Seven Reasons Why I Love the United Methodist Church

 

“By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God -- not the result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

In the Bible, the number seven is often used as a symbol of perfection.  I will leave to your interpretation whether or not you feel that’s applicable to what I’m writing here.  However, as a life-long United Methodist Christian, I can honestly say that the tradition in which I was raised, found Christ, and have -- ever since – grown in my faith is as close to this as humanly possible.   Yes, it absolutely has its share of flaws and shortcomings, just like any other church.  But I would say about United Methodist Christianity what Winston Churchill once said about democracy:  it is “…the worst form of government [or in this case, Christianity] except for all the others that have been tried.”  Other Christians may (and do) find meaning in other expressions/forms of Christian faith:  Baptist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Global Methodist, AME, non-denominational, etc.  But for me (and many others), United Methodist Christianity is the best and most biblical form, and does the best job in helping us to understand, practice, and grow in our faith in Christ. 

To help you understand where I’m coming from, let me share “Seven Reasons Why I Love the United Methodist Church.”  I love it because of…

1)         Its View of God -- not only does it believe that God exists as three-in-one (the Holy Trinity), but talks about a God whose defining characteristic is not judgement or condemnation, but agape LOVE for all, and whose primary desire is the restoration of a relationship with each and every person and part of Creation by way of salvation through his son Jesus.

 

2)         Its View of Grace – United Methodist Christians understand God’s one Grace as being manifested in three movements throughout the process of Christian salvation:  prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace.  In addition, we understand that God has given us various “means of Grace” (like prayer, worship, the Sacraments, Christian fellowship, etc.) to impart these manifestations of grace.

 

3)         Its dynamic view of the authority of Scripture – in United Methodist Christianity, we believe in the primacy of scripture – that it is the inspired word of God, and should be the first source of authority in our lives.  However, we also understand and acknowledge that – like a ballroom dance in which scripture always takes the lead – it also interacts with other sources of authority, as well (such as tradition, personal experience, and common sense/reason). That means that we must always take these others into account when reading and interpreting scripture.

 

4)         Its View of the Church – we understand that the church is an imperfect, broken, human institution which is a continual “work in progress.”  Yet, since it was instituted by Jesus himself, it is, nevertheless, God’s “ark”, created to protect and save us from the struggles and challenges of life in this world.  As St. Augustine supposedly once said, “the Church is like Noah’s ark:  if it weren’t for the raging storm outside, you wouldn’t be able to stand the stink inside!”  In God’s church, not only do we find spiritual safety, but a place where we can grow with God and others.

 

5)         Its embrace of both faith and reason – many Christian traditions want their followers to strictly adhere to a set “statement of faith” or creed which leaves little or no room for questions.  I am thankful that in United Methodist Christianity, we don’t have to “check our brains at the door.”  Instead, like the experience of the apostle Thomas, in our tradition there is an important place for questions and healthy doubt which can lead to deeper and more lasting faith.  In this view, faith and science are not opposites but merely complements to each other, and each one helps us to know more about God and the world which God created.

 

6)         Its gracious Orthodoxy – the founder of Methodism John Wesley once wrote “Though we may not all think alike, may we not all love alike?” (from his sermon Catholic Spirit).  I’m proud of the fact that while we United Methodists hold to the essentials of orthodox Christian faith (for example, read our essential “Doctrinal Standards and Theological Task” and “Articles of Religion” HERE), at the same time we seek to practice a graciousness about how we interpret and apply those.  Unlike the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes of the Bible (and unlike some Christian traditions today), we United Methodists practice a more inclusive, “catholic spirit” that allows Christians of deep conviction and faith to “agree to disagree” about non-essentials of faith, while agreeing on the essentials.  While it’s not certain that John Wesley ever said this, we practice the spirit of what a famous quote regarding Christian belief supposedly said:  “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity (love).”

 

7)         Its Missional character, carried out via “connection”  -- no church or Christian is an “island” by themselves.  Wesley himself wrote that there is no such thing as “solitary” Christianity.  Instead, Christians and churches are meant to live and do ministry in relationship and connection with one another.  That’s why in United Methodist Christianity, our churches and ministries are connected together for mission and ministry in the world.  Each local church is merely a franchise outpost of that connection, and it’s why we move our Pastors every so often (because a healthy church should not be built around the Pastor but around God’s people in that place!).  While my family and I don’t always enjoy moving, we realize that – like the apostle Paul in his missionary journeys -- it is more biblical, and in the end will create stronger, healthier churches and better Christians as we seek to share Christ with the world.

If you are either new to our tradition, or just want to know more about these characteristics that I’ve just described, I invite you to purchase and read the book I wrote specifically about this several years ago called Christianity the Wesleyan Way (Foundery Books 2020), available either from AMAZON.COM or COKESBURY.COM.  It will help you better understand what it means to believe and practice life as a Methodist Christian by delving more into the spiritual background, history, beliefs and practices of Methodism, and the back of each chapter even contains simple questions either for personal or group reflection and discussion.

In the meantime, always remember that God loves you and I do, too!