Simsbury - North Canton - Copperhill - Washington Hill
Our Spiritual Quad Journey
The root of the word ‘quad’ is Latin, meaning four. In the realm of spirituality, the number four holds great significance. It symbolizes the four elements of air, fire, water, and earth, representing the importance of collaboration and unity in achieving our goals.
In 1941, President Roosevelt gave his annual speech to Congress, now known as the Four Freedoms, to unite the citizens to secure their future and “look forward to a world founded upon four essential human freedoms:”
Norman Rockwell, an American painter and illustrator, was so taken with Roosevelt’s speech that he created the Four Freedoms paintings—Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Worship, Freedom from Want, and Freedom from Fear—which were widely used to raise funds during WWII.
As you can see, the number four has a rich history, and now we are embarking on our journey of four as we join as a Quad – Simsbury, North Canton, Copper Hill, and Washington Hill. ‘Quad,’ short for quadrilateral, is familiar to most Methodists due to the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Coined by the 20th-century American Methodist scholar Albert Outler, it has been accepted as the methodology for theological reflection on John Wesley’s work. As outlined by Outler, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral consists of:
· Scripture – the living core of the Christian faith
· Tradition – keeping the history of Jesus and the apostles alive
· Reason – God expects us to use our brains
· Experience - acknowledgment of new ideas and faith
Did you know that a quadrilateral can be regular or irregular? A regular quadrilateral must have four equal sides and four equal angles, and its diagonals must bisect each other. A square is the only quadrilateral that satisfies all these conditions. Who wants to be a square? An irregular quadrilateral means the square is not always equal on all sides.
Rev. Dr. Christopher T. Bounds, a professor of theology and dean of the School of Theology and Ministry at Indiana Wesleyan University, contends, “Unfortunately, at times, the term “Wesleyan Quadrilateral” can give the false impression that its four sides are equal in determining what we believe as Wesleyans or that they can be aligned against each other. However, when rightly used, it is the “unilateral rule of Scripture within a trilateral hermeneutic of reason, tradition, and experience, providing a sure foundation for our Wesleyan beliefs and practice.” (Wesleyan.org Jan 2022)
As our church family expands, we form an irregular quadrilateral, defined as such because each of the four churches—Simsbury, North Canton, Copper Hill, and Washington Hill—is unique, yet we have many things in common. We will always be unique, which is why God (and the Bishop) have pulled us together to make us one big church family.
As we grow into our new Quad, we will not all be equal week to week, but we will share the “unilateral rule of scripture.” See this as an opportunity to grow your church family and expand the Wesleyan Quadrilateral. Use this journey to collaborate and unite to achieve our individual and quadrilateral goals. God Bless our Quad.
- Eileen Brogan