Our Wesleyan Heritage

In this week’s review of Our Wesleyan Heritage, I would like to talk about the Means of Grace.  The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, believed in the Means of Grace and defined them in this way: “By ‘means of grace’ I understand outward signs, words or actions, ordained of God, and appointed for this end, to be the ordinary channels whereby he might convey to [people], preventing, justifying and sanctifying grace.” (Germano) p. 151.  Last week, I talked about John Wesley’s “Way of Salvation,” which includes preventing, justifying and sanctifying grace.  The “means of grace” are like building blocks for the Christian life.  

Wesley broke down the means of grace into two groups: (1) The Instituted Means of Grace and (2) The Prudential Means of Grace.  The term, “Instituted Means of Grace,” refers to, “Means of Grace that are initiated or commanded by Christ’s explicit words or implicitly through his action and are therefore meant to be used by all Christians in all times and contexts.” (Germano) p. 152-153. Wesley considered the chief of these to be “prayer, whether in secret or with the great congregation; searching the Scriptures (which implies reading, hearing and meditating thereon;) and receiving the Lord’s Supper, eating bread and drinking wine in remembrance of Him….” (Germano) p. 156.  These can be done either privately or during a worship service.  

Prayer is, simply, talking with God.  It is meant to be a two-way conversation.  Have you ever talked with someone who dominates the conversation?  It’s very frustrating, isn’t it?  Not only are you kept from expressing yourself, but there is also a real feeling that you and your thoughts are unimportant, at least to that person.  God feels the same way when we pray and do not take time to hear God’s answer.  One way of “hearing” God’s answer is by searching the Scriptures.  Within the Scriptures, we can find God’s wisdom and knowledge, which we can apply to our lives.  In the Lord’s Supper, we contemplate and confess our sinfulness, and we acknowledge God’s grace.  We participate in the body and the blood of Christ by eating bread and drinking wine.  One of the most meaningful statements in the service, spoken as a prayer is “Pour out your Holy Spirit on us gathered here, and on these gifts of bread and wine.  Make them be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.” (The United Methodist Church) p. 14.  For me, this beautifully conveys the essence of the Lord’s Supper: Christ ministering individually to each participant and collectively to all who are gathered there, for our own edification and for our witness to the world.

The Prudential Means of Grace were thusly named by Wesley as “means that are prudent (shrewdly useful and beneficial) for the development of the spiritual lives of particular Christians in specific contexts.” (Germano) p. 173.  In contrast to the Instituted Means of Grace, the Prudential Means of Grace were not commanded by Christ. “Nevertheless, Christ’s presence is presumed in and through them because of the positive spiritual fruit that their use produces.” (Germano) p. 173.  These fall under two categories: (1) the Methodist society structure and (2) the Methodist discipline.  The Methodist society structure included small classes of people who met together for prayer, study and accountability.  All of the classes would then meet together for worship on Sunday.  The Methodist discipline helped develop one’s personal holiness, which involved three directives: (1) Do No Harm; (2) Do Good; (3) Attend the Ordinances of God. (Germano) p. 177.  These contributed to the social holiness that came to be associated with Methodism.

Combined, these means of grace were instrumental in the revival of England during the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  Even today, they guide us in our own modern day faith journeys as Methodists.

Bibliography

Campbell, Ted A. Methodist Doctrine The Essentials. Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 2011.

Germano, Brian E. Christianity the Wesleyan Way: Principles and Practices for Life and Ministry. Nashville: Wesley's Foundery Books, 2020.

The United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Hymnal Book of United Methodist Worship. Nashville, TN: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989. Print.