Take off that Cross and follow me

I grew up attending an elite private school in Melbourne. It was a boy’s school, but fortunately, just down the road was the Methodist Ladies College (MLC). I have fond memories of attending dancing classes with the MLC girls in year ten.

So I was interested to hear this week that MLC has banned its students from wearing crosses for fear of offending. Someone complained so it’s off with your crosses girls. You can wear them at home.

The Methodist movement began almost three centuries ago after John Wesley’s heart was “strangely warmed” by the gospel. He wrote in his journal, “I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.”

Transformed, Wesley traveled throughout Britain with a vision for the conversion and discipling of a nation and the renewal of a fallen church. Within a generation that vision extended to the whole world as Methodists fanned out to faraway places like Australia sharing the gospel, planting churches and founding institutions like the Methodist Ladies College, which today has banned the wearing of crosses.

Wesley predicted something like this would happen when he wrote,

“I am not afraid that the people called Methodists should ever cease to exist either in Europe or America. But I am afraid lest they should only exist as a dead sect, having the form of religion without power. And this undoubtedly will be the case unless they hold fast both the doctrine, spirit, and discipline with which they first set out.”

In the Rise and Fall of Movements, I describe how movements rise and fall as they move towards, or away from, the life and ministry of Jesus. Who was obedient to his Father’s Word, dependent on the Holy Spirit and faithful to the core missionary task.

So I’m no longer surprised when church leaders are embarrassed by Jesus’ teaching on sex and marriage. After all, “It’s a ‘complex’ issue that may take years to work out.” I’m not surprised when mission experts turn mission into “human flourishing” and “social transformation”.

This drift has been a recurring pattern in the West for over 100 years. I don’t despair because the rest of the world is leading the way in fulfilling Jesus’ command to make disciples among every people, and in every place.

I just keep following the stories of multiplying disciples and churches to the glory of God. Everything else will pass away.