The Methodist Way of Life
by Rev Jacky Quarmby 22 April 2022
Reading: Acts 2: 42 – 47
The early Christians quickly established a way of life together, which saw them grow in faith and the church grow in numbers. During Lent, the Lent groups have been studying the Methodist Way of Life. The Methodist Way of Life offers us a framework to shape our relationships with God, with fellow believers in the church and with the wider world. It offers us twelve commitments as a means of deepening our faith and encouraging us in our service and our witness. The twelve commitments are arranged in four groups corresponding to the four areas of the Methodist calling: Worship, Learning and Caring, Service and Evangelism. And in the next twelve weeks or so, I will be looking at each of the commitments in turn – examining how we can respond more fully in each of these twelve areas. Today I just want to remind you of the twelve commitments and invite you to reflect on how many of them we can see in the life of the early church, as set out in our reading from Acts.
The calling of the Methodist Church is to
respond to the gospel of God’s love in Christ and
to live out its discipleship in worship and mission.
As far as we are able, with God’s help:
Worship
We will pray daily.
We will worship with others regularly.
We will look and listen for God in Scripture, and the world.
Learning and Caring
We will care for ourselves and those around us.
We will learn more about our faith.
We will practise hospitality and generosity.
Service
We will help people in our communities and beyond.
We will care for creation and all God’s gifts.
We will challenge injustice.
Evangelism
We will speak of the love of God.
We will live in a way that draws others to Jesus.
We will share our faith with others.
May we be a blessing within and beyond God’s Church,
for the transformation of the world.
Song: I will offer up my life
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Gracious God,
Thank you for your extraordinary love
shown to us in Jesus.
Help us to live each moment of each day
in gratitude, loving those around us and
witnessing to the ways of your kingdom.
Refresh us continually in the power of
The Holy Spirit to be people of the Way. Amen