Turbo Group - November 7 reflection

• "John Wesley preached: . . . Christianity is essentially a social religion, and . . . to turn it into a solitary religion is indeed to destroy it. By Christianity I mean that method of worshipping God which is here revealed to man by Jesus Christ. When I say this is essentially a social religion, I mean not only that it cannot subsist so well, but that it cannot subsist at all without society, without living and conversing with other men. (Source: Albert Outler, ed., Sermons I, vol. 1, The Works of John Wesley,"Upon our Lord's Sermon on the Mount, Discourse the Fourth." Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984; 533:26-534:1.)                                                                                                                                            Do you agree or disagree with Wesley’s assessment of the “social” nature of Christianity? Where do you see your spiritual journey at this point – as a social venture or as a more isolated one? Spend time in prayer over where God is calling you – to share more of your journey with others or to draw closer in quiet prayer, or both."

I love this quote from John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement in the 1700s. Wesley had a very healthy understanding of both the private and the public nature of Christianity. The Christian journey is both inward and outward. We must meet God in the silence of prayer, scripture reading and reflection. It is where our souls are fed. But we can't leave our experience with God in our heads and hearts. It is in community where we have our leadings from God affirmed, our miscues noted, our minds and hearts opened.

John Wesley had a very structured system of small groups to introduce people to the Christian walk, to grow their faith, deepen their connection with Christ, and move toward spiritual perfection. Even in meeting in a small group with other pilgrims on a weekly journey, the average length of time between exploring the Christian life and claiming a saving, justifying relationship with Christ was two years! Two years of intense, intentional, focused journey with a committed group of folks. Many Christians do not experience that type of small group ever, much less for two years.


In the small group, the private and the public face of the Christian faith find a safe meeting place. In a group of trust, accountability, openness and welcome, the soul finds a safe place to show up, to borrow a phrase from author Parker Palmer in Hidden Wholeness. We can experience the voice of God speaking through others, through prayer, and through the Scriptures. Where do you see the place of the small group in the social and private practices of faith?