“How is it with your soul?”
— John Wesley

What are the things that help you set your ethic for living? What reminds you of your True North? What helps you to listen with your heart? (Photo by Kay Panovec, UMNews)

It was tradition among the early Methodists to hold a special service on New Year’s Eve. In this Watch Night service, they would gather in prayer and welcome the new year together. During the service, they would do their New Year’s resolution. These resolutions often took the shape of a prayer of recommitment to their faith. One of the prayers they would say is known as the Wesley Covenant Prayer. This is the version of the prayer we use today:

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.

The tradition of holding this service has mostly been lost. I remember growing up in Puerto Rico, participating in a few Watch Night services. We changed pastors, and that tradition went away. Even though the tradition of this service has waned, the Wesley Covenant Prayer has survived. I carry a copy of the prayer with me. It reminds me of how I want to live my life.

What I enjoy, and what challenges me the most about this prayer, is that it is an invitation to listen with my heart. As I pray, I am reminded to resist the temptation to believe the world revolves around me. In fact, the world revolves with all of us together. This prayer reminds me that I am not alone in this world. I have to live in such a way that my life is of benefit to all of God’s children. I know I have to care for myself; this is essential, but it is not the only task on my To-Do list. Equally is the care of others.

What are the things that help you set your ethic for living? What reminds you of your True North? What helps you to listen with your heart?

Prayer

God of new beginnings, we see every new year as an opportunity to begin again. Remind us of our True North. May we begin again in the direction where we are most useful, making our world a healthier place. Amen.