This morning we begin a four week series exploring our Wesleyan heritage. Specifically, the series explores the spiritual journeys of John and Charles Wesley and the impact those journeys might have on us. The series culminates on November 18th with a celebration of the 300th birthday of Charles Wesley. The Rev. Dr. Robert Williams is our speaker for that celebration. Bob is the General Secretary of the Commission on Archives and History for The United Methodist Church. He will be preaching at both worship services and also speaking as part of our afternoon music festival that day. (Consider this a commercial announcement: Most of you are aware that as United Methodists we are part of the larger connectional church and as a part of that budget something called a shared ministry asking or as they are still better known, our apportionments. These funds go to the Annual Conference and the General Church to support the salaries of our bishops, District Superintendents, General Secretaries of Boards and Agencies. They also make possible the mission work that allows The United Methodist Church to be responding quickly to emerging needs in the world. For example, when the fires started in Southern California an Advance Special was immediately put in place to help with needs in that area. Even knowing this about our apportionment dollars we often wonder "what do we get for them?" Bob's visit to us in November is an example of our apportionment dollars at work – his visit is possible because of them, and you will see little additional cost beyond that for his visit. In Bob's case I owe him lunch!) Anyway – back to the Wesley brothers and their spiritual journeys …

John and Charles Wesley were born into a family that formed the foundation for their spiritual journeys. John was the fifteenth and Charles the youngest of the nineteen Wesley children. Their father Samuel was an Anglican priest, so they grew up in a parsonage. Their mother, Susanna was the daughter of a Nonconformist minister. It was her influence that truly shaped the brothers' spirituality and their disciplined living. Managing the large household, Susanna taught the two men organizational skills, the importance of learning, but most importantly a depth of spirituality that would lead both of them to be passionate in outreach to others. In 1725 John Wesley came to what is known as his Oxford conversion. His determination from that point describes well the kind of passion that drove both brothers. Albert Outler, Methodist Historian, describes it as thus: " … that the Christian life is devotion, the consecration of the whole man in love to God and neighbor in the full round of life and death." (John Wesley, edited by Albert Outler, Oxford University Press, 1981 page 7) Today we know John Wesley as the preacher going to as many people and places as he could to reach his neighbor. We know Charles as the hymn writer, his hymns and poems expressing his spirituality in a way that still speaks to us today. In our current hymnal there are fifty hymns or poems by him, and he has many others beyond that.

Today we will look a bit at how this passion brought them to an unintended rebellion with the Anglican Church they had both been ordained into. Also, and more importantly for us perhaps is how their passion reminds us of who we are as United Methodists today … that we can never be content to sit in our pews and attend to business as usual when there are people out there who need us. First a bit about how they landed outside the Anglican Church they had been ordained into. While in college, both brothers were part of a group called The Holy Club. This group dedicated itself to a disciplined life of study, prayer and outreach. They were radical for their day in that they visited those in the hospital, in prison, or otherwise in need. In their time the learned of Oxford and the Anglican church simply did not associate with the lowly of society. If you were sick or in prison the feeling was you deserved to be there. Their discipline and outreach earned them the scorn of their fellow students who unwittingly gave us the name for our denomination: those "Method-ists." Both brothers underwent a conversion experience in May of 1738 which further convinced them to be passionate in their sharing of the gospel message. John, in particular, began preaching wherever he could find a group of people willing to listen to him. His early outreach to the poor translated into his going to the coal mines and the farmers in their fields … people who otherwise could not get to the regular Sunday services in their local Anglican parishes. His field preaching sparked an outrage in the hierarchy of the church – preaching belonged within the walls of the building, how can you interfere in the parishes of another … these and other accusations were hurled at him. He was threatened with legal charges under the same Act of Parliament which charged the Puritans. Wesley's response to the charges is recorded in his journal entry in June of 1739:

"You say, you cannot reconcile some parts of my behavior with the character I have long supported. No, nor ever will. Therefore I have disclaimed that character on every possible occasion. I told all in our ship, all at Savannah, all at Frederica, and that over and over, in express terms, 'I am not a Christian; I only follow after, if haply I may attain it.' "If you ask on what principle I acted, it was this: 'A desire to be a Christian; and a conviction that whatever I judge conducive thereto that I am bound to do; wherever I judge I can best answer this end, thither it is my duty to go.' On this principle I set out for America; on this I visited the Moravian church; and on the same am I ready now (God being my helper) to go to Abyssinia or China, or whithersoever it shall please God, by this conviction, to call me. "As to your advice that I should settle in college, I have no business there, having now no office and no pupils. And whether the other branch of your proposal be expedient for me, namely, 'to accept of a cure of souls,' it will be time enough to consider when one is offered to me. "But, in the meantime, you think I ought to sit still; because otherwise I should invade another's office, if I interfered with other people's business and intermeddled with souls that did not belong to me. You accordingly ask, 'How is it that I assemble Christians who are none of my charge, to sing psalms, and pray, and hear the Scriptures expounded?' and think it hard to justify doing this in other men's parishes, upon catholic principles? "I look upon all the world as my parish; thus far I mean, that, in whatever part of it I am, I judge it meet, right, and my bounden duty to declare unto all that are willing to hear, the glad tidings of salvation. This is the work which I know God has called me to; and sure I am that His blessing attends it. Great encouragement have I, therefore, to be faithful in fulfilling the work He hath given me to do. His servant I am, and, as such, am employed according to the plain direction of His Word, 'As I have opportunity, doing good unto all men'; and His providence clearly concurs with his Word; which as disengaged me from all things else, that I might singly attend on this very thing, 'and go about doing good.'" (The Journal of John Wesley, various sources)

Again, this passionate conviction eventually resulted in both Wesley brothers removal from the Anglican Church and the beginnings of the new Methodist denomination … one founded on bringing the gospel to all people.

More important for us this morning is that this is the heritage we bring to our faith work today … no, not the rebellion part, although sometimes that is necessary … we inherit the rich tradition of outreach to the world. As United Methodists we are called to go to all the world, fulfilling the mandate of Jesus in making disciples. John and Charles Wesley challenged the Anglican Church of their insulation from the world … sharing the love of God only to those who came into the walls of their cathedrals. With John and Charles Wesley as our example we can never be content as "pew sitters," … those who have worship done to us on Sunday morning, expecting nothing really to transform or renew us … then keeping silence until the next Sunday when we have worship done to us again and expect nothing new to transform us. As God's people, we are not a passive people … but as the Body of Christ have been called to participate in sharing the love of God to all. In the current book our Bishop has asked us to study, our United Methodist Heritage is expressed as radical hospitality:

"Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice Radical Hospitality. Out of genuine love for Christ and for others, their laity and pastors take the initiative to invited, welcome, include, and support newcomers and help them grow in faith as they become part of the Body of Christ. their members focus on those outside their congregation with as much passion as they attend to the nurture and growth of those who already belong to the family of faith, and they apply their utmost creativity, energy, and effectiveness to the task, exceeding all expectations." (Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Abingdon Press. Robert Schnase, page11)

The words of our closing hymn send us out this morning – to the world in peace, love, strength and joy – challenging us to never be content until there are no more un-welcomed in the world. As you have been welcomed into the Kingdom of God, go forth to be the welcoming presence of God for others.