A Hole in the Box—and a Place to Belong
During our first leadership-training session with the Rev. Sheila Miranda, we studied Methodist history. Barbara Rutherford, Board Chair, shared that she had traced her family line back to England—and then told us a wonderfully human story about one of her ancestors and John Wesley. Because Wesley was very short, Barbara’s ancestor reportedly cut a hole in the box on which Wesley stood to preach. Wesley stepped up—and fell right through it!
I love this story. It connects someone in our church connection to John Wesley, but not through a formal theological debate or an important ecclesiastical event. It connects them through humor, mischief, and a very human moment. Suddenly, John Wesley is no longer only a name in a history book. He becomes a real person standing on a box, trying to preach the gospel—and unexpectedly disappearing through it!
This is why we need to learn and preserve our history. History is not simply a collection of dates. It is the story of real people: faithful people, imperfect people, courageous people, and occasionally very funny people. When we know their stories, we better understand who we are and what we have inherited.
During our Homecoming season, perhaps we can all become Methodist history nerds! How much do we know about John and Charles Wesley, the early circuit riders, and the courageous women and laypeople who shaped Methodism? How much do we know about the history of our own congregation? Who opened its doors, taught its children, played its music, served its neighbors, and kept the faith alive during difficult seasons?
The same curiosity can deepen our reading of Scripture. Methodists speak of Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience as important sources for understanding our faith, with Scripture remaining primary. We read the Bible within the living story of God’s people, bringing our questions, knowledge, traditions, and life experiences with us.
That is also why Scott and I have begun our weekly podcast, Faith in Translation: One Word Before Sunday. Each Tuesday from 7:00 to 7:20 p.m., we explore one important word from the coming Sunday’s Scripture—sometimes looking at its Greek roots and sometimes comparing how it is heard in English and Russian. Our hope is that meeting the Scripture earlier in the week will help you enter Sunday worship with greater curiosity and a deeper experience of the message.
Belonging grows when we know the stories that formed us—and when we recognize that our own stories are becoming part of the history we will pass on. During this Homecoming season, let us rediscover the people, the faith, the humor, and the grace that brought us home.
Pastor Lydia
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