Guest Blog – Taste Test: Coke or Pepsi

This is a guest post from a Christian named bart.

Do you remember the days of the blind taste test? There would be a table with a can of Coke and a can of Pepsi and the tester would try to guess which was which or which was better or something like that. I wonder how John Wesley would fair in such a test? Imagine we:

1. Built a time machine
2. Blindfolded and transported Wesley to the year 2008
3. Removed the sign in front of a random UMC
4. Removed the blindfold and let John hang out for a week or so
5. Then we ask him to determine if he had been at an Anglican or Methodist church

I would guess his analysis might go something like this:
“The distinguishing marks of a Methodist are not his opinions of any sort,” (Character of a Methodist). The method is what distinguishes us so let us look there first. I will ask these questions allowing me to discern the answer.

1. Do these people wish to flee from the wrath to come?
2. Do they meet in small groups (class-meetings) weekly for examination of the state of their heart?
3. Do they seek to do no harm, do all the good they can to all the people they can, and keep the Ordinances of God?
4. Is this movement clearly lay lead?
5. And finally do they avoid superfluidity of dress (were fancy clothes (1 Tim 2:9))?

How would Wesley judge your church??