A Letter from John Wesley

The Tour de France starts on July 1.  Stage 5, on July 5, is the first real mountain stage.  The climb to the  Col de Soudet will break some hearts.  What does this have to do with church planting in the Global Methodist Church?  Nothing. The stage ends in Laruns, the village my great-grandfather, Jean Arnal, was from.  He was a larger than life figure. We always heard about the Tour de France and the high mountains.  I have not been to his village in 30 years.  It will be neat to see it on t.v.

What does a letter from John Wesley have to do with church planting in the GMC? Nothing. Well, not quite.  Three of the most influential books—and if I think about it, the actual most influential—in terms of the practice of ministry are The Journal of John Wesley, the Journal of Francis Asbury, and Wesley’s Veterans.  They are really great handbooks on evangelism, preaching, discipleship, and… church planting.

Wesley’s Veterans is a collection of the memoirs of the earliest Methodist preachers, mostly in their own words.  It is some of the most inspiring reading.  There is so much theology and practical divinity in their biographies.  It is 7 volumes, and it is well worth buying and reading!  Earlier today I finished reading Thomas Hopper’s memoirs.  At the end, some of his friends added reminiscences.  One of them includes three letters that were written to Hopper on the death of his wife.  One is from George Whitfield, which shows how closely Whitfield remained with the Methodists.  Two letters are from John Wesley. Perhaps you will be touched by the words, and seek out the rest of the volumes to read for yourself and get a crash course in being a Methodist circuit rider.

I want to share Whitfield’s letter with you, and one of Wesley’s.  I think there is such great power and devotion in what they share with the grieving widower.  It gives us an insight into the ministry of two of the greatest leaders the Church has ever been blessed with.

Whitfield writes:

“This day at noon, I heard and felt your mournful, joyful account of the triumphant departure of your dear, dear yokefellow.  Surely, thought I, affliction makes one eloquent.  Surely, thought I, I love and sympathize with the dear afflicted writer from the bottom of my heart.  This hath constrained me to pray for you; and being just come from my God, the same love constrains me to write these few lines.  Courage, my dear man, courage!  Wish her not down.  Yonder she is, encircled in the arms of our Jesus! We shall go to her, but she will not return to us. O for patience to wait! I am sick of this world, I am sick of time, I am sick of all poor transitory things. I long, long to be in a happy eternity.  O that we may be found doing our Master’s will, and humbly waiting His bloody feet! Indeed I feel, I feel I love you and could freely weep over you. O to sit loose to all created all created. Alas! Alas! How soon may our Isaacs be called for, and our beloved friends cut off with a stroke.  What should we do had we not an unchangeable Jesus to go to! Into His dear and everlasting arms I most humbly commit you.  My heart is full: I could write much but am called away. Adieu; the Lord be with you and yours and all!”

Wesley writes to his dear preacher:

“My dear brother,

The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, and wise are all His ways.  The great point is to understand the design of His gracious wisdom, and to answer and fulfill that design.  One thing is certain: He calls you to a more full and absolute dedication of your soul and body to Him.  He calls you to converse with Him more in prayer and meditation. In the former, we speak more directly to God; in the latter, He speaks to us.  And every possible loss is gain, if it produces this blessed effect.”