April 2019

I am a Son of Susanna Wesley

Like John Wesley, I grew up with a mother who served as my extremely involved pastor. She introduced the Bible through its fascinating stories, which absolutely delighted me and my younger sister. I was very inquisitive and probably a bit doubtful, which is why one of the first verses she asked me to memorize was John 20:29, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Legacy of Grace: I am a Daughter of Susanna Wesley

When I was a senior in high school, I embarked upon a self-induced journey to examine the myriad of doctrines that existed within the realm of Christianity. I visited approximately 30 different churches and was baffled at the variety of liturgical practices that were performed within each ecclesiastical community. What is the connection between belief and practice in the trajectory of theological discernment? Why are there so many different interpretations of Scripture? How do we know what is true?

Susanna Wesley at 350: Her Life and Writings

Round-number birthdays seem destined for special celebration and serious reflection. Such call for celebration and reflection is coming soon: January 20, 2019 is the 350th anniversary of Susanna Wesley’s birth. 

How does the “Mother of Methodism” speak to our condition three and one-half centuries later? Here are four suggested takeaways I would offer based on her own writings, only one of which was published for resale during her lifetime, but all of which still merit reading, especially by those of us who count ourselves part of the Wesleyan tradition.1

Susanna Wesley''s Method of Motherhood

Jesus spent at least one incredible day with more than 5,000 in attendance. We call the talk He gave the great Sermon on the Mount. Most of those in attendance were considered to be the poorest, the not-to-be-respected, the unimportant, and the outcast). Yet Jesus tells those people, “You are the salt of the earth."