John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was all about cultivating the inner life with God; all about those inward practices that are aimed at connecting us deeply to God. That same John Wesley said that when it comes to life in relationship to THAT God there is no such thing as holiness that isn’t SOCIAL holiness.
In other words, there is no version of being a Christian that gets lived in a vacuum; in total isolation from people and the larger world that we live in. And so if we are going to be God’s holy people, that holiness is going to have to get SOCIAL! That holiness is going to HAVE to be about the way we relate to others and how we play out the love of Christ in the culture and context of our real and ordinary lives.
Celeste Eubanks, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church
Jesus shows us this! God’s way of saving us was NOT some kind of invisible idea that floated into our hearts. God’s way of saving us was Jesus - who was born in a particular place and time among particular people. And Jesus shows us God’s salvation through the relationships he builds and through the people he includes and through the particular social issues he addresses (most of which have to do with Religious leaders mishandling power).
A big part of what we do at Wesley is about helping you become Christian leaders. We’re interested in seeing you cultivate an inner life with God, growing as a part of God’s holy people, now and in your time beyond Auburn. And we know that this holiness MUST BE SOCIAL. So for the months of October and November we are setting aside time for us to explore one of the most pervasive social evils that has LONG plagued us - Racism.
So, I want to invite you to join us in a conversation THIS coming Monday night that we’re calling “Becoming Christian Leaders - Meaningful Conversations About Race”. Our conversation will be led by our friend Celeste Eubanks, the Director of Connectional Ministries for the Alabama-West Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. It will be an interactive and insightful conversation. One that will help us to grow in our faith.
Join us THIS coming Monday night, October 10, 7:30-8:30pm at Wesley.
Grace + Peace,
Tony Jeck
