A Note from Pastor Bill

Dear Saints:

I had a really interesting patio conversation between worship services last Sunday. A Methodist pastor from England had spent his second week worshipping at the St. Luke’s central campus, and had experienced both the contemporary and the traditional services. He told me that he was surprised by the “high church” atmosphere of the sanctuary service, since British Methodists tend to be more informal and less liturgical. (That was not to suggest that he didn’t like it; it was just different for him.) He asked me why American Methodism was more “Anglican” than the British version. I told him I thought it was because American Methodism was forced to become a church on its own because of the American Revolution, when the Anglican priests (who were predominantly Loyalists) fled to England and Canada. Worship style was patterned after colonial Anglicanism, and two American denominations were born at almost the same time: The Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States in 1784 and the Protestant Episcopal Church in 1789. The Methodist Church in Britain did not become distinct from the Church of England until 1795, and was an outgrowth of the evangelical class meetings that were distinctively Methodist.

That conversation got me started thinking about this week’s sermon focus: tradition. There are a couple of aspects of tradition that are instructive for us: the traditions of the Church (note the capital “C”) and the traditions of our unique churches (note the lowercase “c”). The traditions of the Church have been passed down to us in sacraments, creeds, litanies, holy days, prayers, rites, and rituals. The traditions of our various denominations and unique churches have been passed down to us by custom, example, and repetition. For example, “holding hands across the aisles” for the benediction is a St. Luke’s tradition. You won’t find that happening at Holy Family Catholic Church or even at First United Methodist Church of Miami, where I served before coming here. That intentional connecting before we separate for another week is a St. Luke’s thing.

A Methodist “thing,” which has blessed the entire Church is our emphasis on scriptural holiness of life and witness. We cherish a theological affirmation that the Holy Spirit is working in our individual lives to perfect us in love. That love is directed both toward God and toward our neighbors, with a passion for justice and renewal in the world. John Wesley organized those who shared his theological perspective and commitments into “classes” that met weekly, and the strength of the Methodist movement around the world has always been in the small group. Methodists worshipped together, sang great hymns that were both traditional and contemporary, and initiated significant social ministries in society, but their ongoing vitality came from their small group classes. In the classes they studied together, confessed their sins, cared for each other, and shared the unique holiness of Christian fellowship. Their energy for loving the world with all of its need, their sense of being “filled” in order that they could be “poured out” came from their small groups.

We are going to be preaching about that this week, and we are going to have available in printed form and online by Sunday all of the small groups and classes being offered this fall at St. Luke’s. As wonderful as Sunday worship may be, it is no substitution for the ongoing support and spiritual energy of a small group class. If you have been wondering what is missing in your spiritual growth, if you are at a standstill in moving deeper in your discipleship, the answer may be as simple as getting together with others who are in the same place. And here’s the surprise: we are all in that place!

Find a place in worship this week. There are six options on two campuses. And then find that place in a small group class where God has already reserved a seat for you. Be a part of an awesome Methodist tradition!

With faith, hope, and love,

Bill