Tag: methodism

Mainline or Methodist (Part 4)

In Chapter 4 of Dr. Scott Kisker’s work, Mainline or Methodist? Recovering our Evangelistic Mission, Kisker begins to discuss the “method” behind Methodism.  This chapter opens with a critique of what passes for evangelism and discipleship within the UMC today.  Kisker doesn’t hold back when he says most of what passes for evangelism in our denomination today,

[is] at best, a bankrupt vision of God’s purposes for creation and a truncated understanding of salvation.  At worst, we find practices that are little more than thinly veiled attempts to manipulate others through politics or marketing techniques.

Our challenge is to reclaim the strong theological grounding of the early practices of the Methodist movement.  Rather than trying anything to see if it works, or allowing our theology and practice to be grounded only in our personal preference or politics, we should follow Wesley’s practice of grounding our understanding of both evangelism and discipleship in the way, “God’s grace is active, working to save God’s beloved creatures.”

Kisker’s read of these practices follow Wesley’s admonition to preach Christ in all of his offices: prophet, priest, and king.   The corresponding practices, are field preaching, class membership, and band membership.  These also correspond to convincing (what we often call prevenient), justifying, and sanctifying grace.  His summary at the end of the chapter is helpful,

With those asleep in sin, Methodism’s missional task is to minister in Christ’s prophetic office – publicly, in the open air, at the market cross – to convince people of their need for God.  With those already convinced of their need for God, Methodism’s missional task is to introduce them to the one who can meet that need – to their great high priest.  With those who know God’s forgiving love, Methodism’s missional task is to work to save them from the power of sin – bring every part of their lives into the love of Christ the king.

These theological and missional tasks were expressed in practices that many United Methodist congregations (and affiliated organizations) have given up: open air preaching, class meetings, and band meetings.  Here is a basic description of those practices.

Open-air preaching: Wesley found places where real people gathered as part of their daily lives and introduced them to the message of God’s salvation.  He preached outside the walls of the Church, many times as often as twice a day.  He hoped to see people awakened to the, “hollowness of their search for happiness” in anything outside of God.  Kisker challenges us to find the modern-day equivalent of the market square.  In my D.Min. paper, I explore whether or not this is the virtual world of social media (Facebook, twitter, etc.), but we’ll leave that for another day.  After being awakened by God’s grace through open-air preaching, people were gathered in the class meeting.

Class meeting:  here, people were given opportunities for further response.  People were invited to talk in smaller groups about their spiritual state and were expected to live as followers of Jesus. These groups were limited to twelve members where people experienced authentic Christian fellowship, often for the first time.  Kisker cites Tom Albin’s research which showed, “the majority of experiences of the new birth happened after membership in the class meeting, at times in the meeting.”  In a sense, people most often belonged before they believed.  Kisker writes,

Perhaps it is not possible to recover the class meeting as it was for our present day.  But if our ministry is to be effective in the present age, we must recover what they provided: small, disciplined, hospitable, caring fellowships for non-Christians and Christians alike.

In our day, I wonder if traditional Sunday school groups can fulfill this role.  Kisker doesn’t seem to think so, but I think it’s possible.

Band meetings: finally, after being awakened by field preaching, incorporated into caring groups of discipline and community, early Methodists were joined in the band meeting.  Band meetings were sepearted by gender and were more confessional in nature.

To be a part of a band meant being willing to shuck pretense, to be humble before a brother or sister in Christ.  It meant acting as a priest one to another, acting in love toward another whose sin you know.  It meant allowing someone, who knows your sin, to act in love toward you.  It meant humility.  It meant Christlikeness.  It meant holiness.

People who participated in this methodical process often experienced “full salvation,” as they were empowered to experience healing, forgiveness, and participation in the work and ministry of Christ.  At the church I serve, this can best happen through our COS group ministry.  In fact, I’ve experienced this very thing with a small group of three other men that I meet with weekly.  Through their encouragement, support, and accountability, I see how I’m growing in grace and loving God and neighbor more than I have in a very long time.

Together these practices, rooted in a strong Wesleyan theology, prevent us from being just a charity organization or a political rally that uses the Church and scripture to validate our own biases and preferences.  They are a means God will use to form us as more passionate and dedicated followers of Jesus.  In part 5, I’ll look at Kisker’s thoughts on where this conversation might lead in the United Methodist Church today.

Mainline or Methodist (Part 2)

In chapter 2, Dr. Scott Kisker describes the vision to which John Wesley and early Methodists committed their lives.  He suggests that Wesley and Methodism’s theology and methodology only make sense in light of this larger vision.  Kisker describes that vision as follows,

This vision is the possibility of present salvation from the tyranny of sin – from the dominion of the devil.  It is a vision of life lived under the authority of God, who brings “liberty to the captives” (Is 61:1).  It is St. Peter’s vision of a “royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” (1 Pet 2:9), living in accord with God’s will, as a visible testimony to resurrection power.  The “beauty of holiness” (1 Chr 16:29) had seduced Wesley long before his Aldersgate experience.  That pursuit became his calling.

In spite of his own efforts, Wesley could never attain the salvation or holiness he so desired.  It wasn’t until his encounter with God at Aldersgate that he recognized, “holiness, saintliness, victory over sin, resurrection, the kingdom of God is a gift.  We can do nothing to deserve it.  We cannot achieve it…[but] we can and must receive it by faith.”  Wesley experienced the “new birth,” or being “born again,” at Aldersgate and yet he knew that birth was just the beginning.  Kisker writes, “The new birth was not the fullest possible expression of holiness in this life. It was a birth.  It was not the goal of Christianity, it was the doorway to it, and there was a lot of house left to explore.”

The often neglected Methodist doctrine of perfection is the goal of the Christian life.  Again, Kisker helpfully and briefly explains this, “Perfection, completeness, is the greatest manifestation of the love of God filling us that is possible in this life.”  Overall, Kisker explains, t was Wesley’s vision of holiness that stood behind the mission of Methodism.  In fact, the very reason given for raising up Methodist preachers in the first place as, “to reform the nation, particularly the Church; and to spread scriptural holiness over the land.”

How long has it been since you’ve heard this vision within United Methodism?  When was the last time you taught about the “new birth” in plain language?  How are we called to pick us this original vision in our churches today?

Kisker suggests that Methodists in America lost sight of this vision and the structures (small groups, band and class meetings) that sought to allow men and women to experience the “new birth” and scriptural holiness.  In fact, he goes on to describe the general lack of expectation he sees in UM congregations around the nation,

As I go around and attend United Methodist churches, what strikes me is the way in which most of them (not all) are limited by what passes for possible in this world.  United Methodists do not expect God’s Spirit to intervene in powerful ways – to win the battle for us.  As a result, we are resigned to the way things are.  The logic of limited possibilities has seduced us.  Perhaps this is because we are so comfortable with the way things are.”

However, Kisker suggests that if we catch John Wesley’s vision, the language of salvation and the practices of Methodism will once again make sense and lead us to radically embracing God’s vision for salvation and holiness in our world today.