Monday, August 28, 2006

Evangelical Methodists

Methodist churches are often accused of being . . . less than charismatic, shall we say. I have a theory that we Methodists became so organized during the post-WWII decades that we organized out the evangelical part of us; I think we craved order, after such a chaotic beginning of the 1900s.

We used to be a pretty rowdy bunch, I'm told; now we're pretty staid, according to our denominational reputation--mostly Sunday Christians. John Wesley, founder of Methodism in the 1700s, was very much an evangelical.

I found this web site while googling for Evangelical Methodist Churches. An interesting feature on it is this list of questions by Wesley:

Wesley's Self-Examination Quiz:

Here is one set of nearly two dozen questions which John Wesley gave to members of his discipleship groups more than 200 years ago. The questions may have their origin in the spiritual accountability group started by Wesley when he was a student at Oxford -- a group that detractors called "The Holy Club." Please recall that the EMM is committed to mentoring and accountability among men in order to be all that Christ (means) for a man to become.

1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
2. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
3. Can I be trusted?
4. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
5. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
6. Did the Bible believe in me today?
7. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
8. Am I enjoying prayer?
9. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
10. Do I pray about the money I spend?
11. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
12. Do I disobey God in anything?
13. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
14. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
15. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
16. How do I spend my spare time?
17. Am I proud?
18. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
19. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
20. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
21. Is Christ real to me?

"Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." -- Hebrews 3:13

No comments:

Post a Comment