From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zeke The Beauty of Brokenness “Again Jesus spoke to them saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” John 8:12 In Matthew 4:8, Jesus says “Be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” What does perfection mean for United Methodists? Of the nineteen historic questions asked all those seeking ordination as elders within the United Methodist Church, two of them relate to perfection. The second historic question is “Are you going on to perfection?” And the third is “Do you expect to be made perfect in this life?” And I answered “Yes” to both at my ordination. What does this mean? I’ll give you a hint: it does not mean being sinless or morally flawless. For that, we can all breath a little easier. When Wesley taught about perfection, he meant perfection in the sense of maturity. The call to Christian perfection is a cry to be something more than you currently are. It is a cry for more love, more joy, more peace, and more Presence. This is not accomplished by the sweat of one’s brow but by the surrendering of ones life into the perfecting work of God present through the Holy Spirit. God is making each of us perfect in love. As United Methodists, we believe in the entire work of sanctification as the trajectory of authentic discipleship. Therefore, the “journey toward Christian perfection” is less about a statement of status (have you reached it or not) but more about orientation (is your life oriented toward a complete life of faith). This is a call to journey, with God, toward a life of faith that is deep and wide and full. It is a call of faithful surrender and willing submission to be shaped and molded by God. There is a unique Japanese ceramic artform known as Kintsugi. Kintsugi artisans take broken pottery and carefully piece them back together using gold-infused glue. The final outcome is incredibly beautiful (for reference look up Kintsugi and see the amazing images). Kintsugi celebrates the cracks and brokenness as part of the overall story. It lifts up the beauty of brokenness. I am encouraged by this when I think of our own lives- messy and broken- who need to reimagine life and success through the eyes of God. I believe we are all made in the image of God and bear that Divine image to the world. Faithful people are called to love of God and love of neighbor. Cont. on Next Page Wesley UMC Newsletter May 2022
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