All
sermons
are by Dr. Wachob, unless otherwise noted.
Streaming
Audio Sermons
June
29th
Be Strong and Courageous
sermon preached by Rev. Geoffrey Lentz
June
22nd
Calling Jesus Names
June
15th
Choices
June
8th
Chanting faint hymns to the cold fruitless moon
June
1st
Hearing and Doing
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This Friday is American Independence Day.
Dear Friends,
This Friday is American Independence
Day. I have been thinking about how the birth of our church (The United
Methodist Church) occurred because of American Independence from
England. Our founder, John Wesley, was not a fan of independence. He
sided not with George Washington but with George the King. However, as
Anglican priests and bishops were called back to England, he felt that
the Americas needed the presence of a church. He felt led “by a very
uncommon train of providence” to found the “Methodist Episcopal Church”
in 1784. In doing so, he ordained Dr. Coke and Mr. Francis Asbury as
bishops and sent us a prayer book that contained our Articles of
Religion. It was titled, Sunday Service for the Methodist in North
America. In the preface he states:
I believe there is no liturgy in the World,
either in ancient or modern language, which breathes more of a
solid, scriptural, rational Piety, than the COMMON PRAYER of the
CHURCH OF ENGLAND (emphasis his).
And that is what Mr. Wesley passed on
to us: the liturgy, theology, of the Anglican church. His book, Sunday
Services, was the readers digest version of the Book of Common Prayer (BCP).
Even though Wesley was not wild about
American Independence, he saw fit to include a prayer for our government
(of course it is almost entirely taken from the BCP. I think this prayer
is particularly fitting for Independence Day.
O Lord our heavenly Father, high and mighty,
King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost
from thy throne behold all the dwellers on the earth; Most heartily
we beseech thee, with thy favor to behold the Supreme Rulers of
these United States, and so replenish them with grace of the Holy
Spirit, that they may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy
way; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Peace of Christ,
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