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Christianity Today, November, 2007 |

Traveling with Wesley

A recent trip to England brought home rich insights on wealth.

Philip Yancey | posted 11/20/2007 09:00AM

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Wesley once articulated the danger of wealth: "I fear, wherever riches have increased, the essence of religion has decreased in the same proportion. Therefore I do not see how it is possible, in the nature of things, for any revival of religion to continue long. For religion must necessarily produce both industry and frugality, and these cannot but produce riches. But as riches increase, so will pride, anger, and love of the world in all its branches."

Sipping tea one evening with prosperous Christian leaders in a lovely English church, I learned that if present trends continue, there will be no Methodists in England in thirty years. My thoughts turned to my own country, the wealthiest in the world and yet, for now at least, one of the most religious. What will historians learn about the present American church two hundred years from now?

A quote from G. K. Chesterton came to mind: "It is always simple to fall; there is an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands."

Related elsewhere:

Yancey's previous columns are available on our site.

John Wesley is one of Christian History & Biography's 131 Christians Everyone Should Know series.

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November 2007, Vol. 51, No. 11

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Gary Lovelace

Posted: December 03, 2007 10:13 PM

Almost any christian who has struggled with this question could have written this article, and made no definative conclusion or suggestion. Just the reason we have the attitudes we do. The Bible is quite clear, about the place and priority the world, it pleasues, and priorities should have for us. There is place and time for the enjoyment of these external beauties. However, when they become your pursuit and purpose to the exclusion (or seccondary order) of kingdom pritorities, we have gone wrong. In our western world it will take an intentional turning to, and continueous choosing the love of others to escape the self gratifiying lifestyle which so subdtly ecapsulates and deceives even the most committed. ONLY as we make a committed choice to have the holy spirit give us the will and enegry (Phil. 2:13) for God's pleasure will we have the complete satisfaction and entire enjoyment of all of life on this earth. God has given us all things to enjoy.

Rose	Posted: November 29, 2007 3:45 PM

I do appreciate Yancey's point, but comparing Wesley to an average Christian today is like comparing apples to oranges. Wesley was called by God for a specific purpose; he had an all consuming passion and he walked it out very well. We are not all called to be a Wesley. Conversely, all of Wesley's quotes are very true and we would do well to heed them in our opulant, materialistic society. I found them very refreshing. Perhaps it is not so much a question of balance but of finding God's purpose for our lives and pursuing that purpose passionately as Wesley did.

Gavin

Posted: November 28, 2007 12:38 PM

I too found fascinating the reflection that 'religion' in its best applications may sow the seeds of its own later decline. Of course the OT record could be interpreted to support that concept to a degree ! In any case, I think this may all be part of God's master plan which we cannot see. While fighting the decline of churches (as currently constituted in the West, for instance), we should also be prepared to get on board God's next big thing if and when the nudge comes, using discernment as always, of course. Perhaps Jesus' invitation to "consider the lilies of the field" has more than one side or dimension, as with so many of his teachings. Enjoy and bless God for what is good in the world, and at the same time, consider how it all points to something beyond.

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