The Blogger
Wes Magruder is an ordained elder of the United Methodist Church serving in the North Texas Conference.
Originally born in Dallas, Texas, he left as soon as possible to attend school in southern California with dreams to become the next Martin Scorcese. God appeared to him in a vision and told him that the real future was in the United Methodist Church, so Wes agreed to become a preacher. He earned a Master of Divinity at Perkins, a Doctor of Ministry at Brite, and Doctor of Reality Bites from Valley View United Methodist Church, his first appointment.
He serves as the Chair of the Board of Church and Society of the North Texas Conference (United Methodist Church), and is on the Board of Directors of Refugee Services of Texas.
Magruder serves as Director of Missional Community Development for The People of New Day, a growing network of missional micro-communities that are based on neo-monasticism. As an outgrowth of his work with New Day, he created Project Daraja, which provides bridge support for refugees living in the Dallas area as they work toward citizenship and self-sufficiency. Learn more about the Missional Wisdom Foundation.
He has served appointments in suburban London and suburban Dallas, as well as missionary service in Cameroon, West Africa for four years, where he learned the fine art of off-roading and French-speaking. Read more . . .
Everywhere he goes, four fine women have followed him around. Leah, his wife, runs a Kumon franchise. Oldest daughter, Rachel, is somewhere else in the world at any given moment. Middle child, Chloe, is attempting to set a record for number of text messages sent in one month. And youngest daughter, Mallory, is planning her world takeover.
Wes likes to make amateur videos, read NT Wright, attend Radiohead concerts, watch the Texas Rangers and Frisco Roughriders, mentor refugee families, and cook Indian food.
This blog is his personal manifesto for his ministry in the church. If you like it, follow along, and raise your fist in solidarity.
Nü MethoFesto 
Wes you obviously know Jesus used to fast. As a Jew he probably also prayed like Muslims do today. If you look at this website it shows you how the ancient and orthodox Jews paryed and some still do today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aHWA…eature=channel
Google Jewis and Muslim prayers for more info.
I note the link didnt work so I am providing it again: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aHWASyMjwg&feature=channel
wes
if Jesus had to die for our sins , especially adam sin.
If jesus crucifiction for adam’s sin was accepted by god,
why we still on earth?
why we are not back to heaven?
I suppose the best answer to your question is to say that we receive the benefit of Jesus’ death at the Judgment. Traditional Christian belief holds that, until the Judgment occurs, we are not yet afforded the benefits of heaven.
In order to have reasonable and justified answer to my question ,I will assume jesus crucifiction was not accepted by almighty god, and we still need a judgment day.
thanks for your kind reply.
don’t argue about religion. it is not a good thing to do and the Prophet peace be upon him taught us not to argue.
I have read many of your daily Ramadaan narratives and continue to be in awe of your attitude and commitment. You are breaking boundaries like you wont believe. People all over are talking about you. I myself have commented on one of your blogs. You really are an inspiration. I am a Muslim and have been to church (for a wedding and funeral), have prayed the Lord’s prayer (Our father who art in heaven etc), have sang christian hyms etc etc but only because I was “UNAWARE” of the teachings of my belief, Islam. Now that I am older and have learnt about what my value of belief is, I highly doubt I could reciprocate those actions. You, on the other hand, are coming from a position of knowledge and fundamental indepth understanding…. and you choose to participate in the Islamic values of belief. You pray (read Salaah with them, you fast with them, make Iftar (eat) with them. You attempt to understand them by being them. Aside from your remarkable friend (Mohammed), I do not know personally of any practicing Muslim who would be prepared to do or be involved in what the Christians or any other race for that matterdo or involve themselves in.
I wish I could meet you and chat with you Sir.
May you continue in this stead….
I am a Muslim but i don’t agree with what you said, with all respect, Mr. Aysen. I love to listen to the Lord’s Prayer, and even pray it, in my moments of need – it is so beautiful, it comforts me, and i know for a fact it is a means to strengthen my faith, and a gift to me from my Lord. The Lord’s Prayer speaks of the same Lord as my Lord, the One True God. I am a Muslim (a submitter to God), who has gone abroad to study Islam, and come back with a deeper understanding of Islam, which has led me to see that in fact, Christian hymns, and Christian Prayers, they are totally from the same source as Islam. I practice all the duties of Islam. I dress modestly and wear a headscarf. I look like a typical Muslim…but thank God, i am not stuck in the false binary of Islam vs. Christianity. That is simply fake. I consider myself the true Christian. Because I believe in Jesus Christ and i am living in a way that he would approve of…and I am taught to honor him by my faith, and I await his return and his giving victory to God’s Will over the will of evil and dark forces.
I love to listen to Christian hymns on Youtube and if i had children, i would sing these to them. What is there about them or the Lord’s Prayer that is at odds with Islam? nothing. The only parts of Christian expression that are at odds are the parts that attribute divinity to Jesus Christ. I simply consider those parts to be a corruption of the original message, and naturally i don’t participate in those elements. I love to read blogs by Christian women about how to raise pious children and about how to be a good wife. Everything they say is exactly what my faith tells me too; the nice thing is that they say it in English – and that is my native language, so it just helps a bit since Arabic is not as easy for me to understand.
Even Christmas is something that my husband – who is a devout Muslim, who dresses like a Muslim, who is totally orthodox and actually gives the Friday sermon, was explaining to me is something that Muslims should and *do* celebrate – perhaps without realizing it!…God Himself in the Quran is celebrating that story – the story of the Virgin birth of Jesus Christ. It is the Nativity – right there in the Quran. And we too, we Muslims, celebrate tjhis miraculous Event with the real celebration – not the pagan tradition of the tree (though it is a lovely tradition), but the spiritual joy at the coming of this the Spirit of God (as God calls Jesus in the Quran) – and the Prophet who healed the blind and called to righteousness. Jesus, our Beloved Prophet. So at my home, we put up lights for Christmas just like our neighbors, we greet our friends and colleagues with Merry Christmas, from the heart, and we celebrate by having deep gratitude to God, and joy in our hearts and reading the verses of the Quran that talk about Lady Mary and Jesus. We marvel at the beauty of God’s Grace and His giving us this wonderful Prophet and his amazing Mother, may God’s peace be upon them forever!
It’s an illusion – the barriers people have created between Islam and Christianity. They are false barriers that were built by the Roman Catholic Chuch, which, when they saw how Islam had taken up the torch of Christianity, calling to the same things, in the same way, decided this was so much Christianity that it could only be “anti-Christianity” – ie. A usurpation of Christianity – something that must be dark, masquerading as Christianity. From this view, forced upon the early Christians by the Roman Christians, the perception that Islam and Christianity are two separate messages started to become accepted fact. (and this view basically forces this point: either you love Islam and you accept it, or you see it as totally false like a false Prophet, and reject it). In reality, and as Muslims will tell you today, Islam is a re-vivification of Christianity itself and a reiteration of Christianity’s own message before that message became diluted and corrupted by additions and distortions made by certain church leaders and officials.
You my friend is what they call a Munafiq
I have been reading some of the comments on here, it’s funny how people perceive things. Reverand Wes, I truly respect you for who you are and what you believe in. I am sure you’re not doing what you are just to please the muslims, but simply beacuse you wanted to find all possible means of reaching God.
As a mulsim myself, to answer some of the previously written posts, I would only have to say that a true muslim will honor all the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) for he is in our belief a mighty messenger of God. So really I wouldn’t say I cannot reciprocate the actions of Christians, which is derived from Christ, i.e Jesus, I would simply say I might not be able to perform some actions done by people under the name of Christianity, just as there are actions that I can’t even perform that are also performed by people under the name of Islam. The quickest way to closing a gap is by accepting the other. God bless you and bless us all.
@ bluesky. Thank you for comment and response. Its interesting what you say but I honestly do not think your views are shared by the majority of Muslims throughout the world. Sure, if you wish to adopt a liberal approach regarding your way of life, then it would make sense to celebrate Christmas with the Christians. However, you made reference to the Quran in your comments and the instant you start doing that is the instant you reallize that you are treading in dangerous water. In the Quran it is mentioned in surah Maeeda, verse no3: “This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favour to you and chosen for you Islam as a religion.” Where in the teachings of Islam (ie the Quran and the practices of the Prophet Muhammad), was the celebration of Christmas mentioned or practiced? I think that we need to be clear in our belief here mam. The prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) was our example and anything which he did is ideally what we should be doing. Did he celebrate Christmas? No. Did he sing Christian hyms and prayers? No.As a matter of fact, there is an authentic Hadith that narrates that the Prophet Muhammed (SAW) actually became quite angry when presented with a copy of the Bible. Why was this the case mam? Many people throughout the world allow their emotions to cloud their judgement and their ultimate perception on things. We should always introspect and ask ourselves if we are of such people when confronted with any situation regarding our belief. There are so many questions that can be asked regarding the traditions of other religions. Questions like: What about the traditions of Judaism? Nabi Moosa also did certain things which are practiced by the Jews? What about them and their traditions? We also believe in Nabi Moosa and the teachings of the original Taurah. If you start following Christianity (in its “pure” form), where do stop? What about Easter? What about Lent? If it is Christmas that you are celebrating, then it would make sense then that it is the Gregorian calender that you’re following? So if you fast during Ramadaan and celebrate Christmas on the 25th December each year, which calender does your religious belief follow? These are only a few of the many questions that arise. Questions which will undoubtedly be asked from numerous authentic scholars of the Islamic faith here in South Africa.
So whilst I respect your beliefs and empathise with you in what you do, Im not sure if I could ultimately go through with all the traditions and goodwill that is felt and celebrated from Christianity. Maybe its a lack of maturity on my side? Maybe its an endoctrinated perception? I dont know.
Assalaamu Alaikum (Peace and Good wishes be Blessed upon you)
to affect their judgement… to cloud the truth.
Brother Zaid Aysen, I too share the same sentiments as you. I am in complete awe of Mr Magruder and I have no doubt that he will be earning brownie points (sawaab), if not for his act of empathy in fasting, then certainly for helping this poor sinner become a better muslim. He has reminded me of so many things that we as “born”muslims take for granted. He has literally reawoken my entire concept of Ramadaan. Please don’t misunderstand me, I do all the tenets of Islam, but very often it is more out of habit and commitment. I am pleased and humbled to say, that Alhamdullilah, I am certainly a better mu’min now than I used to be before I became hooked on this blog. May the peace and blessings of this month flow onto all. I leave you in peace.
the goodness you have brought is overflowing, Pastor. barakAllahu fik!
not to make this a big debate but i think you missed the spirit of what i was saying. Allah Himself celebrates the birth of Christ in the Quran, by telling the story; and He tells us in Quran that celebrating his Blessings upon us is a duty. What is a greater blessing than the coming of Prophets from Him, to guide us. I am not a liberal in the least, my friend. I am a very orthodox Muslim. I think it is a tragedy that our ways of viewing our own religion have become tainted by the politics of identity. If i sing a hymn in praise of God and thanking Him for His grace, what is the difference between this hymn and a nasheed (=the Arabic name for hymn). SubhanAllah. If i were to start to write songs in praise of God, in the Islamic tradition, but in the English language, that is what they would turn out to be: exactly like the hymns that already exist. So why reinvent the wheel? Blessings and remembrance of God abound if you can see them. Please go back and read what I said about how we celebrate Christmas…and what real celebration is. I am not doing it in a way that would even be pleasing to many of my fellow Canadians – but I think it would please Jesus, peace be upon him, for that is I am sure what he would want: a celebration that is in the heart – a joy at God’s blessing upon us, in the form of this amazing Virgin birth, this Blessed Prophet Jesus and the holiness he taught, and the goodness he brought. How can you not celebrate this by shukr (gratefulness) to God and praise of Him? If it does not move you, maybe there is something wrong…
I feel i have more right to celebrate Christmas than anyone! Jesus came with the greatest prophesy: the coming of our Beloved Prophet Muhammad sal Allahu alayhi wasalam.
Thus, i would say, it is Islamic to celebrate the birth of Christ, with the real celebration: gratefulness to God, praise of God, and joy at His blessings upon humanity and His constant care for our guidance and well-being, that He sent the best of human beings (Prophets) to remind us and help us every time we went astray.
‘Where in the teachings of Islam (ie the Quran and the practices of the Prophet Muhammad), was the celebration of Christmas mentioned or practiced?’
Allah Himself celebrates the birth of Christ in Quran, telling us the story of exactly what happened, that we may marvel at this miracle, be inspired by the faith and closeness to God of the Blessed Virgin Mary, that our hearts may be gladdened by Jesus’s goodness to his Mother, and that we may find joy in God’s giving them victory over those who sought to condemn Mary. This is the Nativity, right there in the Quran.
As God tells us the story, what is our reaction? My reaction is to celebrate God’s Greatness. Allahu Akbar!
I think you are getting stuck on the word ‘celebrate’ so that it conjures up all kinds of visions in your mind of ritual practices that we associate with ‘celebration’ – and you think of it as a ‘practice’ as opposed to a deep feeling…a consciousness of God’s Greatness.
Think about what the celebration of Eid (the end of Ramadan) itself is. Is it eating samosas and visiting friends and family and wearing new clothes? those are just the outward traces, and not the essence. Even a person all alone, who has no new clothes to wear, can celebrate Eid…as one of the great souls of Islam said: Eid is not for the one who wears new clothes, but the real Eid (celebration) is for the one who has reached the level of feeling fear of the Meeting with God. Ie. you celebrate when you accomplish this level of God-consciousness.
Celebration is something in the heart…it is the arrival of a certain connection with God.
Thus, i do celebrate Christmas. It is yet one more occasion to realize the Grace of God, and to try to connect with Him, through His telling us of how his blessed servants Mary and Jesus were with Him…that we may marvel at His Grace..may we reach up and catch some of that grace.
ps. sorry Pastor Wes – It seems like we’ve made a big mess of your bio page.
maybe this convo should be deleted or moved somewhere else….let me take this opportunity to thank you for all the doors of dialogue and discussion you have opened up by being who you are….God bless you, and we humbly ask that you pray for us. thank you….
@ bluesky. Who exactly are you trying to please by celebrating Christmas? Yourself? God? Jesus (Nabi Eesa)? Like I mentioned in my post. We need to be crystal clear on what our belief is? Yes, Nabi Eesa is mentioned in the Quran. But then again, so too are numerous Ambiyah (prophets). Why do you not empathise with the followers of those prophets? Surely you would want to remain consistent in following the traditions of those people? Why only Christians and Christmas? Maybe its because the neighbourhood or people or propaganda that surrounds you make it seem as if it the celebration of Christmas is socially acceptable? I am definitely not moved by such activities. We as Muslims do not need occasions or celebrations to remind us of how great God is. I wish all the best to all in gaining true Hidayat (guidance) and wish our repected Pastor (because I know he will be reading this) the best in his endeavours in finding and discovering the truth of Islam.
Brother, thanks for your comments. I promise this is the last comment in return that i will make; i feel it’s already too much to be taking over the poor Pastor’s bio page like this.
You said: Why do you not empathise with the followers of those prophets? That’s actually a really nice to bring up. First of all, I am a follower of Prophet Jesus, and i hope you are too. The true followers of Jesus are those who follow his Message. And his Message is the exact same as the Message of Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him: “The Messenger of God said, ‘Both in this world and in the Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the people to Jesus, the son of Mary. The prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one.’
I am actually not celebrating (ie, being happy, reflecting upon and appreciating God’s Greatness IN MY HEART and in MY STATE – not with ritual, by the way) the coming of Christ into this world for the sake of *empathising* with Christians, primarily – as i mentioned, but because I believe it is something that is a Sunnah (practice) of God Almighty Himself, since He Himself narrates to us the great story of Jesus’s birth (ie the Nativity), in a way that invites us to marvel at God’s Will and be celebratory of His Greatness and the special Grace He had upon the Blessed Virigin Mary (peace be upon her) and her son (peace be upon him). The verses are so clearly celebrating the faith and piety of both Lady Mary and Jesus peace be upon them. Just go and read them and you will see that.
However, even if this were not the case, you are right – just empathising and sharing in what makes my neighbors, colleagues, and friends joyful is itself a motivation enough to be joyous and happy at the time of Christmas. Just as i would be happy for my friend if she had a baby, or got a promotion, or if it were her wedding anniversary, so too should I be happy when my Christian neighbors are happy and in their best of spirits. If i lived in a country surrounded by neighbors of another faith, there too i would be happy when they are happy, full of good cheer, and full of good will to man.
As for your personal opinion of what I have said: The Prophet peace be upon him said: Actions are but by intention…it is all about my intention. So please don’t turn this into an ideological debate.
You said: We as Muslims do not need occasions or celebrations to remind us of how great God is. That is the whole point: a celebration is NOT an occasion – it is not a fixed date on the calendar, it is a state of mind, a state of being. I am celebrating every time i read the verses in which God Almighty tells us the awe-inspiring story of the Virgin Birth. That is my “Christmas” and it can be any moment I read those verses, whether in June or November. The point is, that i do celebrate this amazing event: the birth of Christ, because he is a Prophet of God. The real concern is: do we always exalt God and His Greatness, or not? Do we really “read” the Quran and feel the joy at (celebrate) God’s Mercy and experience Alertness of His calling us to account? If so, right there is your celebration.
I feel we should stop here. I respect what you have shared; and thank you. I hope you can do the same. Before we totally take over this page, i think it’s a good place to fall silent here and just let things move on.
For anyone who is easily offended, please don’t read this. I’m gonna lay the smack down here. More embarassing that the lack of manners we Muslims have in speaking with one another and the preachy, righteous tone we use to remind one another to be “crystal clear” on our beliefs etc, more embarassing than many of us quoting passages and statements in ways that are not even inclusive of the owner of this blog, and trying to lay on him lots of aspects of Islam all at one go, is the presumptuousness of our praying for Pastor Magruder to be guided. Go read his blog on Ramadan and ask yourself if he is not guided. If that is not a man who is being guided, blessed, and bathed in God’s mercy, then i don’t know who is. He is ALREADY guided.
Rather than assuming that you need to pray for him to be guided, as if you yourself are in such a guided place, why don’t you ask for your own self to be guided. Just having the name “Muslim” does not mean you are guided, brother, sister. it means God has blessed you, and brought you to the Straight Path, but you and i both know that there is much more to the story than this. That is why in every prayer we ask God to guide us (in the prayer of al-Fatiha). If it were a done deal, sealed with our being Muslim, then we would not have to keep asking in every prayer we pray. This shows that we need to keep imploring God to guide us. If it is in that spirit that you are asking for Pastor Magruder to be guided, the way you ask in every prayer for yourself to be guided, then that is all good. But if it is from the holier-than-thou position of: i am a Muslim, and i am guided, and i hope you will be too, then check yourself man. Check yourself. Have you ever considered how arrogant you sound to the person for whom you are praying? If i were that person, i would be really turned off. I would not feel loved, welcomed, or even inspired. I would feel like you are looking down on me, assuming i am in a place of darkness and not yet guided, and i would not like that.
Here’s another thought: How many Muslims are really guided and how many are just playing on the surface, doing the outward actions but never tasting IMAN (faith)? How many of us have had even a tenth of the experience of real WORSHIP that Pastor Magruder is having out of Ramadan? Many of you have admitted that you have not. That you have never prayed as he has prayed the Salah….that you have never thought of taking off your shoes when you enter the mosque, in the way that he thinks of it. So then, put two and two together. Where do you think Pastor Magruder is getting all of these insights from? you mean you think he’s just getting them from his own mind, and still awaiting God’s guidance that has not yet come to him? There is a problem with your own perception of God if you don’t realize that all the amazing wisdom, insights, and openings that Pastor Magruder is sharing with us are inspired by God – that is, are the fruit of God guiding Him, are the Hand of God gently guidiing him. That God’s Guidance is far wider, and far faster to reach His creation, than you are able to pray for it. Where a person ends up is up to God…what he will call himself in the end is up to God, but remember – it’s not all about the name. A rose by any other name is just as sweet….
Back to you: before you smugly pray for Pastor Magruder to be guided, ask yourself: what is the state of YOUR faith? have you ever felt something like what he describes feeling when he did the Salah (prayer), o you who prays five times a day? if not, worry about your own guidance. Beg for it, cry for it. don’t assume you’re okay.
Many of us are referred to in Verse 14 of Chapter 49 of Quran.We think we have faith, but we are just at the very very start of the journey. We are so green, but we think that because we have the name “Muslim” we own the rights to guidance. God’s Guidance is so vast and wide, don’t limit it. Open your eyes and you will see that long before you even opened your mouth to ask for Pastor Magruder’s guidance, he was being guided. We’re coming onto the scene late, after the fact…Our job now is to witness the beauty of God’s Guidance – that is totally independent of our asking for it or not. God loved Pastor Magruder before you even thought to love guidance for him. So when you do ask for guidance for Pastor Magruder, ask that he continue to be guided, and ask the same for yourself, and realize that God’s will has beat you to it.
The reality is, and most of you would probably agree, that God is in fact using Pastor Magruder to guide *us* to open our eyes to what Ramadan really can be, if only we had more faith and appreciation and half the humility that Pastor Magruder has. May God forgive, have mercy upon and guide us all.
Thank you Pastor for this amazing testimony – this blog.
You and your beautiful actions, the expansiveness of your spirit and perspective make me think of this verse: “you will find the nearest of human beings in affection to the believers are those who say, ‘We are Christians.’ That is because among them are priests [pastors] and monks and because they are not arrogant.” (Quran: Chapter 5: Verse 82)
Your attitude towards your brothers and sisters in Islam and the mutual love you write about is a blessing to all of us. We too love you, in God.
You are truely awe inspiring. I want to thank you because you enlightened me as a Muslim and made me more conscious of everything I do now, whether it be reading salaah or making wudhu. It had become very mechanical for me, going through the motions and reading the prayers without really thinking about what I was saying or doing. You reminded me of the purpose behind each action and word. I think we need more people like you in the world. I hope that your Ramadaan is going well, that you achieve success in the goals you set out to achieve and I hope you have an amazing Eid day 🙂 May God bless you in abundance.
All I can say, wow, what a blog! For each one of us, jews, christians or muslims, is an awakening of our core souls to the purpose of why we were created. Personally, for me, is the realization of how weak I am and that Allah have mercy upon all of us.
You have done a great service for humanity on this earth. Many, many blessings of God on you and may He keep you in His Protection always, Rev. Magrudar.
I am not a member of your church but have heard about the “controversy” that has afflicted your church. I think what you are doing is WONDERFUL! This daily blog is beautifully written and as a Christian, I am extremely humbled and proud.
This is a situation of politics within YOUR church. In my opinion, the associate pastor is doing what I think MORE religious leaders SHOULD do and should encourage the congregation to at least step outside of their tiny bubble and learn about other religions and their practices. Learning about what you don’t understand is knowledge, and knowledge is power. A big issue with our country, and even the world, is that religious sects do not know anything about other religions and therefore are fearful of them. The reality is, you don’t have to practice another religion in order to learn about it and learn to understand a different point of view. This teaches us to respect ALL people AND their religious beliefs. This complaint against you is solely based on FEAR and very close minded. Whoever complained about this; what are they afraid of?! That you are going to switch to another religion? Or try to pass the religion off on them as a means of conversion? Highly unlikely.
Just for the record, I am also a Christian and have attended the Methodist Church. I was raised Episcopalian, and now attend a non-denominational church. I say this simply because I think we all can learn from your experience no matter what our religious beliefs are. Bottom line for me is, regardless of what religion one is, isn’t it more important to believe in something rather than nothing at all?
Thank you for sharing this awesome experience with us. I am sure it is an experience that you will never forget. I am blessed to have you as one of my pastors.
I was Googling something else, found your blog,
read about your spiritual journey through Ramadan and
your effort to be closer to God. Amazing read. The world needs more people like you.
May God bless you.
May God bless your family.
May God bless members of your congregation.
May God give you the best of what is on this Earth and
the best of what is in Heaven.
Amen.
I followed your Ramadan experience with great interest. You came to mind when I asked my sister the question, “Would you have followed Jesus?” I’m sure you believe you would have followed him. But it’s quite possible you would have betrayed him. Check out the post entitled, “Would you have followed Jesus?” at http://www.najaaba.com.
“Originally born” — I like that!
Thank you Wes. So encouraging to hear you speak out and I’m sure you must have received some backlash from that as I have (and I’m just a 60 year old Mom but you are a Pastor!!).
Thank you again and look forward to meeting you one day!
Susan Gist