Revd Simon Topping writes:
September marks the start of a new chapter in the story of the Methodist in Bath. In one sense “Bath Methodist Church” is a new name for our community, in another sense it takes us back to the very beginnings of Methodism. Bath was the place where John Wesley founded his fourth Methodist Society in 1741, preceded only by the Methodist Societies in London, Bristol and Kingswood.
Clearly we now live in a very different context to the one of 1741 and we have a good deal of work to do in order to discern God’s plan and purpose for us in our time and place, and as a newly formed “multi-site church” and Methodist Society.
Over the past few months members of the Bath Mission Area representatives meeting, through working groups, have been reflecting upon our mission, purpose and identity as a new church and a draft mission statement was shared at our united worship and meeting at Southdown Church Centre on 31st July.
This draft mission statement has used as its framework the “Methodist Way of Life” which is a set of commitments and practices recognised by the Methodist Conference as a summary of our Methodist distinctiveness within the wider Christian faith.
The introductory guide to the Methodist Way of Life uses the metaphor of “breathing in” and “breathing out” to categorise these commitments and practices.
“Breathing in” refers to those commitments and practices which strengthen us and refresh us in our personal faith and which build up our common life together as a Christian community – what John Wesley described as “works of piety”. “Breathing in” focusses on worship, prayer, bible study, discipleship formation, fellowship – Wesley might have added fasting and abstinence too!
“Breathing out” refers to those commitments and practices through which we connect our faith with the world beyond the church – what Wesley describes as “works of mercy”. “Breathing out” focusses on mission to our local community, work for peace and justice, creation care, sharing our faith with particular communities, chaplaincy work etc.
For Wesley these works of piety and works of mercy were the “means of grace” by which we opened ourselves to God’s presence and love and through which the “holy tempers” were honed and enhanced within us – gentleness, goodness, perseverance, meekness, fidelity, temperance, love.
As we come together as a new church community in the Methodist tradition (though always open to working ecumenically) I hope we can shape a life together which enables us both to “breathe in” and to “breathe out”, creating a balanced and sustainable pattern of active, daily discipleship , using the resources within our tradition both to grow in faith and love, and to share that faith and love with the community around us.