Travels with Wesley -- A Little Bit of Context
26 May 2017 (2 days after Aldersgate Day)
Christians often talk about our spiritual lives in terms of progress, using words like "journey" and "growth" to describe them, and everyone has unique experiences through which her/his story intersects with God's story. Mine began in a small town in a Southern Baptist church, or more accurately, it began at home with a mother who had grown up Methodist. The Wesleys were never strangers to me, largely because of Mama's background but also because we sang so many of Charles Wesley's hymns with gusto at church, so I always felt that I in some way belonged to the Wesleyan family.
Fast forward to college and then seminary. I served in various Baptist settings and was ordained in a Southern Baptist church, but the arc of my theology was bending towards the United Methodist Church even before I knew it. I suppose we'll call that an example of prevenient grace! One thing led to another, and while I was writing my Th.M. thesis on 17th century English Baptists' practices and understandings of baptism, it became clear to me that God was calling me to join the Wesleyan family in a formal way. Can you imagine a more Baptist topic? Never tell me that God lacks a sense of humor!
21 years ago, I was sent to two small rural churches where I served for three years. Since then, I have served in large downtown churches as well as smaller "city" churches, and now, oddly enough, for almost six years, I have been the Minister of Pastoral Care at a large Presbyterian church. What a great ministry opportunity this has been and continues to be! They jokingly tell me that it was predestined for me to be here; I tell them that the bishop chose to send me as a missionary to the Calvinists. With humor and love, we often explore the places where our understandings of Christian theology diverge, and I believe our faith has been mutually strengthened by these conversations. It has certainly sharpened my awareness of myself as a spiritual daughter of the Wesleys while enlarging my understanding of those who see some things quite differently.
Which leads me back to the theme of the Christian life as a journey. This summer, with the blessing and support of my Presbyterian congregation, I will be taking a very Wesleyan sabbatical. Sabbatical is not vacation, though it does entail a holiday from one's usual work, so this summer will be dedicated to professional development, rest, and spiritual renewal. To that end, I am traveling to the home of the Wesleys where I will spend a significant amount of time in some of the most precious sites associated with their revival. There will be hours of worship and reflection as well as of research and writing, and there will be opportunities for developing new relationships and exploring new places. I suspect that I will learn new things about the world and about myself, and most of all, I expect that the "celestial flame" will be rekindled in my heart as the Spirit leads me through my travels with Wesley into new directions of ministry and deeper growth into the likeness and image of Christ.
