New Testament Study, Romans Week III

Hello class!

Thanks for the good attendance and participation last Sunday. We are finishing up our introductions to one another and the Book of Romans. This coming Sunday we will hope to complete our individual sharing from various passages, take a look at an outline of the B of R, and chart a course forward.

By way of reminder and review: We are in a survey class of the whole Bible, and have made our way now to the section of the New Testament which contains the epistles (letters) written to churches and individuals. We hope this study will help all of us understand the Bible as a whole and provide a foundation for personal study. Romans is a unique and particularly challenging book, as it is more in the nature of a theological discourse than correspondence aimed at particular issues in local congregations.

Thus we have begun our study by highlighting how Romans touches on what we would now call "orthodox" Christian doctrines and beliefs.

An equal priority of our class is to enjoy one another and develop a supportive Christian community. To that end we will regularly provide simple activities that help us get to know and to care for one another.

Laura and I appreciate each one of you! Thanks for being in this class & hope to see you this Sunday!

Pastor Dan

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Bonus section: Basics of Wesleyan Methodism

In the course of conversation Sunday I offered a summary of the basic beliefs of Methodists who follow in John Wesley's traditions.
Here is a shot at that summary:

Unlike many modern churches, the United Methodist Church is not a creedal denomination. That is we do not require members to adhere strictly to specific interpretations of Christian dogma or doctrine. However we do emphasize certain core beliefs, practices, and values, including:

-- The centrality of grace in three movements: Prevenient, or "preventing" grace -- God's love which woos us and calls us before we know of it; Justifying grace -- that righteousness before God is a gift given to us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ; and Sanctifying grace -- God's work in the Holy Spirit which promises that we are becoming truly holy people,"perfect in love", experiencing and expressing the fullness of Christ's character.

-- A balance between personal piety and social responsibility; we hope to have a strong personal experience of Jesus Christ as our Savior, and a rich interior spiritual life; and that life then expressed in working for social justice, caring for those whom Jesus calls "the least of these, my brethren" with whom he identifies.

-- In matters of the mind, Wesley insisted that faith without reason is no faith at all.

-- In matters of the heart, Wesley insisted that the mind not get in the way of fellowship -- "If your heart is as my heart, take my hand." That is, love of Christ and subsequent love of neighbor bind the body together amidst reasonable disagreement about particular dogmas and doctrines. This describes well the basis of St. Paul's energy, vitality, and warmth, as we are a congregation of people with diverse religious and spiritual backgrounds bound together by a common commitment to Jesus Christ.