“Catholic Spirit”

“If your heart be as mine, then take my hand.”

from “Catholic Spirit”, a sermon by John Wesley

This is one of my favorite quotes EVER. The quote is actually from 2 Kings 10:15, and reads this way in Wesley’s translation:
“Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart? … If it be, give me thine hand.”

The sermon was a response to questions being asked about differences between Catholicism and Protestantism, or specifically between the Roman Catholic Church and The Church of England. In Wesley’s day, without today’s forms of media, the “Larry King Show” and “Bill O’Reilly” were played out in pamphlets published and handed out on street corners, and sermons delivered in churches, and, in Wesley’s case, out in fields or standing in the town square. or on a tombstone even.
These kinds of questions and arguments, while invigorating, frustrated Wesley quite a bit, because it really was a waste of time and energy. Wesley wanted to focus on our scriptural understanding of God, and our lives with God, as modeled and taught by Jesus Christ. Wesley thought, as do I, that we will all have differences in opinion, which invariably lead to differences in how we prefer to worship, or in our doctrine, but these kinds of differences are inconsequential in relation to the living of our salvation. These differences should not get in the way of our love for one another, and our unity in Christ Jesus. I love how Wesley explains this point. He says the scripture does not mean to “be of my opinion” or to “embrace my modes of worship”, but it does mean “first, love me”. He goes on to describe beautifully what kind of love this is. It is not a love that simply tolerates, but is a love that is tender and kind, compassionate and patient. It is a love that encourages and inspires, that “covereth all things; that never reveals either my faults or infirmities, --that believeth all things; is always willing to think the best, to put the fairest construction on all my words and actions.” Isn’t that beautiful?
I’ve been preaching this Summer on 2 Samuel, and the stories of David coming into his kingship, and his life as king. I’ve been highlighting the relationship David had with Nathan, and will really focus on that this next Sunday. Nathan plays a remarkable role in David’s life, not because he agrees with David about everything, but because he disagrees sometimes, and he is not silent. Even so, the love and respect David and Nathan share, allows for the sharing of frank honesty, without schism. The key to this relationship, is their devotion to God. Both of them hear and are convicted by God. They are joined at the heart because their hearts are united in God, and therefore, they join hands in the living of their days. What a glorious model of relationships. I’ll explore this more in coming weeks, so...

See you at church!