WHATSOEVER

John Wesley was serious about small groups. But the small groups he created for the Methodists of 18th century England were nothing like what modern American Christians currently experience.

The hardest of Wesley's hard core groups was the "band meeting". These were small, homogenous groups, and members were serious about defeating the power of sin in their lives. 

Just to GET IN to one of these groups, you needed to truly desire to be free of sin. This was demonstrated by answering the following questions (among others) in the affirmative: 

"Do you desire to be told of all your faults, and that plain and home?"

"Do you desire that every one of us should tell you from time to time whatsoever is in his heart concerning you?"

"Do you desire we should tell you whatsoever we think, whatsoever we fear, whatsoever we hear, concerning you?"

Clearly, these were not small groups getting together for a pitch-in, small talk, and a devotion!

The closest I ever came to something along the lines of “Do you desire to be told of all your faults, and that plain and home?” came in the first church I served as youth pastor, fresh out of college. 

This small group was decidedly heterogenous, and one of the seven or eight regulars was a retired math professor in her 70s. She was a straight shooter. 

Once after one of our meetings, she approached me and asked, “Can I give you some advice that you might find hurtful? I only say it out of love.” 

Compelled by curiosity, I consented. 

She said, “You need to stand up straight. Stop slouching. You are tall and you should stand to your full height. As it is, you don't look like you have any confidence. But you have every reason to feel confident.” Nobody outside of my parents had ever said anything remotely like that to me. 

And you know what? Far from being offended, I felt that this woman really did care for me and my respect for her grew instantly.

Maybe we could use a little bit of Wesley in our small groups today...