Summer 2008, No. 3 - United Methodist Men

22 l Summer 2008 l UM MENTough words for auniversity campusA paraphrased sermon by John WesleyIntroductionAs We celebrate the centennial of UM Men ministries,we are revisiting sermons by the founder of our denomination.Wesley addressed Oxford University students and faculty membersat St. Mary’s Chapel in 1741. Three years later, Aug. 24, 1744,he gave this sermon. It was the last time he would be invitedto speak to that campus community.Ithink we can agree onthe characteristics of aChristian community.It is a place where menand women are filled withthe Holy Spirit, where theyare all of one heart and souland they give to everyoneaccording to their needs.It is a place where thelove of God fills their heartsand this love compels themto love their neighbors asthemselves. They are humble,gentle, and they stand forjustice, mercy and truth.If these are thecharacteristics of a Christiancommunity, let us ask wheresuch a community exists.Is this nation a Christiannation?Is this city a Christian city?Are we “filled with theHoly Ghost?” Do our livesshow forth the genuine fruitsof that Spirit?Can we say that themayor, the city council and allthe city workers are all of oneheart and one soul?Are all the words spokenby these officials like untothose which come out of themouth of God?Some questions for thefacultyNow, allow me to addressthe faculty members of thisprestigious university. Are youall filled with the love andzeal needed to establish God’skingdom on earth? Do youteachers remind your studentsthat the one rational endof their studies is to know,love, and serve, the only trueGod and Jesus Christ whomGod has sent? Do you teachthem that love alone neverfails (whereas philosophicalknowledge will vanish)? Doyou teach that without love,all learning is but splendidignorance and pompous folly?Do not assume that I amexpecting you to speak as ifall your students intend to beclergypersons. I only speak asif they are intended to becomeChristians.Members of the facultyand administration, I wantyou to ask yourselves, “Whydid we choose this vocation?”Was our only motive to serveGod and to promote God’sglory? Did we set aside all lies,all world cares and studiesin order to devote ourselvesto the single goal of servingGod?Ask yourselves, “Are we sufficientlyknowledgeable about God and JesusChrist that we can teach others?”And now some for the studentsNow let me address you, students,especially class officers and those witha higher grade point average. Do youhave the gifts of the spirit, includingself denial, composure, patience,meekness, and sobriety? Do you engagein unwearied endeavors to do well inevery way to all persons? Do you striveto meet their physical needs and at thesame time do you try to tell them of thelove of God?I want you students to askyourselves, “Are we humble andteachable, or are we stubborn, selfwilledand high-minded?” Do youspend all your time on your studies ordo you waste time watching televisionand playing various sports? Do you tryto avoid going into debt for tuition andfees. Do you attend worship services onSunday? Do you avoid beer parties andswearing?Is this the general character of thisstudent body? I fear it is not. Instead,I see haughtiness of spirit, impatienceand peevishness. Instead of a Christiancommunity, I find sloth, indolence,gluttony and sensualityYou are a generation of triflersIn general, I find yours a generationof triflers; triflers with God, with oneanother, and with your own souls. Fewof you spend even one hour a week inprivate prayer. Few of you think of Godand if someone begins a conversationabout God, you assume he or she is ahypocrite.Perhaps some of you have madea few faint attempts to engage in aChristian life, but your successes are few.Is there any possibility thatChristianity could become the religion ofthis place?That will happen only when weplace ourselves in the hands of God.August 26, 1744An imaginary response fromWesley’s Pastor-Parish Relations Committee(based on actual responses)Dear John:It pains us to write this letter, but our PPRC had anemergency session last night. Some members of the Oxfordfaculty complained to us about your sermon preached atSt. Mary’s. While none of us was present, we have heardthat you said our nation, city and Oxford Universitywere not Christian. In fact, according to the report, youquestioned the motives of faculty members, the values ofadministration officials and the behavior of the students.In short, you made few friends and many enemies.University officials tell us they were planning to write anofficial protest, but after reviewing your sermon notes,they have decided they will simply ignore you and they willnot be extending any invitations to you to preach to theircommunity.William Blackstone, a student who was present atyour sermon told us that he believed you were “exploitingthe sins of the university for the sake of advertisement” ofyourself.Unfortunately, your actions reflect on all us andour committee is disturbed. It’s bad enough that you havenow been excluded from all but four churches in London,and it’s bad enough that you have resorted to preachingin the open, but when you have an opportunity to speakto a prestigious group in a wonderful chapel, you use theoccasion to insult them.The committee is also concerned about your preachingstyle. While we commend you for you impeccable dressand grooming, many of us are worried about the strangebodily convulsions which seem to accompany yourpreaching. We believe this problem can be overcome if youpreach with considerably less emotion and more logic.You must realize that your reputation is rapidlydeteriorating. There are many rumors about your “lovefeasts,” and few church leaders accept your practice ofallowing laypersons to preach. We are a little surprised thatOxford even invited you to preach again since three yearsago in the same sanctuary you strongly hinted that almostno one is a true Christian (a sermon titled, “The AlmostChristian”).We trust that this letter will be a sufficient warning toyou. If we have to write again on this topic, we may haveto ask you to seek employment elsewhere.UM MEN l Summer 2008 l 23