Dear Holland’s Family and Friends, Grace to you and peace from God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Did you know that the United Methodist Church designates the Sunday nearest May 24 each year as Aldersgate Sunday? Do you know the significance of “Aldersgate” to our denomination? This coming Sunday our current sermon series continues (Upon This Rock: Lessons from Peter). And we will observe Aldersgate Sunday. It was on May 24, 1738 that John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wrote in his journal after returning from a small group meeting the following: In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading 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. (emphasis added) The Anglican priest and reformer, who had been raised in a parsonage, baptized as an infant, confirmed in the church, ordained as a priest, and served as a missionary to the colonies in America, would after May 24, 1738 reference his heart warming experience as the moment of his new birth in Christ. After that experience, Wesley’s seeking of holiness of life and heart took on an entirely new direction. The hallmark of Methodism, at least in our beginning, was an individual desire and quest for holiness of heart and life. I’m afraid we’ve lost much of that in our denominational life. The scripture lesson on Sunday will be 1 Peter 1:3-9. Our call to worship will be from Psalm 16. The sixth verse of that lovely Psalm reads, ”The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places. I have a glorious heritage.” A Glorious Heritage – that’s the sermon title for this weekend’s message. Indeed, we have a heritage worth celebrating. You will note that the lesson from Peter reminds Christians through the ages, even those of us living in 2014, that by the great mercy of Jesus Christ, we have been given “a new birth into a living hope that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for [us].” That sounds like holiness of life and heart to me. As we worship, we will survey our heritage and remember those to whom we owe a great debt for the inheritance that is ours. Most of all, we will honor God by saying, “Thanks be to God for the inheritance that is ours which transcends even our family, country, and denomination.” I hope to see you all on Sunday at the place where we remember our past, serve in the present, and anticipate a glorious future! Thanks be to God for the gift of grace he alone affords us -- a grace that promises a heavenly crown! I’ll be preaching at 8:30 and 11:00. Pastor Brian will bring the message at 9:45. By the way, at 8:30 and 11:00 all of our hymns will be among those written by Charles Wesley, that other brother in the faith. The music at 9:45 will be inspiration too. Peace and grace, Pastor Gary
Posted on: Wed, 21 May 2014 17:25:54 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015