WEDNESDAYS WITH WESLEY

Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar were feeling pretty foolish for being naive about Herod. Then they happened upon John Wesley himself, who said rather wistfully “The Germans,” which was his term for the Moravians.  The star was a Christmas ornament associated with them.  John had met them during a near shipwreck on a mission to the colony of Georgia in 1736.  The Moravians’ faith and courage had inspired him, even if John began to despair of his own.  The rest of the trip was an even bigger failure.  They converted very few local Cherokees, and John’s courtship of Sophia Hopkey caused such controversy that when he and Charles left Savannah in 1737 there was a warrant out for John’s arrest.  I guess it was his leading with a limp, but hearing about John Wesley’s moments of defeat, disgrace and failure actually gave the wise men a little hope.

WESLEY’S QUESTION:  Am I defeated in any part of my life?

SCRIPTURE:  And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.  And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.  But the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him! (Matthew 8:25-27))  See also Psalm 107:23-31

FOOLISH WISDOM: “ ..the sea broke over, split the main-sail in pieces, covered the ship, and poured in between the decks, as if the great deep had already swallowed us up. A terrible screaming began among the English. The Germans calmly sung on. I asked one of them afterwards, “Was you not afraid?” He answered, “I thank God, no.” I asked, “But were not your women and children afraid?” He replied, mildly, “No; our women and children are not afraid to die.”  This was the most glorious day which I have hitherto seen.” (John Wesley’s journal Sunday, January 25, 1736)

TODAY'S MUSIC SELECTION:

Num komm, der Heiden Heiland (Savior of the Nations, Come) 

BWV 661 by Johann Sebastian Bach

Laura Hesse, organ