Wesley's Covenant Prayer

[Jim Watt]

"*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*PO Box 25116 -- Federal Way WA 98093-2116*

*Tel: 253.874.4265 -- Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*



   *2008.07.22 - WESLEY'S COVENANT PRAYER*

*(Excerpts from Wikipedia)*

*(Please note end of this article on "French Jews")*


 *Wesley's Covenant Prayer *or *A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan
Tradition*is a prayer adapted by John Wesley, the founder of
Methodism, for use in
services for the Renewal of the believer's Covenant with God. In his *Short
history of the people called Methodists* (1781), Wesley describes the first
covenant service; a similar account is to be found in his *Journal* of the
time. Wesley says that the first service was held on Monday 11 August 1755,
at the French church at Spitalfields in London, with 1800 people present. He
reports that he "recited the tenor of the covenant proposed, in the words of
that blessed man, Richard Alleine".


 Service using the Covenant prayer have been included in Most Methodist
books of liturgy since, though none was included in the *Sunday Service of
the Methodists in North America* book that Wesley published in 1784 for the
use of his followers in America. Perhaps for this reason, while the Covenant
service has been an invariable part of the liturgy of the British Methodist
Church and its daughter churches in the Commonwealth, its use is less
widespread in American Methodist denominations. The covenant prayer and
service are recognized as one of the most distinctive contributions of
Methodism to the liturgy of the church in general, and they are also used
from time to time by other denominations.


 Although Wesley's early covenant services were not held at any particular
time of year, in British Methodism the custom soon developed in holding
Covenant services near the beginning of the New Year, nowadays usually on
the first or second Sunday of the year. This was perhaps under the influence
of a different Methodist tradition, the holding of "Watchnight" services on
New Year's eve, in competition with the rowdy secular celebrations of the
new year.


 The form of the covenant prayer and service have been simplified since
Wesley's time, but important elements of them are still retained from
Wesley's *Directions*. They include many of the words both of the bidding
that traditionally precedes the prayer, and the prayer itself. The bidding
traditionally includes phrasing such as:


 ... Christ has many services to be done. Some are easy, others are
difficult. Some bring honor, others bring reproach. Some are suitable to our
natural inclinations and temporal interests, others are contrary to both...
Yet the power to do all these things is given to us in Christ, who
strengthens us.


 *THE PRAYER*


 *I am no longer my own, but Yours.*

*Put me to what You will, rank me with whom You will.*

*Put me to doing, put me to suffering.*

*Let me be employed for You or laid aside for You,*

*exalted for You or brought low for You.*

*Let me be full, let me be empty.*

*Let me have all things, let me have nothing.*

*I freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.*

*And now, O glorious and blessed God:*

*Father, Son and Holy Spirit,*

*You are mine, and I am Yours.*

*So be it.*

*And the covenant which I have made on earth,*

*let it be ratified in heaven.*

*Amen.*


 (as used in the Book of Offices of the British Methodist Church, 1936).



 *NOTE ONE.* In 1947 a copy of "Wesley's Doctrinal Standards" by Burwash was
deleted from the Library of St. Andrew's United Church of Canada Seminary in
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. I had the good fortune to procure this copy among
many others that were discarded. It contained 52 Sermons. 49 of them by John
Wesley. They were used to instruct future ministers, Sunday School teachers,
Class Meeting leaders among others. Those seeking ordination had to memorize
all 52 sermons, and be ready before an examining committee to preach any one
of these 52. Many Bible quotations appear in each sermon -- so one can
surmise how well prepared for ordination each candidate became!


 These 52 sermons were arranged by John Wesley under 10 Heads -- and
contained the basis of his Theological position. 13 of the 52 sermons were
on the Sermon on the Mount. This was a wise choice over and above the 10
commandments, for it includes inward heart religion as well as outward moral
and ethical standards.


 My step-grandfather had a great influence on my life, especially the 4
years we spent on his farm during Depression Times of 1933-1937. He was a
faithful leader in a large Methodist Church in Vancouver, BC. In 1925 it
united with a large Presbyterian Church on Burrard Street to form St.
Andrew's Wesley United Church of Canada. It was here in 1942 that I received
a call to the ministry while yet an unbeliever.


 The Class Meetings of Methodism formed by Charles and John Wesley had a
singular effect on 70,000 of their members. Some 8 rules were weekly
reviewed under a leader of some 8 members in England,Wales, Scotland and
Ireland. These received regular visits by an overseer, often by John Wesley
himself, who rode horseback over 50,000 miles to do so along with Chapels
and outdoor preaching as inaugurated by George Whitefield, a staunch
Calvinist.


 An English Sociologist (an unbeliever) at the time of the close of
the 18thCentury, wrote a book stating that except for the Wesleyan
Methodist Class
Meetings, the French Revolution of 1789 would have leaped the English
Channel and brought its horrendous Guillotine to Great Britain.


 "The Cure of Evil Speaking" I believe is the 49th sermon of "Wesley's
Doctrinal Standards", and in my estimation is one of the most valuable and
needed words still for today.


 Wesley's mother Susannah had a most valuable input into her 19 children of
whom but 10 survived childhood. John was the 15th, Charles the 17th, and an
older brother Samuel the only surviving boys of the 10. She spent an hour
each day with one of her children, and went over carefully with each one,
very fine moral standards, and led them to confess their lapses, and stood
with them in achieving victory. John later on asked her to send him the
various rules she shared with each of his brothers and sisters.


 *NOTE TWO.* I recently sent out a mailing entitled "French Jews." The one
mailing it to me, mentioned that "Snopes" had been checked, but nothing
showed up of a suspicious nature. I unfortunately accepted this word without
doing a further check myself.


 Then a friend of mine from Ontario sent out my mailing to a selected few,
and without realizing, sent it to me to my mailing address instead of my
regular Email address *(jmbetter at gmail.com). *Through a glitch on my part,
it unfortunately got mailed out a second time to my mailing, but in her
name, Peg Byars.

We both have received a number of replies that the article "French Jews" *is
* noted in "Snopes" as a "Hoax" or "Fake Message."

I am including a *URL *sent by a friend that will enable each of you who
wish, to check out the "Snopes" finding.

Peg has trusted that I would soon follow up the above two fraudulent
mailings so that you as readers could be protected from furthering this
mailing.

Sorry. I apologize and ask your forgiveness for not taking the additional
precaution that I usually follow, and for trusting a friend who missed
obtaining the real warning of "Snopes".

Your friend -- Jim Watt


 Jim,

A friend sent this to me in response to my forwarding on your email.  I
thought you would want it.

Blessing,

Laurie


 Original content is Copyright by the author 2006. Posted at
ZioNation-Zionism and Israel Web Log,
http://www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000267.html where your
intelligent and

  below.  (You might want to let the people know who forwarded it to you).

(The above note I cut and pasted. J.)





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