In the gospel of John, chapter 17 features a prayer that Jesus prayed to God for his disciples. He prayed this knowing that soon he would be crucified. He also knew that he would be resurrected and eventually return to be with our God. In verse 11 Jesus prays for the protection of his disciples. Why does he ask for this protection? The answer may surprise you. Jesus did not ask for their protection so they could be conquerors. He did not ask for their protection so they could be holier and better than anyone else. He asked for protection so that as followers they could learn to be one with each other.

Let’s remember that Jesus disciples were quite a motley bunch. They consisted of tax collectors, thieves, fishermen, prostitutes, adulteresses, Samaritans, and Gentiles. Gross! Among his disciples were also some religious elites who believed that there was a better way than the current practices of the Pharisees and Sadducees to follow the ways of God.

Since Jesus uttered these words, we’ve all struggled to live fully as one with each other. We are more inclined to focus on our differences than what we have in common. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, also lived in a fairly divided time.  His biggest struggles were against those who believe in predestination, but at that time there was also a growing deist movement. Deists believed that God created us, washed his hands, and headed back up into heaven. Yep, God left us alone here on earth, kind of like a negligent parent.

Wesley and the early Methodism leaders began to consider how to move their followers from just attending a weekly service to truly living a full life in Christ. They realized that continuing Christian education was a keyway to do this. They created “class societies”.  Today we could call these small groups. These were intended to help everyone live their best holy and good life in their current world. Too make sure there was discipline to these class societies, Wesley developed some “General Rules” for them to live by. Today we have compiled them to what we call “Three Simple Rules”.  These are rules that seek to transform us and serve as a mediator for men and women of all societal positions.

These rules are:

• Do No Harm

• Do Good

• Stay in Love with God

Now that I’ve told you that these are simple rules, you can see that they are not exactly easy rules to follow. In their light, they challenge us to ask questions like: Are we really measuring up to our calling as children of God? Are we practicing our faith in the best way possible? Are we like Jesus, turning no one away and giving everyone a place at the table of practicing their faith? Are we giving them tools to live out their everyday lives faithfully?

It's good for us as United Methodists in the 21st century to remind ourselves of what these rules mean. Our next 3 articles will unpack each of these individually. For me these have become rules to challenge me to be more empathetic to the different ways people embrace their faith. Not that I always agree. I mean, come on, why can’t everyone see things the way I do? J

I am comforted by the fact that the church in Colossae struggled with unity and empathy too. Paul had to admonish them in Colossians 3:12:14

          As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

When I work to look at the world through the lens of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, & patience, I find my understanding being pushed to see that my own experiences and understandings can put undue burdens on others to feel the same way. I must at least respect the journey that another has been on. This helps me seek to build bridges instead of canyons. No one has all the answers, except the Godhead. If we all were not prone to mistakes, why would we need a savior? As John Wesley said, "To be ignorant of many things and to be mistaken in some, is the necessary condition of humanity." I invite you to join me next time as we discuss the rule, “Do no harm”. 

The Weekly Devotion will take a break next week since Pastor Amy and daughters will be headed to San Francisco for a few days.