By Betty Hertz
Did you guess Susanna Wesley? She is often referred to as the Mother of Methodism. Not because she gave birth to John and Charles, but because her teachings instilled in them a desire to carry God's word to others. This led them to their roles in the development of the Methodist denomination.
The 10 Wesley children who lived beyond infancy were raised under a disciplined routine. Their days followed this schedule:
Before breakfast they said the Lord’s Prayer, then they would read a Psalm, read an Old Testament chapter and say private prayer.
Education happened from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 to 5 p.m. with full attention expected. At the end of their education time, they would pair up with a sibling to read a Psalm and a New Testament chapter.
Bedtime started at 7 p.m. with everyone in bed by 8 p.m.
Manners: polite speech, no lying, self-regulation
Sabbath was a holy day and they participated in all of the devotional activities.
Susanna also had a set time for each child weekly for personal spiritual teaching. From this routine you can see how John and Charles Wesley became Christian leaders who emphasized spiritual disciplines.
Susanna also modeled the importance of community faith. When her husband, Pastor Samuel, was attending the annual meeting of the Church of England and knew he would be gone for a long time, he entrusted the congregation to the associate pastor Reverend Inman. Many congregation members, including Susanna, felt a lack of spiritual guidance.
A woman of action, Susanna started leading Sunday afternoon family devotion time. The small family gatherings grew as more church members sought to attend. In fact, attendance grew to 200 to 300.
Each time Susanna would read a sermon and lead singing. Then others would pray and talk about their faith. Reverend Inman looked to Reverend Samuel to stop Susanna. Upon hearing this, she wrote a letter to Samuel and ended the letter by writing:
“If you do after all think to dissolve this assembly do not tell me that you desire me to do it, for that will not satisfy my conscience; but send me your positive command, in such full and express terms as may absolve me from all guilt and punishment for neglecting this opportunity of doing good, when you and I shall appear before the great and awful tribunal of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
I think you can see how her teachings and actions led John to write the three simple rules: Do no harm, Do good and Stay in love with God.
When I hear Proverbs 31:26-27 “She opens her mouth with wisdom and loving instruction is on her tongue,” I think about Susanna. While the “She” in the proverb is referring to Woman Wisdom (God’s companion before creation), I think it describes Susanna’s influence on her sons’ work.
Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us Susanna Wesley as a role model for showing us how to be disciplined in our own spiritual journeys with you. Amen
Articles from UMC.org:
“Mother knows best: Parenting tips from Susanna Wesley”
“Courage and conviction: A woman’s leadership through a difficult time”
Betty Hertz is a longtime member of St John UMC, a Stephen Minister and a member of SPRC. When not doing volunteer work, she is playing with her three goofy dogs.
Susanna Wesley