Friends
One of the most famous extracts of John Wesley’s diary is this one:
Wednesday, May 24th, 1738: “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a Society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation; and an assurance was given me, that he had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”
Thursday, May 25th, 1738: “The moment I awakened “Jesus, master," was in my heart and in my mouth; And I found, all my strength lay in keeping my eye fixed upon him, and my soul waiting on him continually.”
Wesley’s brother, Charles, had had a similar experience three days earlier, and wrote “And can it be” before the week was out. It was one of the moments in the Christian story, and certainly in Methodism’s story, that changed everything.
I wonder what moment in our own stories equates to that instance when John felt his heart “strangely warmed”? For some of us it may be hard to pinpoint one specific time but there will be certain instances when we are particularly sure of God’s presence. For me, one of those moments was last week when Sophie and Margaret sent me pictures of the van they had found for “Van with a Plan”. Many of you will know that the concept for this began as a bus, and the van they have found is actually a mini-bus, perfectly formed for what we are needing and serviced every two months by the main dealership as it was being run by the council for school children with poor mobility. It feels so clear to me that God has been in the process and in the finding of this particular vehicle. Do come and see it on the 8th of June when it will be at High Street from 1115 – 12noon; Hampshire Avenue 1 – 2pm and the Alexandra Gardens Windsor, next to the band stand at 3pm. As we continue to pray for this new piece of Circuit outreach, may our hearts and the hearts of all we meet be strangely warmed also.
God bless, Vicci