John Wesley loved the sacrament of Holy Communion, believing it to be a means of grace conveying God’s Spirit directly to those who receive it.
“The grace of God given herein confirms to us the pardon of our sins by enabling us to leave them. As our bodies are strengthened by bread and wine, so are our souls by these tokens of the body and blood of Christ. This is the food of our souls: this gives strength to perform our duty, and leads us on to perfection. If therefore we have any regard for the plain command of Christ, if we desire the pardon of our sins, if we wish for strength to believe, to love and obey God, then we should neglect no opportunity of receiving the Lord’s Supper.”
Members of Wesley’s Holy Club at Oxford were teased for their rigorous religious practices, including almost daily receiving Holy Communion. I couldn’t help but make the connection to the beloved 1964 stop-motion Christmas Special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Let’s see where this story takes us in the next few weeks.
PS. It’s not too late to order your 2024 Wesley Bros Liturgical Calendar from Cokesbury!