by Lorene Wilbur

Britain's national postal service has chosen the life and contributions of John and Charles Wesley as the theme for its most popular denomination of Christmas stamp. The stamp is part of a series of four released by the Royal Mail in November entitled "The Christian's Tale," celebrating the last 1,000 years of Christian experience in Britain. A UMNS photo courtesy of the Royal Mail. Image by: UMNS Source: United Methodist News Service John Wesley depicted in a section of a 19th-century quilt. Image by: Linda Worthington Source: United Methodist News Service

How vividly I recall "Old Home Day" at the church of my grandmother's childhood! We had to drive about 30 miles to get there--not a short jaunt in those days of dirt roads--so we were up early in the morning to pack a picnic lunch and dress in our Sunday best.

I can picture Grandma decked out in her flowered dress, a cameo at her neck, a straw picture hat secured on her tightly-rolled gray hair, and her eyes sparkling with anticipation. Gloves, purse, and a blanket for spreading on the picnic ground, and--wheeee!--we were off in the Hudson Terraplane with Dad at the wheel and Grandma perched primly on the seat beside him, almost willing the car to move as fast as possible. 

The worship service that Sunday was all about remembrance: the history of the congregation, who some of the preachers had been, the people who gave so much energy to the church, when and how the building was erected, etc. And, of course, the singing!--the old hymns, so deeply felt and so beloved, that they were sung from the heart; hardly anyone needed a hymnal. Soon the service was over and old friends and high-spirited children gathered on the lawn for food and reminiscing.

On Heritage Sunday, May 20th, United Methodists recapture some of that spirit of "Old Home Day." Though we may not travel to the church of our childhood, the same sense of anticipatory joy that Grandma felt should be in our souls. Heritage Sunday calls us to the past to celebrate those saints who have influenced our faith and to remember with gratitude the heroes and heroines of our church:  from our biblical grounding, to the Wesleys, to our community heritage.

This year, the theme of Heritage Sunday is Celebrating the 300th Anniversary of Charles Wesley's Birth.  What a glorious opportunity to sing the wonderful hymns that this prolific Wesley wrote; in the current edition of The United Methodist Hymnal, on page 922, under Charles Wesley's name, there are 51 page numbers listed for his hymns, eight for poems, and six for responses!

Wesley's poems (for he wrote only the words and not the music) teach us biblical understanding, Christian doctrine, the living of a holy life, caring for one another in love, and the many ways to praise God and rejoice in Jesus Christ. They tell the story of our faith with songs for Advent, Christmas, Easter, and Pentecost. They celebrate the meaning of the Trinity, the mercy and grace that can be found through faith in God, the trust we can place in Jesus Christ, and the hope we can depend on through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

 What an amazing legacy of Wesleyan theology! What a gift of inspiration to our church!

On this Heritage Sunday, take time to remember and to be grateful for the life of Charles Wesley, as well as all those who have gone before and provided us with the rich inheritance of a church that has given meaning to our lives and continues to bring hope and faith to the world.  

Lorene Wilbur is a former Deputy General Secretary of Global Ministries.

	See Also... Topic: Christian love |  Communities |  Family |  United Methodist Church |  Methodism |  Geographic Region: World |  Source: GBGM Mission News
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Date posted: May 18, 2007