Needless to say, life has been busy. Started seminary. I have now been inundated with John Wesley's life and theology. And I have only a few words to say: Wesley was a smarter man than Barth, Bultman, Tillich, and all the rest of those guys combined. I always had a respect for the guy but after studying him more, I am convinced if he lived in this day and age, he would make the great modern day theologians look like a scrawny white high school kid playing Michael Jordan in his prime in a game of basketball... or any person facing Chuck Norris.
And you'd think I am joking, but I am not.
We have to take into consideration that Wesley was influence by the thought of his day, and he was especially concerned about the gospel message in practical terms so he may not have made the contributions to be considered a profound thinker. However, I now understand why so many Methodist quote him almost as much as the Bible itself. Not that I agree with doing that, nor do I think Wesley is right in everything. But I appreciate him for his very pastoral emphasis. I can sense in his writings and his sermons combination of the intellectual and the emotional. He wasn't content to just talk about the ideas of God. He demanded them to be real and experienced and applied to our life. In what I have read of some of the modern day theologians, sure they may have more profound intellectual ideas (although I think Wesley in todays age could surpass them if he dedicated himself to that task) but I have seen a great concern for the pastoral. Not that the had a total lack of it, but it was not to the level that I have witnessed in Wesley so far.
So if I ever get back to a routine with blogging (which looks questionable for the near future), I'll start up the trend of the Wesley obsession among bloggers, which is currently enjoyed by Barth (or the last time I checked, as I really haven't read many blogs recently), even though Wesley is object of obsession by many Methodists.... Ok... So I won't go that far, but I just wanted to say that Wesley has affected me more, page for page or total effect, in my thinking than any other theologian or writer has.
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It's just too bad the Methodist Church has strayed so far from the teachings of Wesley and have become a denomination that tends to ignore sound doctrines. I hope you do teach what Wesley teaches. Maybe you can help remind this church that it is better to serve God rather than man.
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