My Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
The Peace of the Risen Christ be with you!
Today the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas (MCCA) joins with its worldwide Wesleyan brothers and sisters in celebrating Aldersgate Lord’s Day. This concludes the observance of the Octave of Methodist Heritage but not the Month of Methodist Heritage. For those of us who are attuned to our Methodist heritage, we will know that May 21 and 24 are important days for Methodists and that May 24 is observed as Aldersgate Day.
One of the things highlighted is the fact that John and Charles Wesley were both young men in their twenties when they were ordained to the priesthood in the Anglican Church. It was some years later that they underwent their conversion experiences. Out of these experiences we note their trust in Christ alone for salvation. The Wesley brothers, having spent their lives prior trying to enter the Kingdom of heaven by ‘good deeds’, came to the realization that, faith was not a work, but a simple acceptance of what God did for persons in Christ Jesus.
The conversion experiences of the Wesley brothers should cause us to relook our own relationship with God in Christ. We are not simply speaking of a “heart-warming” experience but a growing relationship. Does my involvement in church and community stem from a relationship with Christ? Or am I involved because it is the “good thing to do”? Further, is conversion a once in a lifetime experience or can a person have many conversions?
For your reflection
Your pastor and friend,
Mark S. Christmas