1. Holiness and the Catholic Spirit

2. Holiness at the Center
Vision Statement: Uniting Methodists is a movement of Christ- centered, hope-filled, holiness-seeking United Methodists
Spreading scriptural holiness over the land
Holiness at the core of his theology
A recovery of holiness as core to Methodist identity is crucial to our future vitality.
Wesley’s wrestling with issues of theological conflict is in the context of holiness.

3. What on Earth do we mean by Holiness?
The Core of Holiness is love
Loving God
Giving God the primary loyalty in all areas of our lives
Making God’s agenda our agenda
Obeying God’s commandments
Living in constant fellowship with God
Sharing your lives in all their complexity with God

4. What on Earth do we mean by Holiness?
Love for our Neighbors
Commitment to the comprehensive well-being of others
To all people – friends, strangers, enemies, undeserving, enemies of God
To pervade all dimensions of our lives
Particular concern for those who suffering, rejected, despised

5. What on Earth do we mean by Holiness?
Holiness of heart and life
Heart
Fundamental orientation
Inner motivations
Characteristic attitude and responses
Emotional responses

6. What on Earth do we mean by Holiness?
Life (Conversation)
Inter-personal relationships
Words
Profession, politics, recreation
Our whole bodily existence - sexuality

7. What on Earth do we mean by Holiness?
Transformational Holiness is personal and responsive
Holiness does not begin with our effort
Holiness arises out of the amazing grace of God
A personal transformative relationship
God wants to permeate your life with love
Personal means it is responsive
Means of Grace
Small groups

8. What on Earth do we mean by Holiness?
Holiness is relational and dynamically new
“The is no holiness but social holiness”
“Faith working through love”
Active interacting with and relating to other people
Feedback loop
“Holiness” that is not embodied in relationships of love is not holiness
Holiness is always developing in new and unexpected ways

9. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Catholic Spirit
Mutual recognition of the transforming work of God in each other’s lives
Mutual recognition of God’s work through each other
Mutual respect for the sincerity of each other’s convictions
Mutual respect for each other’s freedom of conscience before God
Mutual seeking of as much cooperation and visible unity as possible

10. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Mutual support for each other’s ministry
Mutual commitment to the holistic well-being of each other
Mutual viewing of the other in the best possible light
A conviction of the truth and correctness of one’s own theological and ethical ideas and practices
A commitment to the importance of the issues on which one disagrees

11. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Human fallibility
All human beings are finite and fallible creatures
All our knowledge is subject to limitations, ignorance, errors and confusion.
Ethical judgments are subject to a triple problem
Fallible interpretation of God’s will,
Fallible interpretation of the ethical problem
Fallible relating of God’s will to the problem
Mistakes in theological ideas lead to mistakes in practice
Regeneration and sanctification do not change this situation

12. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Sin and Responsibility before God
Sin properly so-called, is a willful violation of the known will of God
Sin not properly so-called – actions which we are convinced are the will of God but from God’s perspective are wrong
God is just and does not require the impossible from us
God requires that we act in on what we believe to be God’s will
Sin not properly so-called is forgiven in Christ
Mistaken actions can have serious consequences

13. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
The law of love
God does not require mistakeless obedience to moral law
God requires that we act out of genuine love even if we are mistaken
This does not mean we can do what we like
Motivated by cruciform love
Guided by scripture
Measured by their consequences

14. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Freedom of Conscience before God
We are all responsible before God for how we live
No one ought to compel another to act against their conscience
A person’s conscience is influenced by numerous factors
All have “liberty to choose our own religion, to worship God according to our own conscience according to the best light we have”
Loving reasoned arguments and not compulsion is to be used to persuade others

15. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Theological ideas have major significance
No Latitudinarianism
The significance of theological ideas
Seek true ideas
We must hold our ideas with conviction
Argue for the truth of our convictions in love

16. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
The church is to be a community of love
The distinguishing mark of the church is love
To embody love as much visible unity as possible yet respecting freedom of conscience
Theological conflict and the abuse that often goes with it is:
Contradictory to love
A denial of the identity of the church
Destructive of the mission of the church

17. Holiness and the Unity of the Church
Theological diversity as a means of grace
Theological diversity can be a context for growth and mutual correction
Learning to embody love for those we disagree with can be a way of growing in love
Demonstrating love in the midst of disagreement is a witness to the world

18. John Wesley “On Schism”
“To separate ourselves from a body of living Christian, with whom we were before united, is a grievous breach of the law of love. It is the nature of love to unite us together; and the greater the love, the stricter the union. And while this continues in its strength, nothing can divide those whom love has united. It is only when our love grows cold, that we can think of separating from our brethren. And this is certainly the case with any who willingly separate from their Christian brethren. The pretences for separation may be innumerable, but want of love is always the real cause; otherwise they would still hold the unity of the Spirit in the bound of peace.”
John Wesley “On Schism”