March/April 2009
FEATURES
Walking Wholeheartedly with God Steve Seamands presents Abraham as a holy model of faith.
Why the Stir? Early Responses to the Wesley Study Bible Bill T. Arnold explores the reasons behind the project’s early success.
Evangelism and Affirmative Action William Willimon probes the divide between slogan and practice.
Meddling with Membership Walter Fenton reveals an alarming amendment coming to annual conferences
Amending Away Our Global Church? Riley B. Case highlights the problem with a legislatively quarantined Africa.
Remembering a Servant of Truth:Richard John Neuhaus Paul Stallsworth lends insight into America’s thought-provoking priest.
Lent: Ancestors in Faith Join the Dark Night of the Soul St.Benedict, John Wesley, and St. Flavian instruct on fasting and self-denial.
COLUMNS
Editorial No Common Faith Among Us
Next Generation
A Demonstration Always Trumps an Explanation
RENEW Women’s Network Let’s Get Real!
The Great Commission Showing Up
From the Heart A Word with the President
DEPARTMENTS
News Congress on Evangelism inspires clergy, laity
alike
William Abraham assesses Albert Outler’s
legacy
Ethicist preaches hope for the pro-life cause
Church and Society withdraws support for FOCA
Searching for gray on abortion
Ginghamsburg comes again—and again—to Gulf
Coast
Young clergy rise, bucking leadership trend
Remembering Habitat for Humanity founder
Millard Fuller
Ancestors in the Faith Join in the Communal Dark Night of
the Soul
“Let every one offer to God, of his own free will, with
joy of the Holy Ghost, something above the measure appointed him; that is to
say, let him withhold from his body something in the way of food, drink, sleep,
talk, laughter, and with spiritual joy and desire, await the holy feast of
Easter.”
— Saint Benedict (480-543) Self denial
On the whole, then, to deny ourselves, is, to deny our own will, where it does not fall in with the will of God; and that however pleasing it may be. It is, to deny ourselves any pleasure which does not spring from, and lead to, God; that is, in effect, to refuse going out of our way, though into a pleasant, flowery path; to refuse what we know to be deadly poison, though agreeable to the taste.
And every one that would follow Christ, that would be his real disciple, must not only deny himself, but take up his cross also. A cross is anything contrary to our will, anything displeasing to our nature. So that taking up our cross goes a little farther than denying ourselves; it rises a little higher, and is a more difficult task to flesh and blood; — it being more easy to forego pleasure, than to endure pain. If, in searching our wounds, he puts us to pain, it is only in order to heal them.
We see plainly then both the nature and ground of taking up our cross. It does not imply the disciplining ourselves; (as some speak;) the literally tearing our own flesh: the wearing hair-cloth, or iron-girdles, or anything else that would impair our bodily health; (although we know not what allowance God may make for those who act thus through involuntary ignorance;) but the embracing of the will of God, though contrary to our own; the choosing wholesome, though bitter medicines; the freely accepting temporary pain, of whatever kind, and in whatever degree, when it is either essentially or accidentally necessary to eternal pleasure.
—John Wesley (1703-1791) from “Sermons on Several Occasions”
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