The Communion of Saints – United Across the Veil
Charles Wesley wrote a truly beautiful hymn in that same 'Funeral Hymns" hymnal I mentioned earlier in the week. I want to share two verses of this hymn with you today, as we continue to explore the Wesleyan view of the afterlife:
"Come, let us join our friends above who have obtained the prize,
and on the eagle wings of love to joys celestial rise.
Let saints on earth unite to sing with those to glory gone,
for all the servants of our King in earth and heaven are one.
One family we dwell in him, one church above, beneath,
though now divided by the stream, the narrow stream of death;
one army of the living God, to his command we bow;
part of his host have crossed the flood, and part are crossing now."
One Family in Christ
Reading Wesley's words made me think deeply about the union of Christians on earth and in heaven. I never really thought about any union between us, to be honest, except when I remembered my own loved ones who have died. But this hymn broadened my view – could it be that we are indeed one family dwelling in Him, one church united in Christ, some in heaven, some on earth?
I think Wesley is getting this from Hebrews 12:1, in which the writer says this: "Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." These words follow Hebrews 11 which mentions many great biblical characters. It seems that the writer was saying that all the people of God who have gone before are witnessing our Christian lives even now.
Connected Beyond Death
Now, John Wesley did not believe in praying to the saints in heaven, which is the practice of many Catholics. He says as much in his sermon Original Sin. But he did write in his commentary on the New Testament that "the saints above are not so far from the church below, as we are apt to imagine."
What might it do for your faith today to consider that you are not only united with the Christians in your church, your denomination, your country, or even the Christians around the world today, but that you are one with all Christians who are already in heaven? Isn't that something? Doesn't that give you a great boost to think that they are cheering you on as you seek to live your life in Christ?
And can you picture it, that when we sing in church, we are joining those singing God's praise in heaven? Remember, there's no time in heaven, so we don't need to think too deeply about how it's possible for the heavenly saints to see all that they must see. All we know is that our spirits are connected to theirs, and we are one.
For the Wesleys, this truth gave them hope and strengthened their faith. I pray that the same may be true for you and for me today.
