The Wesley Foundation at Howard University

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The Wesley Foundation at Howard University

The Wesley Foundation at Howard University is a ministry of The United Methodist Church. All are welcomed.

The Wesley Foundation is the United Methodist campus ministry at Howard University. We are students who explore, serve, and share in God’s love. ��

Join us as we live out our faith! Here at Howard we are called to live out our faith through practicing means of grace: which are reading The Bible, Praying, Corporately Worshipping, Fasting, Giving, Baptism and partaking in Holy Communion. Although, God’s grace is not limited to these practices it is certainly a strong beginning.

04/20/2025

After a long semester of stress and struggle, I went to a jazz concert. The music didn’t just entertain me—it ministered to me. What I love about jazz is the tension. Dissonant notes—right and wrong—played together in ways that shouldn’t work, yet somehow do. Jazz tells the truth about life: not everything resolves neatly.

That’s how life often feels—like unresolved music. Tension and uncertainty. Grief and stress. Silence from heaven. And that’s exactly where we find the prophet Jeremiah in Lamentations. His world is burning. His people are in exile. And yet, amid the ruin, he remembers.

Jeremiah teaches us that we don’t need to deny the tension. We don’t need to fake strength. Instead, we can bring our broken, unresolved lives to a faithful, merciful God.

God may not resolve every chord. But God shows up in the tension—just like Holy Saturday, that silent space between crucifixion and resurrection, where hope lingered in the dark. And when we remember who God is, even in the tension, we can say with hope: God is faithful. And that is enough.

04/19/2025

“Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” – such a profound, yet poignant question that opens one of my favorite spirituals. We weren’t there historically. However, this spiritual – this question – invites us to remember and reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary’s cross.

This is not the Jesus that we see in most depictions. Jesus is bruised and bloody. He has nails in his hands and nails in his feet. He decided to die for you and me at the hands of a corrupt system. The light of the world appears to have been extinguished. Were you there? No, but I hope you’ll go there. I hope you’ll sit there. It isn’t an easy place to sit. It isn’t a comfortable place to sit. But, friends, this is our reality today. Be comforted, my brothers and sisters, knowing that you don’t sit alone.

04/18/2025

Come and celebrate what God is doing in our midst!

04/17/2025

On the night before our Lord was betrayed and after “He took bread and broke it and gave it”, He instituted a new aspect of worship. He, being Lord and Master of all flesh, grabbed a towel, a basin of water, and lowered himself to wash the feet of his disciples.

The King eternal and immortal, got down on a bended knee and began to wash the dirt beaten feet of His disciples. As he got to Peter, His rock, Peter protested in good faith. Why would the Lord of Hosts, whose native land is glory so grand, wash the feet of me, a sinner? Peter is not alone. He and I have protested the same way. Why would the Lord of Angels Armies come to my darkness? Why would He come to me? Why would He serve me?

In the times when I asked that question within myself, I heard the Master tell me that I came to you because even in your best effort, you could not come to me. Lest I minister to you, you will have no part with me.
So, I sit, and like Peter, I experience the Son of God minister to me. He washes not only my feet, but all over and I am made whole.

On this day and in those to come, I invite you to allow God to minister to you and restore you because He “specializes in things that seem impossible. And He will do what no other power can do.”

04/16/2025

As we journey through Holy Week, today’s passage reminds us that we do not walk this path alone. We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses—those who have gone before us in faith. This cloud includes the heroes of Scripture—Abraham, Moses, Rahab—but it also includes people we knew and loved. Parents, grandparents, mentors, friends—those who shaped our faith by their example, their love, their perseverance.

Take a moment to call one of them to mind. Think of their life, the quiet (or bold) way they lived out their faith. Reflect on their legacy. What lessons did they leave you? Maybe it was how they prayed, how they forgave, how they endured suffering with grace. Maybe it was how they loved others unconditionally. What is the most important lesson I learned from their life and example? How does it help me continue to run with perseverance?

As you continue to run your race, imagine them in the stands of eternity, cheering you on. Let their lives remind you that your faith is part of something much bigger than yourself—an unfolding story of grace. Their witness urges us onward, encouraging us to press forward with hope, even through the darkness of the cross, toward the joy of the resurrection.

04/15/2025

As Jesus approaches the cross, He speaks with a troubled soul, yet unwavering purpose: “It was for this very reason I came to this hour” (v. 27). He knows suffering lies ahead, yet He remains committed to glorifying the Father. In this moment of tension between fear and faith, Jesus reminds His listeners of the light: “Walk while you have the light… Believe in the light, so that you may become children of light” (vv. 35–36).

As Jesus foretells His death, He uses the imagery of light and darkness. This is not a new motif in John’s Gospel (see John 1:1–14). Today, as you read the Scripture, I invite you to think about a candle. When it is lit, the light from the candle illumines the space it occupies. No matter how dark it gets, remember that darkness cannot extinguish the light of Christ.

Lent calls us to reflect, to walk through shadows with eyes fixed on the light of Jesus. In moments of doubt, fear, or sorrow, remember: the light still shines.

04/14/2025

As Holy Week begins, we find Jesus in the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Just days before His crucifixion, He is welcomed not by crowds, but by close friends. In a quiet act of devotion, Mary anoints His feet with costly perfume—an act of radical hospitality and deep love. Her gesture is personal, sacrificial, and filled with meaning. She blesses Jesus, preparing Him, unknowingly, for what lies ahead.

Though we may not be welcoming guests into our homes this week, we are still called to the same spirit of love and blessing. Like Mary, we can offer what we have—our attention, our presence, our prayers—and extend it to Christ and to those around us.

04/12/2025

When we find the disciples in John 14, they have just been stumped with some shocking, unsettling news. Because of this, they’re anxious. They’re confused. They’re fearful. Jesus knew how they were feeling. Jesus also knew what lay ahead for them. Yet, in the midst of the uncertainty, he says to them, “Let not your heart be troubled.”

I once heard someone argue that Jesus’ words were akin to “Chill out.” But I disagree. I think this notion discounts the emotions of the disciples, and Jesus isn’t doing that. These words suggest permission to feel, to do an internal investigation to name and claim how we’re feeling. To feel emotions doesn’t make us any less Christian; it simply makes us human.

Having faith doesn’t mean that we become numb to what we’re feeling. Emotions aren’t bad. They’re normal. They’re natural. We should feel them, but there’s a caveat. If we are not careful, our emotions can begin to attack what we know to be true. While there is power in naming and claiming our emotions, we should not allow them to discount what we know to be true, particularly about the character of God.

It’s okay to feel our emotions, but they cannot consume us. We cannot allow our emotions to overtake us, guiding our thoughts and actions. Fear is natural. A troubled heart is not. This is why, after telling his friends not to let their hearts be troubled, Jesus says to them, “Believe in God, believe also in me.” I like how it’s rendered another translation puts it, “Trust God still, trust also in me.” Trust. God. Still. May it be so.

04/11/2025

Lent is a sacred season of discipline, reflection, and spiritual renewal. It invites us to slow down and realign our hearts with God’s purpose. True transformation rarely happens overnight—it is born out of consistency and intentional practice. Whether through prayer, fasting, or acts of kindness, showing up daily—even in small ways—deepens our relationship with God and strengthens our faith.

Jesus is our perfect example of this rhythm. Throughout His earthly ministry, no matter how busy or burdened He was, He made time to withdraw and commune with the Father. His consistency in prayer and obedience reveals the power of daily faithfulness, not just in times of ease, but especially in moments of trial.

As we walk through this Lenten journey, let us reflect on what it means to live with quiet persistence. What would it look like to choose faithfulness over perfection? To take one step each day, trusting that God sees, honors, and multiplies our efforts?

Today, take a moment to ask yourself: How can I commit to small, intentional steps of faith, knowing that God delights in perseverance and meets us in every moment we show up?

04/10/2025

The greatest rewards often arise from struggle. To achieve the goals, expectations, and outcomes you set for yourself, you must learn to love the journey of pursuing them. Over time, what once seemed like a high ceiling will become your new baseline. Many people give up before they even begin because the start is the hardest part. Establishing a routine is the toughest aspect of consistency, but it is also the most essential. Each day you conquer those first steps, the path becomes easier to walk, because you have conditioned yourself to handle the work and embraced it.

Unfortunately, for many, the beginning is daunting, and their fear blinds them to the benefits of the process. But the key is to fall in love with the process itself, rather than obsessing over the results. You must come to the realization that results will never fully satisfy you. There will always be something more to strive for, and that’s perfectly okay.

This idea resonates deeply, especially during the season of Lent. Lent is not merely about the sacrifice of giving something up; it’s about embracing a deeper spiritual discipline. It’s a time to focus on the journey of transformation, to fall in love with the process of spiritual growth, even if the results aren’t immediately visible. Lent teaches us to be patient with ourselves, to trust in the process of change, and to keep moving forward, day by day.

Loving the process does not mean losing sight of your progress. Instead, it means focusing on what you can do today to continue improving, trusting that the growth will come in due time. This Lent, let us not fixate on what more we can have, but instead lean into the daily work of becoming better—knowing that the rewards of transformation are found in the discipline itself.

04/09/2025

In this spring season, I’m reminded of the joys and encouragement it brings. As we move into warmer weather with longer days, graduations, and new beginnings, there is a sense of renewal. After the dark and cold months, it is refreshing to see that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel. This season reminds us that there is always purpose in what we do and that glory follows after the gloom. Our light and momentary struggles eventually come to a head, and we realize that the glory borne from our suffering was worth the pain.

Times like these remind me of how truly blessed I am. It’s easy to forget that these moments, even our struggles, are often the very things we’ve prayed for. I’m reminded of Luke 12:48, which says, “To whom much is given, much is required.” God reminds me that I am responsible for the dreams I ask of Him. I recognize that I’ve been graced to endure hardships, for this is part of the journey I signed up for. I knew that college wouldn’t be easy, just as the Christian walk isn’t. There will be times when we suffer for Christ’s sake, yet we are called to bear our own crosses and follow Him. If we suffer with Him, we shall also reign with Him.

I am grateful for the blessings God has given me and mindful of the responsibility that comes with the calling. The path that leads to life is narrow, and I must remain faithful to it, knowing that it is worth the sacrifice.

Address

2400 6th Street NW
Washington D.C., DC
20059

Website

http://www.wesleyfoundationhu.org/

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