Running the Race

In my last post I revealed that I am training for the Marine Corp Marathon.  As I reflect on this, I am reminded of Paul's letter to the Hebrew Church, when he says:  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2) 

For me to run my race, I have to practice and train.  I don't start training for a marathon by running the entire 26.2 miles,  I start small and work my way up towards my goal.  The same is true for our Christian faith.  We want to grow in faith, but often we feel overwhelmed by the enormity of the Christian faith, when in reality we really should start small.

As  I mentioned in my last post, the founder of the Methodist movement, John Wesley, provided us a methodical way of training in our Christian faith.  He called this way, the holiness of heart.  To achieve this John Wesley prescribed works of piety and works of mercy.

What are works of piety?  The chief of these means are prayer, whether in individual or corporate;  searching the Scriptures; (which implies reading, hearing, and meditating on them) and receiving the Lord's Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Him.  John Wesley also emphasized the importance of fasting and participating in Christian community.

John Wesley considered prayer an essential part of Christian living, calling it, in many of his writings, the most important means of grace. Christians were to pray constantly, without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). He wrote in A Plain Account of Christian Perfection:  Whether we think of; or speak to, God, whether we act or suffer for him, all is prayer, when we have no other object than his love, and the desire of pleasing him.

All that a Christian does, even in eating and sleeping, is prayer, when it is done in simplicity, according to the order of God, without either adding to or diminishing from it by his own choice.

How have you experienced prayer in your own life? Do you agree with Wesley that it is the most important means of grace, more important than the Bible?

We are also called to read God's holy word.  John Wesley read the Bible every day, usually early in the day or late in the evening. John Wesley also believed in fasting.  The spiritual reasons for fasting have been pretty much lost on today's society, particularly in Protestantism. Many United Methodists are surprised to learn that John Wesley fasted two days a week, Wednesdays and Fridays, in his younger days

Together these are the works of Piety.  Which practice will you explore, just to get started.  My next post will explore the Works of Mercy, which complete the Holiness of Heart.