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<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center">"<b>TWO
ARE BETTER THAN ONE" MINISTRIES</b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b>Jim
& Marie Watt</b></p>
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Box 25116 -- Federal Way WA 98093-2116</b></p>
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253.874.4265 -- Email: <a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com">jmbetter@gmail.com</a></b></p>
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</p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b>2008.07.22
- <u>WESLEY'S COVENANT PRAYER</u></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">(Excerpts
from Wikipedia)</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">(Please
note end of this article on "French Jews")</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">Wesley's
Covenant Prayer </span></b><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">or
</span></span><b><span style="text-decoration: none;">A Covenant
Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition</span></b><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
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 </span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Short
history of the people called Methodists</span></span></i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
(1781), Wesley describes the first covenant service; a similar
account is to be found in his </span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Journal</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
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". </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Service
using the Covenant prayer have been included in Most Methodist books
of liturgy since, though none was included in the </span></span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Sunday
Service of the Methodists in North America</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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 </span></span></span><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Directions</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">.
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: </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">...
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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><u><b><span style="font-style: normal;">THE
PRAYER</span></b></u></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">I
am no longer my own, but Yours.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Put
me to what You will, rank me with whom You will.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Put
me to doing, put me to suffering.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Let
me be employed for You or laid aside for You,</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">exalted
for You or brought low for You.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Let
me be full, let me be empty.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Let
me have all things, let me have nothing.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">I
freely and heartily yield all things to Your pleasure and disposal.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">And
now, O glorious and blessed God:</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Father,
Son and Holy Spirit,</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">You
are mine, and I am Yours.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">So
be it.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">And
the covenant which I have made on earth,</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">let
it be ratified in heaven.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><b><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">Amen.</span></span></b></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center">
<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">(as
used in the Book of Offices of the British Methodist Church, 1936).</span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center">
<br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><u><b><span style="font-style: normal;">NOTE
ONE.</span></b></u><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
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!</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">An
English Sociologist (an unbeliever) at the time of the close of the
18</span></span></span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">th</span></span></span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
Century, 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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="text-decoration: none;">"<span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="">The
Cure of Evil Speaking" I believe is the 49</span></span></span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">th</span></span></span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
sermon of "Wesley's Doctrinal Standards", and in my estimation is
one of the most valuable and needed words still for today.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Wesley's
mother Susannah had a most valuable input into her 19 children of
whom but 10 survived childhood. John was the 15</span></span></span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">th</span></span></span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">,
Charles the 17</span></span></span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">th</span></span></span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">,
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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><u><b><span style="font-style: normal;">NOTE
TWO.</span></b></u><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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 </span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>(<a href="mailto:jmbetter@gmail.com">jmbetter@gmail.com</a>).
</b></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Through
a glitch on my part, it unfortunately got mailed out a second time to
my mailing, but in her name, Peg Byars.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">We
both have received a number of replies that the article "French
Jews" </span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="">is</span></u></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">
noted in "Snopes" as a "Hoax" or "Fake Message." </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">I
am including a </span></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><b>URL
</b></span></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">sent
by a friend that will enable each of you who wish, to check out the
"Snopes" finding.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">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". </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="justify"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Your
friend -- Jim Watt</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><font color="#000080"><font face="Tahoma"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">Jim,</span></span></span></font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000080"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><font face="Tahoma">A
friend sent this to me in response to my forwarding on your email. I
thought you would want it.</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000080"><font face="Tahoma"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">Blessing,</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000080"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><font face="Tahoma">Laurie</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000080"><font face="Tahoma"><font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2">Original
content is Copyright by the author 2006. Posted at ZioNation-Zionism
and Israel Web Log,
<a href="http://www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000267.html" target="_blank">http://www.zionism-israel.com/log/archives/00000267.html</a>
where your intelligent and</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;"><font color="#000080">
<font style="font-size: 11pt;" size="2"><font face="Tahoma">below.
(You might want to let the people know who forwarded it to you).</font></font></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="left"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="">(The
above note I cut and pasted. J.)</span></span></span></p>
<p></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"></p><p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><br>
</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0.01in; margin-bottom: 0in;" align="center"><br>
</p>
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