Ordinary Being Extraordinary | Rev. Brooke Hartman

We often hear in church that we should pray and read the Bible.  Those seem like good answers to the question of how to be a good Christian.  For John Wesley, praying, reading scripture, fasting, and Holy Communion weren’t just about being a good Christian. Participating in the “means of grace” for Wesley was about engaging in the means which convey God’s grace.  These means are not about earning God’s grace, but experiencing God’s grace.  As individuals and as a community of faith, engaging in the means of grace are a part of who we are. 

 

As Jesus gathered with his disciples on the night in which he was betrayed, he shared in The Last Supper, a meal far more than bread and wine.  John Wesley described the sacraments of Holy Communion and baptism as “outward signs of inward grace”.  Each time we come to the communion table or baptize someone, we are claiming the truth about God’s grace at work. 

Scripture - Acts 2:42-47; Luke 22:14-20