August 19 - Ten Great Things About Being a Methodist (part 1)

NOTE: Skip down to the post below dated August 14 for frequently asked questions about United Methodists. If you click "Comments" you can read questions submitted by others and the answers, and you can also submit your own questions!


On August 19 and August 26, we will cover "Ten Great Things About Being a Methodist." Today's message covers the first five - focusing on our practices. Next week's message will cover five important beliefs.


1. THE CONNECTIONAL PRINCIPLE. In church circles, this is the opposite of being "congregational." Some churches are congregational - each local congregation is entirely independent, and can make all of its own decisions. Methodists have a long history of being connectional - each congregation is connected to the other. We are in it together!

Read in 1 Corinthians 3 how Paul described his work and Apollos's work as not being in competition, but as being connected. This is a good description of the connectional principle way back then!

Here is a description of the connectional principle taken from the website of a church in Oklahoma City.

Here also is more information about what it means to be part of the connection.


2. ITINERACY. This is connected to #1. "Itineracy" describes the way Methodist pastors are appointed to a given congregation for a one-year assignment. Pastors do not apply for positions. They do not choose their own location. Likewise, congregations do not choose their own pastors. This is quite a bit different from most other Protestant congregations. It is a principle that goes all the way back to the days when Methodist preachers received a "preaching route" instead of a church. They would ride on horseback from preaching point to preaching point. When they finished their assignment they would receive a new route.

Pastors may often stay longer at a church these days than in times past. But the itineracy still serves us well!

Here is an article that covers how itineracy works in the church in the 21st century. It also honestly covers some strengths and potential weaknesses of itineracy for the church.


3. FLEXIBLE STRATEGIES. In this changing world, churches are always challenged to distinguish between their core mission (things that do not change) and their strategies (things that may change drastically from one generation to the next). Methodists have always worked hard to have flexible strategies - doing whatever it takes to get the job done!

We see a passion for flexible strategies in the work of the apostle Paul. In fact he was criticized as being wishy-washy because sometimes he would do one thing in one place, and another thing in another place. This criticism did not faze him one bit!

1 CORINTHIANS 9:22-23. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel.

Methodists are called to do "whatever it takes" for the sake of the gospel!

Here is a great article about how a pastor in Kansas has translated this principle in his church's ministry.


4. OPEN TABLE. Methodists are marked by the tradition of the "open table." At Communion services, we do not have membership or age requirements. Anyone whose heart is open to the love of Jesus is invited to come forward. We believe that it is in harmony with what Jesus would do, in particular as we read the words of his prayer for his followers in John 17. Notice especially verses 20-23, where Jesus prays that his followers "may be one," just as he and the Father are one.

In the Methodist document "This Holy Mystery," you will find a fuller explanation of the following Methodist customs:

• All who respond in faith to the Communion invitation are to be welcomed.
• No one will be turned away because of age or "mental, physical, developmental, and/or psychological" capacity or because of any other condition that might limit his or her understanding or hinder his or her reception of the sacrament.
• Children of all ages are welcome to the Table and are to be taught and led to interpret, appreciate, and participate in Holy Communion.
• The Lord's Supper in a United Methodist congregation is open to members of other United Methodist congregations and to Christians from other traditions.

The Bible does give us warning (1 Corinthians 11:27-32) about receiving Communion in an "unworthy" manner. Here is some information about how that passage is to be interpreted by United Methodists.


5. PASSION FOR "DOING GOOD"

Methodist teaching puts it this way: "We believe, while we are saved through grace, that we are called forth by God to good works as evidence of our faith. We are happy to embrace the derisive term given to early Methodists as 'do gooders.' Indeed, we seek to do good to others, and thus fulfill the law of love."

The Bible puts it this way:

JAMES 2:17. Faith, by itself, if it has no works, is dead.

When Methodists see a problem, they don't just throw up their hands and say "Yeah, ain't it awful." Methodists have an incurable optimism that makes us desire to seek to do something to make it better!

Johnny Cash had a song that criticized an outwardly religious person in this way - "You're so heavenly minded, that you're no earthly good." May that never be said of us!

John Wesley put it very simply:

Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.