Read scriptures on worship and praise of God. Reflect on a recent worship experience where you were fully engaged in worship and praise. Read the following selections and reflect on them.

When I think of Worship and Praise, I think of the 150th Psalm:

"Let Everything that has breath Praise the Lord (Verse 6)."

I can remember a service a couple of months ago where I felt like everything that had breath in the building was praising the Lord. I can remember the particular song that was being played coming to a crescendo of sorts, finding myself basking in the glory of the Father... it brought me to tears to think of the Amazing and Powerful Love that the Savior has for me. It brings my heart to praise his name in all aspects of my life. As the band Ever Stays Red says: "Every single breath that is in my chest is for you to glorify your name, I want to scream your name at the top of my lungs, until there is none."

God is so Very Good indeed!

Read biblical passages related to reason or the mind—love God with our minds; have the mind of Christ, etc.—and meditate on the role of reason or the mind in the Christian life. Read biblical passages that describe decisive spiritual experiences—Moses at the burning bush or Paul on the road to Damascus—and mediate on the nature of spiritual experience. Relate from your own spiritual journeys on these points—reason and experience.

As I look at these two different concepts - reason and experience, I find myself being attracted to both. I think the only thing that I am hesitant on when it comes to these two things is putting them on equal playing field with Scripture. I think often times reason and experience can be used to try to usurp the foundational Word of God. I think reason has been used to justify acts that the word of God has very strong language against, and I think experience is often used to view the Bible as an antiquated text that is no longer applicable to the "modern times" we live in. The truth is that scripture was revealed to man through experiences and through reasoning with the Lord; but our ideas and our ways of thinking should not overcome the word of God by any means.

Imagine yourself as a missionary in one of the areas that was explored in this lesson. Imagine how you would pray. What would be your focus? What would be your passion?

I think if I were a missionary in any of these areas I would be focusing my prayers on an ability to effectively communicate the Gospel to the people I was called to minister to. This could mean effectively learning a new language or customs, being prepared to blend in with the local culture, and speaking the Gospel message in ways that are easy to understand. I think often times the Word of God can be complicated by poor communication, and I would pray for quality, efficient communication.

I think my passion would be to ascertain the culture group I was ministering to and be willing and able to immerse myself in their culture, to become like them as Paul did to win them over. If that means compromising on everything that makes me comfortable in my culture except the values of the Gospel Message and the Word of God, then that is what I would have to do.

Write a prayer for personal or corporate spiritual renewal:

Father God, I pray for you to bring renewal! I pray for renewal in my own life, renewal in priorities, in my goals, and in my desires so that they can better match your will and your ways. I pray for renewal in the life of your Church, that it can further your kingdom through your message of good news in authentic, creative ways that will reach the people of this modern world we live. I praise your name for the great and mighty work your spirit can and will do in the hearts of humanity, and we praise your name for the great miracles that we will get to be a part of as joint heirs with Jesus Christ.

Amen

Wesley was a spiritual mentor to many of his followers—dialogue about the features of his mentoring and how it would impact your life.

I think Wesley's mentorship was much like the relationship Paul had to Timothy. Wesley was able to appoint, send out, and encourage individuals to build up the Kingdom of God. He was able to put together a systematic ministry, not just a simplistic, itinerant preaching ministry. Because of his organization and mentorship style, he was able to greatly impact England and North America, and the ancestors of his ministry are still reaching lives today. I think if I were to be mentored by Wesley, I would be more assured in the things I was preaching, I would be more emboldened to go out and fulfill the call given to me knowing that such a pillar in the history of the Church had my back. Its kind of hard to not see a very effective ministry coming out of Wesley's mentorship.

Focus on one of the hymns that was sung at the beginning of this lesson. What response did the hymn invoke in you?

A charge to keep I have,
A God to glorify,
A never-dying soul to save,
And fit it for the sky.

To serve the present age,
My calling to fulfill:
O may it all my powers engage
To do my Master’s will!

Arm me with jealous care,
As in Thy sight to live;
And O Thy servant, Lord, prepare
A strict account to give!

Help me to watch and pray,
And on Thyself rely,
Assured, if I my trust betray,
I shall for ever die.

I think the thing that resonates with me in this song is the high standard that the follower of Christ is held to. I have a charge to follow the will of Christ in my life, I have to be ready and willing to defend and account the Gospel Message at all times. I have to be willing to do the work of the Lord, not by my own strength, but on the shoulders of his strength. I have to be willing to run the race set out for me. It is a high call, a high standard, and a high charge to keep indeed.

Reflect on the sermons that you have read for this lesson. How have they made an impact on you personally? In what way have they influenced your life and ministry?

An Excerpt From Wesley's "The Scripture Way Of Salvation"

It is thus that we wait for entire sanctification; for a full salvation from all our sins, —from pride, self-will, anger, unbelief; or, as the Apostle expresses it, “go unto perfection.” But what is perfection? The word has various senses: here it means perfect love. It is love excluding sin; love filling the heart, taking up the whole capacity of the soul. It is love “rejoicing evermore, praying without ceasing, in everything giving thanks.”

I like this particular sermon because of the power given to sanctify the individual, not just to cleanse of sin, but to create a new mind set, to "transform" the mind as the apostle Paul details it. This sanctification creates a new way of living a perfect life, a life experiencing the love of Jesus Christ in a relational way. It is a love so powerful that it takes of the whole capacity of the soul, spilling out into the individual's relationships with others. Talk about some great sanctification power!

Footwashing

Reflect on the footwashing ceremony. How might you use this ceremony in your ministry?

I have a really hard time with footwashing. I have only done it once before, and it made me incredibly uncomfortable. I would have to get to a place where I was o.k. with it before I was willing to do it as an activity in my youth ministry. I think the best way to do it would be during a night of worship, where there is an opportunity for the teens to just contemplate and reflect on the power and grace of God. I think if it was done in the context of a special worship service, the teens might be more receptive to participate, and not get freaked out about it.

Refelecting on Saint Francis Xavier

Prayer by Saint Francis Xavier

Eternal God, Creator of all things, remember that You alone has created the souls of unbelievers, which You have made according to Your Image and Likeness. Behold, O Lord, how to Your dishonor many of them are falling into Hell. Remember, O Lord, Your Son Jesus Christ, Who so generously shed His Blood and suffered for them. Do not permit that Your Son, Our Lord, remain unknown by unbelievers, but, with the help of Your Saints and the Church, the Bride of Your Son, remember Your mercy, forget their idolatry and infidelity, and make them know Him, Who You have sent, Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord, Who is our salvation, our life, and our resurrection, through Whom we have been saved and redeemed, and to Whom is due glory forever. Amen.
Xavier’s Poem of Love (1552)

My God, I love thee: not because I hope for heaven thereby, nor because they who love thee not must burn eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me upon the Cross embrace; for me didst bear the nails and spear, and manifold disgrace.

And grief and torments numberless, and sweat of agony; yea, death itself; and all for me who was thine enemy.

Then why, O Blessed Jesus Christ, should I not love thee well? Not for the hope of winning heaven, nor of escaping hell;

Not with the hope of gaining aught, not seeking a reward; but as thyself hast loved me, o ever-loving Lord!

Even so I love thee and will love, and in thy praise will sing, solely because thou art my God, and my eternal King.

I love this prayer and poem because it gives the proper reasoning for loving God. It is not for the sake of gaining the retainer on a hell insurance policy, nor is it for gaining prominence or reward; it is because God loved us so much that he sent his son to die on a cross so we could have a reconciled relationship with him. It was not because of who were are, or some sort of special connection we have, but because the creator desires to be reconciled to his creation in humanity. Amazing love, that thou my God would die for me indeed!