In 1663, a Puritan named Richard Alleine published “Vindication of Godliness in the Greater Strictness and Spirituality of It.”  John Wesley read this and published it again in 1753 in his “A Christian Library.”  According to records, Wesley used one chapter of it, “The Application of the Whole,” on Monday, August 11, 1755, in what was probably the first real celebration of the Covenant Service in the Methodist movement.  (United Methodist Book of Worship, p. 288)  Wesley continued to preach an annual Covenant Service whenever he visited Methodist Societies in England.  Today, the Covenant Service is observed either on New Year’s Eve as a Watchnight service, or the first Sunday of the New Year.  At the heart of the service is “A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition” which is found on page 607 of the United Methodist Hymnal (1968).  If you have a moment, Google and read the prayer.

One of the distinguishing characteristics of this prayer is what one person calls “holy apathy.”  Curiously, this form of being and behaving goes completely against the grain of our society.  In order for a meritocracy to work, individuals and groups must have goals.  When those goals are achieved, rewards are given.  In our current economic system this is often in the form of a monetary bonus, incentive travel, or some other tangible gift.  This keeps people striving, often for more material goods.  Socially, this is also important because we compare ourselves to those around us and the measuring stick is material possessions, stock portfolios, bank accounts, and personal appearance.  Juxtapose this with the Hebrew Bible wisdom writer who called such pursuits “vanity.”  Actually, the Apostle Paul lays out a different vision for life when he wrote, “For me, living is Christ and dying is gain.”

The Covenant service and prayer is an exercise in self-denial.  This is not about fasting or denial in a sense that it will do physical or mental harm to yourself.  Rather, the objective is learning to lay aside our goals and pursuits so that we might do what God desires of us.  The prayer is a form of rejection of this world and even a quest to become apathetic to its ways and desires.  Instead, the disciple’s objective is transformed into living however God desires and for God’s purposes.  The invitation is to care about what God cares about and to be engaged in the work that God is already doing in our world.    

I am not sure if I have ever met anyone who embodies “holy apathy.”  It seems to be rather daunting, the complete denial of self-interest and motives.  However, it is the vision that Wesley had for all who claimed to be a follower of Jesus.  Thus, we continue to pray the covenant prayer and ask God to lead us in the way of apathy toward the world and greater love for Him and our neighbor.

I invite you to take time and read each of the scriptures above followed by reflection on the questions below.  Consider the tension between the way of the world and God’s invitation to a different way of being.  Lastly, I pray that God bless the reading of God’s Word and the meditations of your heart.