Happy John Wesley Day!

Today we celebrate the 277th anniversary of John Wesley’s conversion. It is a special day because this year's anniversary falls on Pentecost Sunday. Over the last couple of years visiting the Wesleyan Holiness churches in the British Isles and my sister during their stint at Oxford, we have had the great privilege to visit important Wesley sites in Oxford and London. Let me share some highlights with you as we reflect on Wesley's life. 

John Wesley attended Oxford, soon followed by his younger brother, Charles. They formed a small group focused on practices, or methods (get it, "methodists"), to put off patterns of the world and put on Christian behaviors such as studying the Bible for hours every day, prayer, and visiting prisons. They boldly called this group the Holy Club. John and Charles followed their father's path into ministry, both being ordained in the Anglican Church while at Oxford. The brothers went to Georgia as missionaries and tried imposing their Holy Club methods on the congregation, but it didn't go so well. They returned to England discouraged.

With Andy and Juli Elliot at Christ Church Cathedral in Oxford

Students of Christ Church
Leaders of the Methodist Revival
Ordained in this Cathedral

Isn't it ironic that this brilliant teacher, ordained minister, zealous missionary still had not yet experienced God's grace? Finally on May 24, 1738, John Wesley had an experience that changed everything. He described the event in his journal, “I felt my heart strangely warmed.” He recognized that his effort without God’s grace was not enough. Back in 1738 Charles's conversion actually occurred on Pentecost Sunday, while his brother's was three days later. These brothers shared so much together in their lives, and I love how the younger brother was a great influence on the older.

28 Aldersgate, London. Probable site of John Wesley's conversion.

John Wesley's Conversion Memorial with the text of his diary:
"About a Quarter before Nine I felt my heart strangely warm'd"

Here is a man who tried to Put off and Put on without Being Made New. These three imperatives are found together in scripture. Last week I had the opportunity to preach on Ephesians 4:20-24, which turned out to be so timely with Wesley's life experience rolling around in my head.

That, however, is not the way of life you learned when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Many people view Christianity as just the first and last of these imperatives: Put off , "don’t do these things" and Put on, "do these things". I would say the most critical of the three is the middle one: Being made new. Without the power of Christ making us new, we will be frustrated by the inability to keep doing, or not doing, “the list.”

Being made new is the beauty of the Christian life. It’s about progress and movement, not about a list of dos and don'ts. While this verb is a command, it is reflexive, meaning that it’s something that is being done to us. This is about our posture of welcoming the Holy Spirit’s work in our life to transform us. Keep the imagery of school in mind here mentioned in verses 20 and 21. We need to continue placing ourselves in an environment to grow and change. We are not stagnant or finished. This is God’s work in our hearts and lives and we welcome ongoing growth. 

John Wesley's 5 decades of ministry following his conversion were given to share the experience of true inner transformation, of being made new, with others. By the end of his life he had preached 40,000 sermons (how this frequently shared stat is even mathematically possible baffles me) and travelled 250,000 miles by horseback. Some say his influence on reforming British society prevented the revolution experienced in France.

Just a few weeks ago, we visited Wesley's Chapel in London on a Sunday morning. They announced their plans to celebrate this day with special services at various historical Wesley sites in London. I am with them in spirit today, thankful for the heritage of a changed heart made new.

May 2015