"Wesley on Wealth" -- Commentary

by Harold Wheat

John Wesley is known to have said, "Gain all you can, Save all you can, Give all you can." In his sermon "The Use of Money" he develops all three of these ideas (Wesley, 1760). To start with he argues that we should gain wealth just as assiduously as the Joneses, "here we may speak like the children of the world" except that we have certain ethical standards. "We ought not to gain money at the expense of life." Given the state of modern capitalism, that is a mouthful!

He then argues that the "second rule of Christian prudence is, Save all you can."[italics his] The basic argument is that anything we spend on nonessentials is wasted. We are encouraged to "Expend no part of [our incomes] merely to gratify the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eye, or the pride of life." And we are to "be content with what plain nature requires."

The last part of this trilogy is, he thinks, the key to effective Christian living, "Give all you can." Since all of creation ultimately belongs to God, our role is to be careful stewards, not owners of what comes to us. After caring for our needs, providing for our families, and sharing with the faith community, we give what is left to the betterment of humanity. "In so doing, you give all you can; nay, in a sound sense, all you have." [italics his] As he aged, Wesley thought that Methodists were becoming far too wealthy. He preached and modeled intentional poverty. He died with almost no material wealth to his name.

"DUMC Goes Global on YouTube" -- A News Story

by Christopher J. Troilo
For UM Connection, May 16

Just the way Google quickly became a household name (and now an officially recognizedverb), the search giant's newly acquired online video channel is one of the fastest growing website on the net, and even the United Methodist Church is taking part in YouTube mania.

YouTube.com was founded in February of 2005 by three former employees of PayPal, an online money-transfer system. The idea behind YouTube is that anyone on a global scale can upload video media content for the world to see. Those videos are tagged with specific words or phrases that make it easy for users to come to the site and find the content they are looking for, via a search engine.

According to a 2006 survey, 100 million clips are viewed daily by more than 20 millionvisitors a month. This is result of YouTube's easy to use format and the ability to stream their videos, meaning that most watchers can watch what they want to see almost instantly. The video content on the site is varied as the Internet itself. Users can find old music videos, commercials, movie previews, and clips from shows. But the real gem about YouTube is that anyone from anywhere in the world can post their own homemade short movies for all to see. It's basically a free online educational, event sharing and marketing tool, and one the United Methodist Church can take complete advantage of.

Most churches these days have some events they are especially proud of. Whether theyare concerts, special services, or even weekly socials, Methodists are renowned for knowing how to have a good time. Now, thanks to YouTube these happenings can now be shared with the entire church community, as long as someone has a digital video camera and an internet connection. It's a fantastic way to share memories from any type of gathering, especially for church members weren't able to attend or those living abroad.

Education is another fantastic way YouTube can be utilized. If from the main site, a user types "History of Methodism", the first result is a 7 and half minute video of Reverend Steve Petty hosting a brief narrative of the History of the United Methodist Church, from the founding Wesleys to modern day. With churches having such rich and colorful histories, this might be a fun model to emulate, perhaps as an orientation video for new members, or old members who want to know more about their churches' past.

Finally, for churches wishing to grow or raise funds for a specific event, YouTube provides a fantastic way to get the word out. For example, in Georgetown, Dumbarton United Methodist Church is currently running a Capital Campaign for Renewal in order to raise money to help fix their parsonage and sanctuary. It is one thing to hear about the repairs needed, but it's another when you can actually see the areas needwork, the message really hits home, and this is exactly what Dumbarton has done. By searching for "Dumbarton United Methodist Church" on YouTube, their online video is the first result. Watching it, users will be taken on a virtual tour of the Dumbarton campus, highlighting specific areas that are in dire needof restoration. This is proving to be a wonderful way to raise awareness about the growing needs for funds in order to sustain the church. Other churches could follow this example in order to raise awareness for all types of issues,events and happenings within their community.

YouTube, simply put, is a wonderful piece of technology. It truly can bring together media and communities at the click of a button, especially church communities. If you haven't been, go take a look, especially at some of the creative ways other Methodist churches have chosen to broadcast themselves. Maybe you'll get some ideas of your own and unlock the filmmaker within!

"Amazing Grace" -- The Movie

by Mike Beard
A movie reviewer for Progressive Christian magazine

On February 24, 1791 at age 88, six days before his death, John Wesley penned his last letter. The letter was addressed to William Wilberforce, a Member of Parliament who had been greatly influenced by Wesley’s ministry. Wesley encouraged Wilberforce to continue his battle against the slave trade, “that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature.”

Steven Knight has shaped the details of Wilberforce’s struggle into a highly engaging and enlightening story. We are introduced to Wilberforce at a crucial midpoint in his career: a moment in 1797, a decade after he became an abolitionist, when, physically exhausted and in despair, he feels that all his work has been for naught. He must decide whether his faith calls him to continue in politics or to enter the work of the Church…“to praise the Lord or change the world?"

Through a series of at first confusing flashbacks we meet some of the people who have helped shape Wilberforce’s life: his old college friend William Pitt theYounger, (Benedict Cumberbatch) who became England's youngest ever Prime Minister at the age of 24; the crusading revolutionary abolitionist Thomas Clarkson (Rufus Sewell); Olaudah Equiano, who is played by the Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour. Equiano was born in Africa, sent as a slave to the Colonies, bought his freedom and made his home in London, where he wrote a best-selling account of his life and became a leading figure in the fight to end the slavery of his fellow beings. Romola Garai plays Barbara Spooner, a beautiful and headstrong young woman who shares Wilberforce's passion for reform, and who becomes his wife after a whirlwind courtship.

As suggested by the title, a major influence is Wilberforce’s old friend and spiritual mentor John Newton—the former-slave-trader-turned-clergyman known today as the author of the hymn "Amazing Grace." Played with moving certainty by Albert Finney, Newton councils Wilberforce “Some of [God's] people may be emphatically said not to live to themselves. May it not be said of you? … You meet with many things which weary and disgust you … but then they are inseparably connected with your path of duty; and though you cannot do all the good you wish for, some good is done." This moving scene of their dialogue is actually taken from and exchange of letters.

Writer Knight and director Michael Apted deserve great praise for unabashedly giving screen time to passionate and outspoken Christians like Wilberforce and Newton. "I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great savior," Newton declares when Wilberforce visits him at his church. In one moving scene, Newton who has gone blind raises his sightless eyes and thanks God; he now knows how wrong he was to traffic in humans: "I once was blind, but now I see. At last it's true."Some of the most fascinating scenes of the film is set in Parliament, where high-quality actors such as Michael Gambon, Ciaran Hinds and Toby Jones play colleagues on both sides of the issue. These marvelous actors bring to life the high drama of those amazing debates and the skull-duggery of politics.

In 1789 Wilberforce made his first speech against the slave trade. In 1791 he introduced a bill to outlaw the trade. He continued the battle until February 24, 1807 when both Houses of Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act ending nearly 400 years of slave trading in the British empire. A year later, America also banned the practice.

Director Apted has paid a great deal of attention to all the telling little background details that give one a sense of the time and place. The one minor quibble I have with the film is the music score. At times the music is too intrusive.

Amazing Grace is an amazing and true story of how one person inspired by faith and surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses can help change the course of history. The distributors of the film have made available a discussion and study guide as well as a wealth of historical information available at _http://www.amazinggracemovie.com_ (http://www.amazinggracemovie.com/)

Cast: Ioan Gruffdd, Albert Finney, Benedict Cumberbatch, Youssou N'Dour, Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, Toby Jones, Rufus Sewell
Director: Michael Apted
Screen Writer: Steven Knight
Samuel Goldwyn Films
LLC Rated: PG for thematic material involving slavery, and some mild language
1 hour 51 minutes

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John Wesley’s Letter to William Wilberforce
The last letter that John Wesley wrote was to William Wilberforce, a man who had been converted under Wesley's ministry and who was a member of Parliament. The letter concerns his opposition to slavery(http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/thoughtsuponslavery.stm) and encouragement for Wilberforce to take action for change. Parliament finally outlawed England's participation in the slave trade in 1807._[1]_ (http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/#1)
On February 24, 1791 at age 88, six days before his death, this last letter was addressed to William Wilberforce. (http://gbgm-umc.org/gifs/worldhistory/wesleyletter.jpg) (aoldb://mail/gifs/worldhistory/wesleyletter.jpg) (http://gbgm-umc.org/gifs/worldhistory/wesleyletter.jpg)

Balam, February 24, 1791

Dear Sir:

Unless the divine power has raised you us to be as Athanasius contra mundum, _[2]_ (http://gbgm-umc.org/umw/wesley/#2) I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be fore you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.

Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a "law" in our colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this? That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear sir,

Your affectionate servant,
John Wesley

_http://oldwww.drew.edu/books/200Years/gallery/gal008.htm_ (http://oldwww.drew.edu/books/200Years/gallery/gal008.htm) a photo of the letter