Reflections on Faith & History

The noun "reflection" has several meanings. A reflection can be "the throwing back by a body or surface of light, heat, or sound without absorbing it," as in the reflection of light from a mirror. But to "reflect" can be so much more, as when a person considers something in a deeply spiritual or meditative way. This collection of essays, both the memory mediations and the historical articles, are gathered here so that you, the reader, might spend some time on the path of contemplation. The "reflections" were initially distributed to worshippers at the First United Methodist Church, Cazenovia, New York, and those at the United Methodist Church in Nelson. The historical articles on Methodism in Cazenovia were originally written for the Cazenovia Republican and are reproduced here in slightly revised form. I joined Cazenovia's First United Methodist Church as an associate member in February 2013, though my wife and I had been attending since 2011. Both of us were raised in the Lutheran fold in the Midwest. Lutheranism and Methodism have an interesting historical connection. In 1737, while listening to a recitation on Martin Luther's commentary on St. Paul's letter to the Christians at Rome, John Wesley felt his "heart strangely warmed." Wesley went on to lead the evangelical movement of reform that became known as Methodism. May your contemplation of the contents of these reflections and historical essays be a heart-warming experience. Dr. Milt Sernett