Jason Albertson

One of the interesting things about America's history with Christianity is how important revivals have been, especially from the 1750s-1900s. Revivals could get exciting (especially on the Western frontier, a.k.a. Kentucky). If you read a history book about revivals in America, you'll see a lot of mentions of moaning and writhing on the ground (they called it " enthusiasm "). For many people, the experience of finding peace with God was connected with very strong (in some cases violent) emotions. To you and me, the experience would probably look garish, like this picture, or like listening to a song with the sound turned up to notch 12 on a 10-notch scale. These were real experiences people had with coming to know God: dramatic stuff happened, and the results were often really good. These strong experiences came at times of starting out with God or committing afresh to God: salvation, and in the Methodist tradition, entire sanctification. They often involve...

At IHC this year, I heard a young boy's high, clear voice singing, "The old ledger is clear!" I don't know if I've ever seen an actual ledger. I guess a spreadsheet would be the modern equivalent. I wondered if he knew what an old ledger was. There were people listening to him sing who were blessed by the song. I can figure out what the image means--ledgers are where debts are recorded, and one way you can think about sins is as unpayable debts against God, so for your ledger to be clear means your unpayable debts have been paid by Jesus' death. But the image of a ledger doesn't connect with me. It doesn't bless me. That doesn't mean there's something wrong with the image. If I had grown up in a time when actual physical ledgers were used for the recording of debts, that image would probably connect with me. Maybe that has something to do with why it blessed some people at IHC. For someone who grew up going to camp meetings, camp mee...

Some are institution people. They see processes and procedures as the best way to meet needs. Others people see processes and procedures as irrelevant or even obstacles to meeting needs. I’ll call them pragmatic people for this post. Needs are met most effectively when both types of people work together. ⁂ Robert Strawbridge Asbury's Most Wanted™ Robert Strawbridge is a little-known name. In fact, it may not have been known at all if it weren’t for his pragmatism in opposition to institutional Francis Asbury. Asbury’s name is well-known. He was one of those responsible for setting up the circuit-riding system of Methodist preachers in America early in the history of American Methodism. Asbury was a masterful administrator who lived up to the strict demands he placed on others, winning the respect of nearly everyone who worked with him. Because of the system he set up, Methodist influence spread and endured far and wide. Strawbridge, however, saw needs that were...