Lenten reflection: Accountability to God, myself, and another person

By Betty Hertz

 Galatians 5:22-23: "By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

 John Wesley and other students at Oxford were held accountable during the Holy Club meetings where the Spirit's Fruit dominated the discussion. The participants shared their answers to 22 questions regarding their spiritual condition. Some examples were:

Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

Do I disobey God in anything?

Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy, or distrustful?

As Methodism was growing, John began using a similar method in class meetings as a way for members to share their spiritual condition; a leader and a small group of members gathered weekly to share their answers to the following questions:

How is it with your soul?

Where have you seen God recently?

In what ways have you fallen short or sinned?

What are your sustaining spiritual practices? Have you been tending to them?

Imagine if you met once a week in a small group and took turns honestly answering these questions. Would you become more intentional about staying in love with God?  Years ago, that thought would have sent shivers down my spine. I wasn't candid with others about my beliefs and behaviors.

What changed? I started attending Al-Anon in the 1980s. Al-Anon is a 12-step program for families and friends of alcoholics. Two steps that significantly changed me were Steps 4 and 5. Step 4 is "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of myself," and Step 5 says "Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” This required me to reflect on my morals. Then share honestly with God and another human. Yikes! After doing the inventory, I shared it with a trusted Al-Anon person. I trusted God was listening. Step 5 sounded overwhelming at the time, but what I experienced as I shared was God's unconditional love and, at last, a slight sense of peace and the beginning of hope.

Accountability to God, myself, and others involves examining my spiritual condition as I continue to grow in my faith. I use the "soul" question often. Recently, I came across another suggestion on how to reflect on my spiritual life. By putting the Fruits of the Spirit list from Galatians 5:22-23 in question form, I have found a good way for me to answer "how is it with my soul":

Do I have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in my life?

When I reflect on this, have conversations with God, and then share with another human being, I grow in my faith. God asks me to look inside, make changes and share the message through my actions.

Gracious Father,

Thank you for your patience as I continue to grow. Help me hold the Fruits of the Spirit in my heart and use them as guides in my daily living.

Amen

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.

Lenten Reflection: Susanna Who?

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

Dear God - Have I Got A Deal For You!

By Rick Meidel

I grew up Lutheran. When I was younger, all I remember about Lenten sacrifice was enduring fish sticks every Friday in the school cafeteria thanks to the Catholics. As I got a little older, I might joke that I was giving up brussels sprouts or maybe liver & onions for Lent! But as a maturing adult, I’ve become more intentional during Lent. The past two years, I’ve made the sacrifice to give up alcohol.

I’m not going to lie. I have a stressful job and a glass of good wine in the evenings is a true pleasure for me. Giving that up seems like a real sacrifice. Last year, with COVID in its early stages at the start of Lent, the sacrifice seemed quite manageable. But the pandemic got worse quickly. More stress. I made it, barely, though I admit I was looking for serious clarification at the end as to whether Lent was over as of the Last Supper, or Good Friday, or Saturday. Surely I didn’t have to wait until Easter Sunday! 

This year, not long after deciding to make the same sacrifice, my Catholic friend educated me that Sundays were not part of Lent. Sunday was for rejoicing in the upcoming resurrection of our Lord. I liked the sound of that! Sunday Funday just took on a whole new meaning! It was a few days later when Natalie and I decided to pick up a salad for dinner from Fire Tap. When we walked in, we saw the much-coveted (in our house) annual Iditarod beer glass. It’s free with a pint purchase! But it was a Wednesday. I wondered whether God would forgive me this transgression. Maybe I could swap Wednesday for Sunday. Just this once. I could ask. I was about to pull the trigger when Natalie pointed to the poster. In smaller print, glasses alone were $3. Ha! Take that Satan! I’ll take two! My Lenten sacrifice was still on track!

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can endure it.” - 1 Corinthians 10:13

I had been given a way out. However, the thought of swapping Wednesday for Sunday seemed childish. More embarrassing, was the thought of bringing such a “deal” before God. Do any of you make such foolish vows or requests to God? The Rev. Robert Haley, pastor of First United Methodist in Newport News, says we should consider our “foxhole prayers.” These are prayers made in crisis situations or when we desperately want something. Many of us have uttered such prayers. We promise God certain behavior if God will simply fulfill our request: "God heal me and I'll be in church every Sunday." Or we promise to stop inappropriate behavior.

Such promises are inherently problematic. Why should God bargain with us for something we should or should not be doing before the crisis or need arose? Ironically, folks who make foxhole prayers often renege on their end of the bargain. Often these folks pray only when they are in the “foxhole." We should pray without the need to control the outcome. We should pray with the faith to accept God's will. Prayer should seek the highest good that only God knows. We do not know God's will nor do we know ultimately what is best for us or our loved ones. Christians who incorporate prayer as a daily practice learn to pray with an attitude of surrender; they have an attitude of "Thy Will Be Done." These are prayers from the heart given as a child of God. A fearful prayer uttered with a desperate, bargaining with God mentality is a prayer of mistrust. God will take care of us and our loved ones even if we do not understand His will.

The period of Lent is long indeed. There are times when I wonder if I can honor my commitment. There’s more bad news. More pain. More discord. More hate. Less harmony. It’s enough to drive a person to drink! Perhaps there’s a deal to be made. God, what do you think?!

I have considered my Lenten sacrifice to be significant. But then I remind myself of Jesus’ sacrifice and what he did for me. Suffered. Died. Suddenly, my sacrifice isn’t significant at all. With this revelation, I find myself in deepest prayer during the Lenten season. Yes, I most definitely miss my glass of wine. But my sacrifice as a comparison to the ultimate sacrifice of our Lord? It’s humbling in that context. And so, I pray not to “make it through” but instead I pray for wisdom and understanding and learning.

The Lenten season can be a season of growth. With deeper prayer, a deeper spiritual relationship results. Now that’s a deal! And, as Christian Today points out, making sacrifices is not limited to the season of Lent; it’s something that we’re called to do continuously. A genuine sacrifice can take many forms, but it has to be something that has value to us. By sacrificing the things that we can’t do without, we’re rewarded by God with the very things that we cannot live without in this life and in eternity.

 “But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed, I will make good. I will say, ’Salvation comes from the Lord’.” - Jonah 2:9

Heavenly Father, help us to be intentional in our sacrifice. Help us to remember that it’s less about what we sacrifice and more about the reflection of our sacrifice against the ultimate sacrifice of your Son, our Lord. Help us to have that deeper relationship with you. Help us to lead a life that is pleasing to you; imperfect at times, but always with good intent. Help us. In your Son’s name we pray, Amen.

Rick Meidel, his wife Natalie and daughter Sarah have attended St. John UMC since 2018. Rick can be reached at meidy@me.com or 832-418-9200.

Lenten Reflection: Stay in Love with God

36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. - Matthew 22:36-38 (NRSV)

Jesus makes it clear - love God with my whole being. Love is not just a feeling or an emotion. Love is an action. A loving relationship requires me to act with my heart, my soul, and my mind. How do I do this?

John Wesley gives us guidance on how to apply his third rule: Stay in Love with God. He gives a list of ordinances or actions that are essential for spiritual practices. These essential spiritual practices are: public worship, prayer, communion, baptism, family and personal scripture reading, small groups for Bible study, prayer and mutual support.

By practicing all of these, Wesley believed we stay in love with God.

As I continue to practice being intentional in my spiritual journey this Lenten season, I looked at this list and thought I'm doing okay. But wait, am I doing these essential actions daily? Once again, I discovered I fall short.  Among these actions, I don't have a daily prayer routine. It's more casual. I check in with God when it's convenient. Not with my whole being.  Through self-examination, God is guiding me to change my focus from my convenience to His ever present being. In this way, I can stay in love with Him as He points out where I am falling short and how I can move forward.

Reuben Job, in his book “Three Simple Rules,” provides a guide for daily prayer:

• Prayer at the beginning of the day:  Inviting God's intervention in our lives

•  Prayer at midday: Welcoming God's presence

•  Prayer at the end of the day: Inviting God's assessment of my actions, asking for strength to do better and seeking peace in my whole being.

I like this suggestion as it reminds me God is with me all day long and is waiting for a conversation with me. I found this question to be a good daily focus:  What practical way will I choose to stay in love with God today?

Pastor Randy Johnson of 1st UMC Sartell, MN, summarizes the Three Simple Rules: “If we stay in love with God, we will seek to do no harm and we will seek to do good.”

Heavenly Father, thank you for your patience and your lessons as I continue to grow in love with You. Amen.

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.

Lenten Reflection: Do Good

By Betty Hertz

8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. - Galatians 6:8-10 (NIV)

Paul was addressing the people of Galatia. Most were Gentile Christians - a minority trying to understand how to follow Jesus’ teachings. The words speak about being patient as we strive to do good.

This passage reinforces John Wesley's Second Rule: Do Good. Wesley was known for his constant self-examination of his actions as he tried to assess whether he was following Jesus. In 1738, as way to check on his actions, Wesley wrote in his journal: “The rules are the life of God in the soul; the image of God fresh stamped on the soul.”

“God fresh stamped on my soul” - that is a great image for me as I consider how I am living rule two: do good. In reviewing my actions related to the homeless, I thought I have done good works through donations, through homeless shelter work, through food pantry calling. However, I realized when I read “whenever I have the opportunity work for good,” I fall short. This realization came to me Monday evening as I watched the local news talk about the Assembly meeting in which the topic would be a discussion of where homeless shelters and transitional housing should be located. The piece included an interview with a concerned citizen. I found myself mumbling about what does that person know, then I paused. Did I go to that meeting to speak up for those I care about? No. I didn't take the opportunity! There are more actions I can take. I can sow more seeds of goodness and patiently wait for the reaping of the harvest.

I am thankful that God works to keep me honest and to help me do good.

I'm including a quote that John Wesley is credited with saying but never did. I believe it is a good embellishment of Rule Two: Do Good.

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

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.