A Moment for Mission
“And it’s not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free. We were saved in hope.” —Romans 8:22-24, CEB
“In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading [Martin] Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.” —John Wesley
“Heritage Sunday shall be observed on Aldersgate Day (May 24), or the Sunday preceding that date.…The day provides an opportunity for reflection on heritage, celebration of where the Church has been, how it understands itself as it shapes us today, and the meaning of Christian conferencing. Heritage Sunday calls the Church to remember the past by committing itself to the continuing call of God.” —from 264.1, The Book of Discipline, 2016
Children’s Message
Today is a special day in The United Methodist Church. It’s Heritage Sunday! Heritage means the special story or history that belongs to a group of people, like our church family.
One important part of our United Methodist heritage is our founder, John Wesley. He lived a long time ago, in the 1700s, and he traveled all over England preaching about God’s love and starting new ministries. He taught people to love God with all their hearts and to love their neighbors as themselves.
John Wesley believed in helping those who were poor or sick, and he started schools and hospitals to care for them. Today, we continue John Wesley’s legacy by following his teachings and spreading God’s love in our own communities.
On Heritage Sunday, we remember and celebrate that we are part of a special family with a rich heritage of faith and love. And let’s thank God for the chance to be part of something so wonderful!
Prayer
Gracious God, you met John Wesley’s uncertainty with divine assurance and you called him to declare your salvation in the fields, streets, and prisons where people were desperate for good news. Inspire us today to carry the stories of all you have done among us beyond the doors of this building, that we may grow as your church in the world, a living temple that brings your love and grace to the corners of our communities that most need your good news. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Newsletter Nugget
“And it’s not only the creation. We ourselves who have the Spirit as the first crop of the harvest also groan inside as we wait to be adopted and for our bodies to be set free. We were saved in hope.” —Romans 8:22-24, CEB
On the May 24, or the Sunday preceding that date, United Methodists celebrate Heritage Sunday, a day to honor our past and envision our future.
The observance corresponds with Aldersgate Day, which commemorates the day—May 24, 1738—when John Wesley, while attending a group meeting on Aldersgate Street in London, felt his heart was strangely warmed with the assurance of God’s love.
United Methodists may choose to remember our founding ancestors, including Susanna, John and Charles Wesley; Francis Asbury; Martin Boehm and Philip William Otterbein.
On Heritage Sunday, and every day, we thank God for the enduring heritage of The United Methodist Church, ponder our own legacy in the story of our denomination and pray for a vision and understanding to serve God more fully throughout the world.
Watch the video: https://www.umc.org/en/content/heritage-sunday-honoring-our-past-and-envisioning-our-future.