John Wesley was a firm advocate of personal and social holiness. Personal holiness meant learning how we each individually needed to grow in perfection so that we might conform to the image of Christ. Social Holiness, however, went beyond the individual. Social Holiness embraced the idea that we had to change more than ourselves- we had to work to change our societies so that it was more in line with the Kingdom of God that Jesus had proclaimed. As such, Wesley decried slavery, argued for more human prisons, and took on the rich for their mistreatment of the poor. He encouraged his followers to search their heart and consciouses and to seek to transform the world through their actions and their voices. Thus, they would apply scripture, tradition, reason and experience and consider the important issues of their day.
As spiritual decedents of John Wesley, we are called to do the same. Through a spirit filled and democratic process, the United Methodist Church has taken a position on a whole range of social issues including immigration, human trafficking, global climate stewardship and more. Starting Wednesday July 13th at 7:00 pm, we will begin the process exploring the UMC position, how it was arrived at, and learning to discern for ourselves what God’s will might be in our contemporary society. These forums are not meant as debates so that we may sway one another, but opportunities to learn to share how the Holy Spirit might be working in our own lives. The first meeting will be an introduction to one method of discerning God’s will in community while the rest will tackle a specific subject. Our initial schedule, subject to change, will be as follows:
7/13- Discerning God’s will in the Wesleyan tradition
7/20 Rights of the Aging
7/27 Persons living with HIV & AIDS
8/3 Genetic Technology
8/10 Rights of Immigrants
Join us as we seek to discern the Spirit’s will for the world.
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