Recently, 50 plus scholars, theologians, and pastors from varied Methodist/Wesleyan backgrounds gathered for an event called the Next Methodism. There they produced a document called the Faith Once Delivered: A Wesleyan Witness. In the coming weeks, we will cover parts of their work in this blog.
The vast majority of people you meet believe in God. However, we do not all believe in the same God. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Pagans, and others recognize the power of the supernatural in the world. The description of the various gods differ radically.
This is why this Wesleyan document begins with the Attributes of God. The attributes are but our attempts at comprehending God. God as revealed in the Bible is more than we can imagine yet allows us to gaze at the beautiful mystery. To sum up the attributes, God is eternal, immutable, perfect, simple, good, omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, holy, spirit, and triune. The language in the document has some theological density, but it is clear and direct on these points.
35. There is an expansiveness to God’s love for humanity that, through the Incarnation and the gift of the Spirit, invites humankind into the life of the Trinity and makes us partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). A particular emphasis in the Wesleyan/Methodist tradition is the communal nature of this invitation. Human participation is not a private but a corporate experience through the communion of the Church. The historic classes, bands, and societies of Methodism are examples of how this communion is maintained and, thus, how the community of the Church is a fellowship that mirrors the loving unity of the Trinity.
Lord, our Creator and Triune God, we thank You for the ways in which You have revealed Yourself to us. Give us eyes to see You afresh this day and wonder. May our hearts begin to comprehend your goodness and reflect it to others. May our community be formed to be more like the holy community of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
