practice(s) Make Perfect
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, wrote that it was possible for one “to be perfect in this lifetime.” In our culture of performance and achievement, we often mistake Wesley’s words to mean that by hard work and a determined will, we can arrive at a place where we no longer commit sin in our thoughts, words, or deeds. Nothing could be further from his point, however. Wesley never believed that perfection was about always getting it right, rather he taught that through the means of grace we can find God’s perfect love alive within us, even while we continue to make mistakes and cause harm. Perfection, in the Christian sense, has more to do with being whole than being correct.
In the spirit of Wesleyan perfection, we will be learning and observing several of the traditional spiritual practices, also called disciplines, that bring us into the presence of God and an experience of grace. Each month our focus will turn to one practice that we can incorporate into our life as Christ’s disciples. There will be suggested activities for all ages that can be done individually or with others in community. We know that we can never be perfect. But we believe we can be made perfect in love. We hope you’ll join us in the journey!