John Wesley records what has become his famous “Aldersgate experience” in his journal on May 24th, 1738.

In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading [Martin] Luther's preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.

What stands out to me the most in this passage is the first line… “I went very unwillingly.”…

… Where is God inviting you to put yourself in the path of grace this week, even if you have to go very unwillingly?

Nobody’s perfect.

While this may be a comforting sentiment when we make mistakes, it can also easily become an excuse to live our lives however we choose because we know that God loves us for who we are. “You do you” has become almost a motto of our society. It is a well intentioned expression of tolerance, acceptance, and individual expression, all of which are valuable. We should be comfortable being ourselves without fear of judgement and criticism. We all have unique personalities and gifts that we should freely express and share. But being comfortable with who we are doesn’t mean settling for less than who God intended us to be. God loves us as we are, but the same God loves us far to much to leave us the way we are…

… There are many periods in history in which we might identify our own struggles and learn from our ancestors in the faith. For this season, as the United Methodist Church faces it’s own decline and divisions, I believe we may have the most to learn from our own heritage in the Wesleyan Revival which ultimately gave birth to the people called Methodists.

Like many people today, Wesley grew up in a religiously divided home and society. His parents were Anglican and his grandparents were Puritans, but rather than choosing sides, John listened carefully and learned the value of each. He came to realize a middle way, or “via media” in which loving alike was more important than thinking alike. His life was shaped by his mother’s emphasis on caring for the souls of her children and by his father’s perseverance in the face of tremendous suffering.

As we begin this journey through the early Wesleyan revival, we begin with these three themes, the care of souls, listening to one another through our disagreements, and perseverance in the face of suffering and struggle. No matter what conflicts and resistance Wesley and his family faced, these core values kept the flame of Christ’s love alive in their hearts and their home, and shone forth as a beacon of hope to a lost and weary world.

May God rekindle in us the fire of our first love, Jesus Christ, and send us forth with humility the humility to spread that love abroad to friend and enemy alike, that God’s kingdom may be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven.

Revive us, O Lord! Revive us again!

…If we are truly in Christ, we do not have the option to crawl back into the womb of our pre-resurrections life, where everything was routine and comfortable and familiar. We must learn to live with an eternal perspective. Our very lives must proclaim the hope of resurrection and the power of Christ over death and the grave.

There are two versions of the resurrection story. One is the story of the disciples, who struggled for weeks and even months with fear and uncertainty as they embraced hope and waited upon the Holy Spirit while trying to figure out the implications of Jesus’ resurrection for their lives. The other is the story of fear and hiding, the story in which we go on with our lives as normal, as if the body was stolen and we just have to move on.

Which story does your life tell?