I spent the weekend sketching in a quiet boating village in Eastern North Carolina, and reflecting on John Wesley’s sermon 39, “On A Catholic Spirit.” The sermon is incredibly timely for The United Methodist Church as our General Conference began today, May 10.  The sermon challenges Christians to believe fully that they are following God in the best way possible (in their doctrine, their church governance, and their worship and spiritual practices), but that they would show mercy and charity for other Christians with very different views that believe they are the ones with the best view of God.  The Pentecost of the Church, which we will celebrate this Sunday, was a day when the one Gospel message of Christ was spoken in many tongues, in ways that many could hear it in their own language.  I think that’s the point of the Catholic Spirit, celebrating that others understand the One Gospel Message differently than you do, and loving them and working with them without compromising your own beliefs.  My prayer is that our denomination isn’t split over the issue of homosexuality this General Conference, but if it is, that we will honor one another’s differences and work once more towards Christian unity.

I will not spend much time this week going into the sermon itself, as I am beginning a series exploring the sermon for the next few weeks.  I encourage you to read “On A Catholic Spirit” on your own (at this link).  Next week as the series continues, get ready to meet the true common enemy…the “Spiritual, but Religiously Not Religious.”