Category Archives: Means of Grace

Discipleship and the Means of Grace

15 Thursday Oct 2015

Posted by in Means of Grace, Practical Theology, Seedbed, Seven Minute Seminary, Wesleyan Theology, Wesleyan Tradition

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The Seven Minute Seminary video series that is produced by Seedbed is one of the best ways to get familiar with Wesleyan thought related to the Bible, theology, and ministry. It features prominent Wesleyan scholars and pastors speaking on topics related to their areas of specialty. I’ve been lucky to record a few of the video presentations myself.

In the following video, I speak on the Wesleyan understanding of the means of grace. The means of grace are those practices of worship, devotion, and discipleship which lie at the very heart of Wesleyan spirituality. Click below to learn more:

For my other Seven Minute Seminary teaching presentations, go to this link.

 

Means of Grace notice in the Ark. United Methodist

07 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by in Arkansas Conference, Means of Grace, Practical Theology, Seedbed

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The Arkansas United Methodist newspaper very thoughtfully posted a notice about my new book, The Means of Grace in its October 2015 issue. I have been serving as a regular columnist for the AUM since 2011, where my Practical Divinity column appears quarterly.

For those of you in the Arkansas Conference of the United Methodist Church, check out the Arkansas United Methodist if you don’t already have a subscription here. There’s no better way to keep abreast of the ministry and mission of our annual conference!

 

The Means of Grace — a new resource!

25 Friday Sep 2015

Posted by in Discipleship, Means of Grace, Practical Theology, Seedbed, United Methodist Church, Wesleyan Theology, Wesleyan Tradition

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Cover Art_The Means of Grace_High ResMy new book, The Means of Grace, hit the digital bookshelves a few days ago. As you can imagine, this is exciting for me personally. I wrote this book because of how strongly I believe in the importance of its subject matter. And I think it could be a real benefit to Christians who are looking for a way to bring a disciplined pattern to their discipleship.

I wanted to do a little writeup on The Means of Grace for anyone who might be interested in it for personal use or for small group study. I’ll do that below in Q&A format. If you have any questions after reading it, please feel free to leave them in the comments section below this post!

What is The Means of Grace about?
This is a book about those practices and habits that bring us closer to Jesus Christ by opening us up to the power of his grace. They are drawn, either directly or indirectly, from the Bible. My own understanding of them is deeply shaped by the way that John Wesley taught about them. That comes through in some significant ways in the book. At times the means of grace are called by other names: spiritual disciplines, practices of discipleship, and the like. Those are good terms, but I  believe that embracing the term means of grace is important because it reminds us that the source of their power is indeed the grace of God.

Who was it written for?
The Means of Grace is geared toward a broad reading audience. My hope is that churches will find it to be a fruitful book for small group or congregational use. It can also be read profitably on an individual basis.

How is it organized?
The book begins with an introductory chapter that lays out a Wesleyan understanding of grace. Thereafter it is divided into three sections: instituted means of grace, prudential means of grace, and general means of grace. While these terms may sound technical, they are explained easily enough in the text. And the individual means of grace ought to be familiar to people with any familiarity with the Christian faith: prayer, searching the Scriptures, fasting, the Lord’s Supper, etc.

Most of the book’s chapters are arranged in similar fashion. Each of the means of grace is explained as it appears in the biblical witness. The way in which they are framed in Wesleyan spirituality follows. Finally, each of the means of grace is described as it can find a place in daily discipleship. The point is to show how the means of grace are grounded in a biblical and Wesleyan framework, while also showing how practical they are for day-to-day use.

Why did you write it?
I wanted to offer Christians a practical guide for how the means of grace can become the “pattern of the Christian life.” I believe this the way that John Wesley envisaged them, and I think it is the way they can be most effective in our lives today.

Does it have a study guide?
Yes it does. There is a “Discussion Starters” section at the back of the book intended to facilitate small group study.

Are there any other resources to go along with it?
The book is put out by Seedbed Publishing. Later this year, Seedbed will be producing a video series that will accompany the book as another tool for small group and congregational use. I’ll update my readers on this blog when those videos have been published.

Where is it available?
Currently, the books is available directly from Seedbed and from Seedbed’s Amazon marketplace store. The Kindle edition can also be ordered direct from Amazon.

That’s all for now. Let me know if I’ve left anything out that would be helpful to share. And if you check it out, let me know what you think!

Evangelism and Discipleship: A Wesleyan Connection

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Discipleship, Evangelism & Mission, John Wesley, Means of Grace, Seedbed, Seven Minute Seminary, Wesleyan Theology, Wesleyan Tradition

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One of the more interesting developments in Wesleyan theological education over the past few years has been the advent of Seedbed’s Seven Minute Seminary video series. The series features prominent Wesleyan scholars and pastors speaking on a wide range of topics related to the Bible, theology, and ministry. Here’s the Seven Minute Seminary launch announcement by Seedbed’s Chief Sower J.D. Walt.

I got to record my first Seven Minute Seminary teaching video awhile back. My topic in the video is the connection between evangelism and discipleship in Wesleyan practice. Here’s how it turned out:

For my other Seven Minute Seminary teaching presentations, go to this link.

 

Methodist House: Courses in Wesleyan Studies

20 Thursday Nov 2014

Posted by in Church History, Doctrine & Theology, Means of Grace, Memphis Theological Seminary, Methodist House, Theological Education, Wesleyan Theology

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Spring 2015 Courses in Wesleyan Studies_Methodist House at MTS

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One of the ways that the Methodist House of Studies is expanding its work at MTS is through expanded course offerings in the area of Wesleyan Studies. I’m excited to be able to announce the following four courses on our Spring 2015 course schedule. (If you would like to inquire about enrolling or auditing courses at the seminary, find the contact information here.)

Here’s what we’ve got on tap for the upcoming semester:

Women in Methodist History  |  Dr. Andrew Thompson
Mondays, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Encounter the historic role of women’s leadership in Methodism. This course surveys the history of women in Methodism from the time of the late 18th century to the late 20th century. It will examine the role of women’s leadership in the Methodist and Wesleyan movement—from Mary Bosanquet Fletcher to Jarena Lee, and from Amanda Berry Smith to Mildred Bangs Wynkoop. The course focuses on themes of women’s leadership, the challenge of women responding to calls in ministry, the role of spiritual autobiography, and the contribution of women to the vitality of the Wesleyan tradition.

The Prophetic Rhetoric of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner  |  Dr. Andre Johnson
Mondays, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Engage the remarkable life, career, and prophetic rhetoric of Bishop Henry McNeal Turner (1834-1915) of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Turner was one of the most dynamic, influential, and eloquent African American church leaders of the post-Civil War period—yet today he is largely forgotten. This course highlights his historical importance and rhetorical power. By engaging in a careful reading of Turner’s writings and speeches, students in this class are able to examine the theoretical, methodical, and practical applications that make up Bishop Turner’s discourses.

American Methodism: History, Doctrine, & Polity  |  Dr. Andrew Thompson
Tuesdays, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Prepare for ordained ministry in the United Methodist Church through an immersion in the history, doctrine, and polity of the Methodist Episcopal Church in America (MEC) and its successors from the time of its founding in 1784. This course follows the ecclesiastical line that leads to the United Methodist Church at the time of its formation in 1968. It is designed to fulfill the second half of the ordination requirements for history, doctrine, and polity as outlined in the United Methodist Book of Discipline (¶324.4, ¶330.3, & ¶335).

The Means of Grace in Wesleyan Theology  |  Dr. Andrew Thompson
Wednesdays, 8:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Come and explore the theology of the means of grace in the Wesleyan tradition. As the “sacramental grammar” of Wesleyan theology, the means of grace are at the heart of the doctrine of sanctification and the practice of discipleship. This course engages both primary sources (from John and Charles Wesley) as well as secondary sources (from contemporary scholars). Half the course focuses on a study of the sacraments (i.e., Baptism and Holy Communion) and the other half considers the other means of grace in the categories of “instituted,” “prudential,” and “general.” Attention is also given to the practical implications of the means of grace for Christian ministry.

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Holy Conferencing: A Means of Grace

21 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by in Discipleship, John Wesley, Means of Grace, Sanctification/Holiness, Wesleyan Theology, Wesleyan Tradition

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John Wesley considered some of the means of grace to be formally established by Jesus Christ in the gospels. One of those is the means of grace he called “Christian conference” at some points and “Christian fellowship” at others.

These terms take some explaining, because Wesley used them in technical ways that would not be apparent to us at first glance.

Conference does refer to the formal body of the annual conference for Wesley. But it is also the term that describes any activity where Christians “confer” in a self-conscious way about important matters of faith. So it has a broader meaning than we might ascribe to it in our own usage.

Fellowship, on the other hand, has a narrower use in Wesley’s view than it does with us. We use that term very loosely, but Wesley only uses it when he thinks something spiritually significant is going on amongst Christian believers who are gathered together in community—again, to confer with one another about their faith.

From John Wesley's Instructions for Children

Lesson from John Wesley’s Instructions for Children

In recent years, the term holy conferencing has emerged as a contemporary term that describes the Wesleyan original. Emily Snell wrote about this topic in Interpreter Magazine just recently, in fact.

The video above was produced by the Arkansas Conference of the UMC recently as a teaching session on Christian conference. In it, I share the Wesleyan background on holy conferencing and offer some guidance about how it can be utilized in congregations and small groups today.

I hope this video can be useful as a resource for pastors and congregations—not just in the Arkansas Conference, but anywhere that groups of Christians have reason to gather in serious conversation and discernment about their faith and discipleship.

See also: Wesley (and Watson) on Christian Conference

Discipleship Formation: A Wesleyan Approach

11 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Discipleship, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, Means of Grace, Practical Theology, Spiritual Formation, United Methodist Church

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Andrew Thompson teaching at the TN Annual Conference on June 10 2014My annual conference road show continued this week at the Tennessee Annual Conference at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, TN. I taught a session on ‘Equipping’ for Discipleship as a part of Bishop Bill McAlilly’s four-part teaching series covering the themes of:

Discover | Equip | Connect | Send

The spirit both in Brentwood this week and in Paducah, KY, last week at the Memphis Annual Conference has been wonderful. Indeed, it seems the Holy Spirit is at work amongst the folks of these two conferences. It is also tremendous to see how much the annual conference sessions seem geared toward making conference a real means of grace. (The difference between how annual conferences are run now compared to those of my early years in ministry is remarkable.)

The great tech crew at the Tennessee Conference have already uploaded the teaching session I led. For anyone interested, here’s the link (w/ my part starting at about the 14:45 mark):

I’m trying to capture something of the scope of engaged discipleship in a Wesleyan framework in this session. Within Wesleyan spirituality, we can never separate what we are doing as disciples of Jesus Christ (including how we’re being equipped!) from what it means to grow in holiness of heart & life. That means that discipleship is really about sanctification—how our hearts are being transformed by God’s love and how our spiritual gifts are being cultivated towards real fruitfulness.

Feel free to leave comments or questions below. The material here is part of what I think is of most importance in the life of the church today. I’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

 

A Wesleyan View on Equipping for Ministry

04 Wednesday Jun 2014

Posted by in Discipleship, Evangelism & Mission, Holiness/Sanctification, Jesus Christ, John Wesley, Means of Grace, Wesleyan Theology, Wesleyan Tradition

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Earlier this week I was privileged to speak at the Memphis Annual Conference meeting in Paducah, KY. The teaching theme for the conference was fourfold and focused on engaged discipleship: Discover—Equip—Connect—Send. My session was on ‘Equipping’ and used Ephesians 4:10-16 as a springboard.

The video of my teaching session is below for anyone who would like to see it. There is some preliminary material on the front end (including a great storytelling presentation by Marilyn Thornton!). My part begins at around 18:00. Here’s the link:

Other videos from the annual conference are available through the conference’s website at this link.

 

 

Prayer before reading the Bible

26 Monday May 2014

Posted by in Bible, John Wesley, Means of Grace, Prayers

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1790 New Testament title page_John WesleyHow can Holy Scripture be a means of grace in our lives?

That is a question I’ve been thinking a lot about the past few months as I’ve led a Bible study at my church. We read the Gospel of Luke, meeting weekly on Sunday evenings for about 3 months to discuss the biblical text together. Reading the Scripture in community can be an amazing experience—the insights and experiences of a group can convey a power to what John Wesley called ‘searching the Scriptures’ that is hard to match when reading alone.

One of the points Wesley makes about the use of Scripture as a means of grace that has always struck me is his focus on the active process of receiving the word of God. For instance, Wesley never says that the Bible is a means of grace. His phrase ‘searching the Scriptures’ is meant to emphasize the need to actively engage the biblical text in the rhythms of reading, hearing, and meditating upon it.

Wesley published a translation of the New Testament together with his NT commentary that differs in some respects from the Authorized Version (or KJV) that was the standard English-language translation in his day. Later in life, Wesley republished his New Testament separately. In that later 1790 edition, he included a prayer drawn from the Book of Common Prayer together with this advice: “I advise every one, before he reads the Scripture, to use this or the like prayer.”

Here’s the prayer itself:

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning, grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou has given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

It’s a beautiful prayer. The net effect of what he’s encouraging—to hear, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest—is to truly embrace Holy Scripture in its fullness, that we might be transformed in the process.

We do not read the Bible so that we can master it. We read it so that, over time, it comes to master us.

 

 

Grace and Forgiveness

24 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by in John Wesley, Lent, Means of Grace, Wesleyan Theology

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Lenten Lecture Series FlyerLast week I spoke at the Robert C. Stuart Lenten Lecture Series at Christ Church Cathedral in Houston, Texas. The theme of this year’s lecture series is “Grace and Forgiveness” and it gave me an opportunity to explore some of the ways in which John Wesley sees forgiveness as lying at the heart of salvation.

The lecture series is emceed by Barkley Thompson, the cathedral’s dean and my brother. (As in, literally. He’s my brother.) The format for each speaker’s participation is a 25-minute address during noonday prayer followed by a 90-minute Q&A session on the evening of the same day. The audience at both sessions was engaged, and during the evening Q&A, I was called to field a really diverse and informed set of questions from audience members.

Here is a YouTube video of the 90-minute Q&A between Barkley and me:

My thanks to Barkley and his congregation for the opportunity to share with them a few aspects of the Wesleyan tradition.

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