John Wesley's Covenant Service

I experienced this Covenant Service by John Wesley some time ago. There are different times of the year this can be used. The end or beginning of the year is a good time. However, I choose to use this at the conclusion of a class I teach on the vocation of ministry. It seems to me to be appropriate, from all that we share and discuss, the levels of commitment that we traverse, it fits. So, find a quiet place. Sit down with your computer and open your heart and your mind to these next few minutes. You will need about 30 minutes to complete this.  I hope you will join me in this Covenant Service and be as powerfully impacted as I was.

Yep, it is! Old age creeping up. Today!

Gotta say, I resemble the poor tortoise.  But, that's life, eh?

Happy birthday, me!

Truth

During his trial, Jesus said to Pilate, "“You say that I am a king. In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.”  Pilate asked, "Truth?  What is truth?"  Believing something to be true must involve the intellect.  Think about it.  Truth MUST be intellectual, right?  There are such things as "true emotions", "true beauty", "true talent", etc., but each of those, by adding the word "true" to them means that some mental ascent has come into play to distinguish it from false emotions, beauty and talent.  There is and must be an ultimate truth.  Without that foundation of an ultimate truth, then all truth slips into relative truth.  That ultimate truth must exist outside of our human race.  Otherwise, again, we slip into relative truth/relativism.  When we acknowledge something as true, we are acknowledging that truth that exists outside of us. The problem with relative truth is that it is not "bankable".  It is only true for the person establishing the truth.  If the same truth cannot be laid hold of by every person, then it is not truth.  The truth, the ultimate truth, must be and is ... God!

For about the past 6 months or so, I've been working on memorizing the creeds.  I've made it through the Apostle's Creed and am now nearly through the Nicene Creed.  These creeds lend themselves to the above statement.  If there is no truth outside this world, then Christ did not exist before all time and his words are merely that of a prophet that was willing to die for a lie.  On the other hand, if He was truly the Christ, the Son of God, then truth must exist outside of our human world and then must validate His existence.

I was speaking with a friend just a few months ago who is a member of an organization that I value highly.  Yet, this friend seemed to be saying to me that truth is relative.  While I agree that perspective differs according to the individual, that perspective does not change the truth, it merely changes the interpretation of that truth.  Truth is.  God is.  God is Truth!