Reading Wesley’s journal was belaboring. His 485 pages of journal spanning 17 years of his life often started with “I preached,” “I traveled,” “I finished,” and “I read.” It was like reading someone’s agenda rather than reading a journal. Very little was mentioned about his personal life, probably because the journal was for publishing. It was meant to be a tool for his cause of Methodism than his personal life revealed. Nonetheless, I learned an important lesson.
Wesley, known for his dynamic preaching, was for a period of time inhabited to preach from the Anglican pulpit for his emphasis in personal conversion and holiness. This forced him and his brother, Charles Wesley, to seize every opportunity to preach in houses, farmhouses, in the field, and in open air. They faced a lot of oppositions in preaching outside the four church walls. However, as a result of this endeavor, a lot of people who didn’t fit into the established church were reached. Most of them are middle-class workers who either couldn’t make it to Sunday worship due to work, or couldn’t fit in in an established Church of England due to their humble stature. God could use all kinds of obstacles and turn them into opportunities for His cause when our mind is set right. It’s also a good reminder that the end goals of employing new and creative ways for ministry is for His Kingdom, but not for the sake of being edgy, receiving praises from people, or just for the sake of technology or whatever that might be.
Wesley, known for his dynamic preaching, was for a period of time inhabited to preach from the Anglican pulpit for his emphasis in personal conversion and holiness. This forced him and his brother, Charles Wesley, to seize every opportunity to preach in houses, farmhouses, in the field, and in open air. They faced a lot of oppositions in preaching outside the four church walls. However, as a result of this endeavor, a lot of people who didn’t fit into the established church were reached. Most of them are middle-class workers who either couldn’t make it to Sunday worship due to work, or couldn’t fit in in an established Church of England due to their humble stature. God could use all kinds of obstacles and turn them into opportunities for His cause when our mind is set right. It’s also a good reminder that the end goals of employing new and creative ways for ministry is for His Kingdom, but not for the sake of being edgy, receiving praises from people, or just for the sake of technology or whatever that might be.
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