The Acts of the Apostles: A Wesley Account
“37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?”38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.”40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!”41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
Acts 2:37-47 NASB
Love. Serve. Move. These three words define what it means to be a part of the Wesley. They are on shirts of students that are relaxing in the back room. You may find them on wooden pallets that bear photos of missions past, and the loved ones who bore witness to these words in action. As a bit of an older Wesleyian now, I can recall many moments in my short time here that exemplify these words.
When I first came to the Wesley, I walked in heavy with damage from a life of fear. I was afraid of having friends that actually cared about me. I was afraid to know people. I was afraid of being loved, yet did not want to be alone either. I was a mess and did not even realize it. It wasn’t until I heard these verses at a Well during my sophomore year that I first got a glimpse of what those three little words actually meant, especially love.
Love to me was warped. All I ever saw of love was a bait and switch in the worst cases, and when I saw it at its best I doubted that was actually love at all. Back then ( and at my worst self at times today if I believe the illusion) I could never see love for what it truly was. I only ever thought of the pain that will come when the love runs out. Then I heard Ryan preach from the Acts of the Apostles.
As I have witnessed in both this passage and through our community, the creativity of the love that is God seeks to make you perfect in His image. To always be intimately close in ways that we never imagined, and will tear down all that stands in between His pursuit for us . What beauty lies in the healing that Jesus Christ gives freely! For this community of brothers and sisters has shown and testify the freedom that true love actually brings to us. We have been renewed within this body of Christ. We continue to stand in awe of His works. We strive to break bread with one another and to all that comes through our doors. For that is what those three words represent to us. To love, serve, and move as Jesus does.
“ Nothing is inexorable but love. Love which will yield to prayer is imperfect and poor. Nor is it then the love that yields, but it’s alloy...For love loves unto purity.Love has ever in view the absolute loveliness of that which it beholds. Where loveliness is incomplete, and love cannot love its filling of loving, it spends itself to make more lovely, that it may love more; it strives for perfection, even that itself may be perfected--not in itself, but in the object….Therefore all that is not beautiful in the beloved, all that comes between and is not of love’s kind, must be destroyed. And our God is a consuming fire.”
-George MacDonald
