The Will of God

A few weeks ago on my day away, I had the opportunity to read The Will of God by Leslie D. Weatherhead. This is a brief book of five chapters that is a series of sermons that were preached in England during World War II. The chapter titles give a good description of the themes that are addressed in the book:

• God’s Intentional Will
• God’s Circumstantial Will
• God’s Ultimate Will
• Discerning the Will of God
• “In His Will Is Our Peace”

Weatherhead distinguishes between different uses of “the will of God” in ways that are clear and helpful.

My Response

I found this to be a great book. It was a quick read and Weatherhead is clear and uses language carefully. I found it to be particularly pertinent for me as I am continually discerning God’s will for my life – at this time thinking about the possibility of being a part of starting new churches in Kansas. Weatherhead’s distinctions of different usage of the phrase “the will of God” were clear and helpful. I think that themes may be useful in talking with others struggling with what God has for there life in the midst of hardship or good times.

Revelance and application for The United Methodist Church

This text has relevance for The United Methodist Church, but direct application is less clear. The theme of God’s will is relevant as the denomination seeks for what is next in the life of the denomination – particularly in the United States. Continuing to earnestly seek after God will continue to be an important part of our life together as Methodists. I found that clear application of the themes of this book to be more appropriate to individuals than to groups or denominations. However, the discernment of individuals has an impact in the discernment of the denomination.

Revelance and application for The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

At Resurrection, we are seeking to know God’s will. This has particular relevance at this time as we look at the budget for 2008 and compile financial commitments from families in the congregation. The themes are relevant, but in a similar way to the denomination I found the direct application to be less clear.

Recommendation

I recommend this book for those seeking God’s will or those seeking a clearer understanding possible uses of the phrase “the will of God.”