Ridgewood United Methodist Church

100 Dayton Street, Ridgewood, New Jersey 07450

Telephone 201-652-2868   FAX 201-652-6522

www.ridgewoodumc.net      email:  ridgewoodumc@verizon.net 

 

May Messenger 2012

From the Pastor’s Desk

 

            The immensely practical John Wesley showed us that faith needed to be energetic.  Like the teachings of the Biblical book of James, he knew that faith without works was dead.  People could know rightness and justice because God had given each human being the inkling of goodness, despite humanity’s obvious leaning to fall short of the glory of God. There is within us a spark of love that can overcome great evil.  So Wesley and the few Methodist societies began to feed the hungry, offer shelter to the homeless, educational opportunities for young and old, and medical attention to the sick.  We here at RUMC carry on Wesley’s legacy.

 

            Wesley called that energy – grace.  And that grace was as wide as it was deep.  So Wesley broke the concept of grace down into three components.  The first part he called prevenient grace.  God draws everyone to the divine and is already there in every situation before we arrive.  United Methodists believe divine love surrounds all humanity and precedes any and all conscious impulses. This grace prompts our first wish to please God, our first glimmer of understanding concerning God's will and awakens in us an earnest longing towards goodness.  We can make a decision to be with God.  When we do decide, we can expect an accepting God forgiving all that needs forgiveness within our life.  If we were once bent toward evil, then now we find ourselves straightened or justified towards God’s good will.  Wesley thought of this powerful, merciful energy as justifying grace.

 

            That practical Wesley said that God’s grace sustains believers in their Christian journey with genuine love of God with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and a genuine love of our neighbors as ourselves. This sanctifying grace enables us to respond to God by leading a Spirit-filled and Christ-like life aimed toward love.  So it is that we United Methodists support CUMAC-ECHO, St. Philip’s Mission, Habitat for Humanity, Family Promise, well building in Ghana, the Heifer Project, Sunday School and so many other wonderful life-giving and love-sharing ministries.  In fact you may use the enclosed envelope so that we can support these and other missions.

 

            I really want to invite and encourage you to participate in this extraordinary energy with United Methodists around the world and right here in the Ridgewood area to “Change the World” on May 19.  Look inside and find out more.

 

With the Love of Christ,

 

Pastor Victor

 

 

The Rev. Dr. Victor R. Peterson