Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The Peace of the Risen Christ be with you!
We join with our brothers and sisters across the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) in observing yet another “Methodist Heritage Month” or the “Month of Methodism”. During the Month we seek to highlight a few aspects of the heritage left us by our forebears. This is not just for taking a ‘trip down memory lane’, but that we may be inspired and challenged to serve our present context.
In his, “Recapturing the Wesleys’ Vision”, Wesley scholar and teacher, Paul Wesley Chicote, tells us that ‘John and Charles Wesley were Christian disciples and theologians who launched a movement of renewal (known as the Methodist or Evangelical revival) that breathed new life into their beloved Church of England’. John, the older brother, expressed his understanding of the Christian faith primarily through sermons and discussions of Scripture while Charles, the younger brother, did so through hymns. Consequently, whether preached or sung, their spiritual discoveries transformed the life of the church in their time.
While the Wesleys’ insights did serve their “present age”, they remain relevant in our context. Central to their understanding of the Christian faith was transformation – living life daily that reflects upon “who you are and whose you are”. Jesus Christ is the center of this transformation as the Christian seeks to become more loving and Christ-like. In a world that is divided and at war with itself, transformation is as relevant as it was then. Grappling with the ongoing effects of climate change, the call for transformation is as relevant as it was then. The ripple effects of a global pandemic call for transformation. Our very ‘lands of beauty’ stand in need of the transforming power of God in Christ if we are going to truly be a “nation bound together”. What and who do you think need transformation if they are going to serve the present age?
Have a blessed week in Jesus!
Your pastor and friend,
Mark S Christmas