John and Charles Wesley
Today we celebrate the lives of John and Charles Wesley
Exciting Holiness is a book providing background information and bible readings for many saints and festivals of the Christian year. In the book we read the following about the Wesley brothers:
Born at Epworth rectory in Lincolnshire, John Wesley was the son of an Anglican clergyman and a Puritan mother. He entered Holy Orders and, following a religious experience on this day in 1738, began an itinerant ministry which recognized no parish boundaries. This resulted, after his death, in the development of a worldwide Methodist Church. His spirituality involved an Arminian affirmation of grace, frequent communion and a disciplined corporate search for holiness. His open-air preaching, concern for education and for the poor, liturgical revision, organization of local societies and training of preachers provided a firm basis for Christian growth and mission in England.
Charles shared with his brother John the building-up of early Methodist societies, as they travelled the country. His special concern was that early Methodists should remain loyal to Anglicanism. He married and settled in Bristol, later in London, concentrating his work on the local Christian communities. His thousands of hymns established a resource of lyrical piety which has enabled generations of Christians to re-discover the refining power of God’s love. They celebrate God’s work of grace from birth to death, the great events of God’s work of salvation and the rich themes of eucharistic worship, anticipating the taking up of humanity into the divine life.
John Wesley died on 2 March 1791 and Charles on 29 March 1788.
Here in Bristol we have a particular connection with John Wesley who founded the New Room in 1739. Located in the heart of Bristol it is the oldest Methodist building in the world and became the cradle of the worldwide Methodist movement.
At Morning Prayer this morning, we offered the words of this hymn, by Charles Wesley, as part of our intercessions:
Love divine, all loves excelling
Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesu, thou art all compassion,
Pure unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every trembling heart.
Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy grace receive;
Suddenly return, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
Serve thee as thy hosts above;
Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
Glory in thy perfect love.
Finish then thy new creation:
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us see thy great salvation,
Perfectly restored in thee;
Changed from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love and praise.
What's your favourite Wesley hymn?
Dan Tyndall
24 May 2024
