The Root of Christianity

Back when I began taking classes through Course of Study, I was not sure what to expect. Here were a bunch of middle-aged men and women who had heeded the call to proclaim the Gospel of the Lord, many of whom had never set foot in a college classroom, suddenly being asked to write college-level papers and read college-level theology books. It was exciting to begin this new journey, and I was looking forward to the challenge. I had only one stumbling block that I had to get past.

Having grown up Roman Catholic, I have a certain set of expectations and beliefs that have been a part of what I believe and will likely be with me until my last breath on this earth. Even (and perhaps especially) as a Methodist, much of the catechism has been affirmed for me though Protestant doctrines have presented an interesting portrait of our religion (Christianity, not Methodism) as well. Actually, I have found much of doctrinal studies to be strangely similar even though we use different words to make essentially the same point.

The stumbling block I encountered in the Course of Study was, oddly, John Wesley and the emphasis on his life and his teachings. Even though John Wesley was no more or less a disciple than many who have devoted their lives to service in the Gospel, it is still the Gospel of - are you ready?? - CHRIST. Let's face it: John Wesley is only a PART of the total history of the Church itself. It's funny to me how Protestants can find fault with the catechism of the Catholic Church because of its "lack of scriptural authority" but will constantly refer back to some dead Protestant reformer as the "light" toward which we must all move.

That's right. The Eternal Covenant that came from the Lord God of all creation in the person of Jesus of Nazareth has come to all of mankind, even to those who do not believe. This is the root of not only our religion but of our faith. We believe that the Lord God is so filled with love for all of His creation that He has made it possible for us to be reconciled to Him through an act that He performed for our sake. And the last time I checked, John Wesley is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. Nor is John Calvin or Martin Luther or even John Paul II. Heck, I couldn't even find Billy Graham!

None of this is to disparage John Wesley or the work that he did. Though he was as fallible as the rest of us, his take on the Gospel still reverberates today. Much of what he believed is the banner under which we Methodists meet and march and proclaim. But must we return to the root of Wesleyanism or Methodism (whatever that is), or should we perhaps be more concerned about returning to the root of Christianity instead?

The Methodist Church has a rich history, but it is a minor part of the history of the Church itself. After all, how many churches / bodies of Christ can there be? (If you say, "thousands", then you're not keeping up.)

Now we are involved in worship studies and options and doughnuts and other snacks in the sanctuary, etc., all in an effort to attract crowds. We will do virtually anything short of prostituting our mothers to get one more body inside the church. What they do from there is their own business, right? As long as they put enough money in the collection plate so that apportionments can be paid, right? And if they don't want to participate in the life of the church, then this is ok, also. Right? After all, we don't want to upset them and risk running them off. Right?

The Church, whether Catholic or Protestant, is about Christ. And if there are "many" bodies of Christ, then there must be more than one God. And the Trinity is a joke. And that is not the Holy Spirit moving you - it's the sugar in your fourth doughnut you've had while in worship. Oh yes, I saw you get up and go out to the table all those many times and come back with perhaps a cup of milk or juice and a new doughnut. I've even seen you go fill up your coffee cup. Had you stayed in your seat and paid attention, you might have learned something about - what - the LORD?? How do I know all this if I were truly paying attention to the sermon? I know because you stepped on my foot going after your third doughnut! In fact, you very nearly spilled grape juice on my new shirt!

Do not bore me with dead preachers and bells and whistles and dancing bears in church. If my soul is in danger, tell me more about the one - the ONLY One - who can save me and teach me and guide me. Tell me about the One who has a history of doing such things. Do not suggest to me even for a moment that I need to be more focused on John Wesley in order to save the church or my soul.

And by the way, he was Anglican. And Jesus was a Jew. The pope is Catholic, and a bear does crap in the woods. So there.