Happy New Year! As one year winds down and another begins, it’s a good idea to pause and reflect on the year that was and look ahead to the year to come. As Christians, we can lean into the truth that God is always with us and will give us everything we need to do the things he’s called us to. We’ll talk about this some more on Sunday. Today, I’d like to share with you a covenant that I’ve grown to really appreciate over the years. It’s over 250 years old and has a story behind it. One hot August day in London in the year 1755, nearly two thousand people crammed into a borrowed church hall to hear John Wesley on following Christ wholeheartedly. He closed the service with the covenant below. Wesley – who had already seen God do amazing things – was awestruck at the response people had to this covenant. Events like this were part of the Great Awakening in Britain and its fair to say that the gospel went forth and an entire nation was changed for the better as a result. If we all clung to the attitudes outlined in the covenant below, we’ll turn our community upside down for the gospel. And I can’t think of anything more awesome for us to share in! I encourage you to read the covenant, personalize it, and pray it back to God.
John Wesley’s Covenant
I am no longer my own, but Thine.
Put me to what Thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt;
Put me to doing, put me to suffering;
Let me by employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee,
Exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee;
Let me be full, let me be empty;
Let me have all things, let me have nothing;
I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am Thine.
So be it.
And the Covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.
