Thursday, August 21, 2014

WESLEYAN-ANGLICAN SOCIETY NOW RECEIVING MEMBERS/DUES VIA WEBSITE



It is with great joy that I am announcing to the readers of this blog that the Wesleyan-Anglican Society is now ready to receive members and dues via our website!

It has taken quite a while to organize, incorporate, get a bank account, and set up our website and Paypal account, but WE ARE FINALLY READY!

Over the past year, we have taken in members via email and Facebook messaging, but we had not had the capability of receiving our annual dues.  Now, all of that has changed.

I want to encourage the readers of this blog to go to our website, and click on the membership link.  There you can access the Constitution and the Application Form.  You can also make payment of dues via Paypal, or you can write a check, if you prefer.

I would also encourage you to join the Wesleyan/Anglican Facebook page, where members and friends of the Society are able to dialogue about all things Wesleyan & Anglican.

The Wesley Teapot

I've been meaning to post an article about one of my recent acquisitions, about which I have been quite excited.  Time, however, has gotten away from me . . . until now.  (At least I'm taking a couple of moments to get this up!)

Recently I found on an ebay auction one of the Wesley teapots.  As a big Wesley fan and a drinker of tea, it seemed like a perfect fit for me!


The original was a gallon-sized teapot used by the Rev'd. Mr. John Wesley for thirty years.  It is displayed in the Museum of Methodism at City Road Chapel (i.e., Wesley's Chapel) in London.  Josiah Wedgwood, the famous potter to the Queen, presented Wesley with the teapot in 1761.

The one that I purchased is an exact replica in quart size.  It was reproduced by Wedgwood in 1908.  The floral pattern, known as "Wesley Blue Calico," is still used by Wedgwood on various items.  Josiah Wedgwood described the origin of the "Wesley Blue Calico" as follows:

 
"The wreath around the blessing is suggestive of Mr. Wedgwood's flower garden where he and Mr. Wesley first met, and where their lifelong friendship began; The single flowers above the spout are England's national flowers - the rose for England, thistle for Scotland, the shamrock for Ireland; The design in band around the bowl and on the lid of the teapot was taken from a dress belonging to the young woman who later became Mrs. Wedgwood and the grandmother of Charles Darwin."

On one side of the teapot there is a prayer that says:

We thank thee Lord for this our food
But more because of Jesus's blood
Let manna to our Souls be given
The bread of Life sent down from Heaven
 
On the other side (as shown in the picture) one finds the "Wesley Grace," which was written by John Cennick, the first Methodist lay preacher.  It reads, as follows:
 
Be present at our Table Lord
Be here and everywhere ador'd
These creatures bless & grant that we
May feast in Paradice with thee.

(And, yes, the above reflects the actual spelling!)  -  The Wesley Grace is still sung by Methodists of various stripes to the tune of Old 100th ("Doxology").  It is sometimes sung prior to coming to the Lord's Table for the sacrament.  At other times it is sung prior to a church dinner.  -  It appears in The United Methodist Hymn, though strangely (and wrongly), "These creatures . . ." is changed to "Thy creatures . . ."

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Much of the above information came from Treasures of the World Methodist Museum located at Lake Junaluska, NC, and printed by Biltmore Press, Asheville, NC.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Nazarene Call For Prayer For the Middle East



Earlier this month, the Board of General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene issued an episcopal call for prayer concerning the turmoil throughout the Middle East.  Specifically, the General Superintendents have called us to pray for the following concerns:

  • Pray for peace in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, for a just and lasting solution that allows all people to live with dignity and respect in the absence of violence. Pray for the comfort of those who have lost family members and friends.
  • Pray for peace in Syria, for an immediate end to the conflict, and for protection of human life. More than 100,000 people have been killed; there are 6.5 million internally displaced people in Syria and 2.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled to neighboring countries. Pray for their many needs to be met and for hope in the face of long-term displacement.
  • Pray for the persecuted church across the region that is in danger because of faith in Christ, that those who are oppressed would know the strength and courage that comes from fellowship with God. Pray that people of different faiths could live in peace with one another.
  • Pray for the protection of children throughout the region and for all people who have experienced trauma.
  • Pray for local churches that are working in partnership with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (and other ministries and agencies) to alleviate suffering as they care for the vulnerable in volatile, insecure conditions
I want to encourage my fellow Nazarenes, and all of the readers of this blog to answer this call for prayer.

The full article can be found at this link.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

World Methodist Council Celebrates Church of England's Decision

By now it is old news, I realize.  But, back on July 14 the General Synod of the Church of England (John Wesley's church) voted to approve allowing women to serve as bishops.  This was an historic move overturning centuries of Anglican tradition in the Church of England.  (Though some other jurisdiction within the Anglican Communion already have women serving as bishops, the Church of England, itself, restricted the episcopal office to men, only.)

This news was met by mixed reactions.  Even within the Anglican world, itself, there were various responses.  While I have Anglican friends who rejoice over this decision, I also have a number of Reformed Episcopal, Anglo-Catholic, and other traditional Anglican friends who are not happy at all.  The latter are likely ready to give up on Canterbury!

Outside of Anglicanism, the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches look on this with less than favorable eyes.  Undoubtedly, this move by the "Mother Church" of Anglicanism will further strain relationships with Rome and those connected with Constantinople.  -  This is significant because Anglicanism has understood itself as a "third branch" of the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church, along side of Rome & Orthodoxy.  With these historic churches of the West and the East condemning the idea of women in holy orders at all, and certainly condemning the idea of women as bishops, this move only separates Canterbury even further.  - Of course, it must be said that, even though Canterbury sees itself as this "third branch," Rome and Constantinople have always been less then convinced.  As it stands, neither Rome nor Orthodoxy accept Anglican orders as valid.  But, if they were ever to change their minds, this recent move by the General Synod surely closes that door.
On the other hand (and though this is old news, as well, I just became aware of it!), the response from Methodism has been quite favorable.  -  Upon hearing the news from England, World Methodist General Secretary, Bishop Ivan Abrahams issued a letter to Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.  In the letter Bishop Abrahams said, "The news that the Church of England has voted in favor of allowing women to become bishops is welcomed with open arms by the World Methodist Council.  Our global body has long welcomed, appreciated and been strengthened by our sisters in our faith tradition, and we know that this news will be seen as another common belief that affirms not only the bond between the Church of England and its members, but also within the World Methodist Council's ongoing  ecumenical dialogue with the church."

In reality, the first women to be ordained in modern times (i.e., we see women ordained as deacons in Scripture, itself) were ordained by those in the Methodist tradition.  More specifically, such ordinations took place in the Wesleyan-Holiness wing of Methodism.  In fact, the Church of the Nazarene (for example) was ordaining women as elders a quarter of a century before the United Methodist Church made that move.  However, United Methodism has been much quicker and more consistent in seeing women serve in the episcopal role than either the Church of the Nazarene or The Wesleyan Church.  But, neither of those denominations ever barred women from the office of general superintendency.  The only relevant restriction for serving in the superintendency for Nazarenes was being ordained an elder, and, as I said, elders orders were always open to women. 

Bishop Abrahams went on to say, “As the Church of England acts upon this landmark decision, know that by doing so they are doing it with the blessings and prayers of the Methodists throughout the world who are part of the World Methodist Council."

The full article from the World Methodist Council can be read, here.