Personal Piety + Social Holiness = Easter Season

It is neither accidental nor incidental that we hold our Mission Together after Easter—in this case, this Sunday with ONE WORSHIP SERVICE at 10 a.m. followed by acts of service (come in your work clothes!).

John Wesley insisted that, for the people called Methodists, “personal piety” (prayer, scripture reading, Christian fellowship, communion—like this Sunday with ONE WORSHIP SERVICE at 10 a.m. followed by acts of service) must go hand in hand with “social holiness” (feeding, educating, healing, and creating just systems). Wesley insisted on both faith and works, just as Jesus did—both in his teachings and in his life.

After the resurrection, Jesus appeared to his followers over the course of 50 days before Pentecost (Pente = 50). One of those appearances included a memorable conversation with Peter following a fish breakfast Jesus had prepared after they returned from their boats. Three times, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him. Though Peter answered “Yes” each time—nearly in tears by the third—Jesus was making a point: loving him personally was not enough. Peter, who would become “the rock” of the Church, had to actively love, feed, and tend the sheep in Jesus’ care—in other words, the world.

We United Methodists have a long and proud history of engaging both the people and systems of the world to love, feed, and tend toward a better world for all—not just some. That kind of engagement isn’t always popular, but it is the gospel of Jesus. As our blue FUMC Plano t-shirts say on the back: “It’s what we do.”

So, wear your jeans and blue t-shirts (we still have some for sale—see Mardi Bowen or Stacy Spears), and come ready to practice both personal piety in ONE WORSHIP SERVICE at 10 a.m. and social holiness afterward. After all, it is the Easter season: He is risen; alleluia!

Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community,