) is suffering from amnesia and he’s lost his identity. I happen to think that’s where The United Methodist Church is today. We’ve lost our identity and we have to reclaim what does it really means to be Wesleyan.

Look at John Wesley. What was the heart of the Methodist movement? The heart of the Methodist movement was the five core elements found at the close of the 2^nd chapter of Acts. In fact, Wesley went so far as to say that Methodism was “practical Christianity!” Bishop Robert Schnase’s wonderful books The Five Practices of Fruitful Living and The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations are an excellent way of grasping the heart of the Wesleyan Christianity. It isn’t getting the next new trick or the next new program that somebody published. The heart of the ministry is worship that helps us experience God other than second hand; fellowship that is deep and caring and accountable. The heart of the Methodist movement has always been this passionate involvement with discipleship-growing, for children, for youth, for adults. The heart of it has always been an absolute refusal in the Methodist movement to split evangelism and social action, but an absolute commitment that the two go together—that they just go together. Who is Lord of your life? At its heart, Wesleyan Christianity is about risk-taking mission and service wedded to extravagant generosity. Just read the close of Acts chapter 2. It is all there!

I think the church has gone through a failure of nerve. We need to regain a holy confidence based on biblical faithfulness, spiritual maturing and deep discipleship in loving God and our neighbors. We need to speak with no uncertain trumpet. “Thus saith the Lord.” That doesn’t mean arrogantly; that doesn’t mean rigidly; that does not mean ungraciously or impolitely. That just means let your yes be yes and your no be a no. I think we need to be open and orthodox, unapologetically orthodox, and open in how we express that orthodoxy. I think we need to be missional and evangelical. This is the greatness of Wesley. “Let’s unite the two so long divided, knowledge and vital piety” (John Wesley).

By: Bishop Mike Lowry On 8/12/2010