Introduction

Me being a United Methodist pastor, I have heard an awful lot about John Wesley. For those of you who might be unfamiliar with Wesley, John and his brother Charles inadvertently started a new denomination out of the Anglican Church - a group which would be initially referred to in a derogatory manner, but later appropriately and respectfully known as "Methodists."

John and Charles Wesley both saw in their student days at Oxford that people would go to church, do their holy thing on Sunday morning, but they would not continue seeking God the rest of the week. (Sound familiar?) The Wesley brothers sought to live a life where holiness was constantly sought after - to experience walking closer with God on a daily basis. Recognizing that Christianity is not a solo journey and that others coming alongside you for accountability and encouragement is beneficial in growing spiritually, the Wesley brothers began forming what they referred to as a "holiness club."

In this club, those involved would come together and discuss the latest in theology, seeking out understanding of God's grace in the world and encouraging one another in their struggles. For all of the rules that the societies would practice (which others would deem as "fanatical" in some instances), there were really 3 basic rules that they followed: Do no harm, Do good, and Stay in love with God.

Now, with all of these rules about fasting and reading scriptures and ministering to others, people noticed that there was a method that this group was using in order to try and seek out holiness. Even though many thought this was a group of fanatics, this methodology to better know God was working not just for this small band at Oxford, but eventually all across the nation. The method of using small groups and living life together was actually awakening a love for God in these people's lives! Since this "method" was working, it no longer seemed a negative stereotype but a suitable name for this movement for seeking out holiness.

In July, I have the opportunity to walk some of the same streets and see some of the same sights as John and Charles Wesley. I will have the opportunity to know more about these two and how this movement they initiated was started. I will be traveling with other clergy to Salisbury, England. As we learn about Wesley and discuss what his successes and failures were, the hope is that we might be able to take some of that same zeal back to the States with us so that we can encourage others in our home communities to seek out holiness on a daily basis and not just Sunday mornings.

While I am gone for those two weeks, however, I would like to share some of my experiences of my time in England. Needless to say, I am excited about this opportunity to return to the UK and I would like to share some of this experience with my family, friends, congregation and whoever else would like to join me in my journey!

I would like to ask for prayers during these two weeks; prayers for safe travel, good health and for an open heart to be transformed over the course of this pilgrimage.

Thank you for reading - and I'm looking forward to sharing this adventure with all of you!