By the grace of God, Chris and I find ourselves in Hellesdon, Norwich. We join many (? millions) who have called Norwich home for over 2000 years, although there are signs of human habitation going back 4000 years in Hellesdon, which is roughly when God called Abram. As a consequence of God calling Abram, Chris and I were similarly called to "leave home" and journey to a distant "new home."
In this series of posts I am exploring a new avenue of the JohnWesleyProject, namely examining John Wesley's trials and travails with the churches that God raised up through the Evangelical Revival at a time when England was well described by Thomas Carlyle as "stomach well alive, soul extinct."
Norwich seems a great place to start with, not least because I live here, but also because it was a society which at times brought Wesley great joy, but at other times almost drove him to despair (For
many years I have had more trouble with this society than with half the
societies in England put together. With God’s help I will try you one year
longer. And I hope you will bring forth better fruit). They seem to have been quite unique … I returned to Norwich, and inquired into the
state of the society. I have seen no people in all England or Ireland so
changeable as this.
Well, I hope you enjoy exploring Wesley's journal in this way with me. Once we've covered Norwich, we'll move on to other cities in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
21st Century Norwich: "My" Norwich
18th Century Norwich: "Wesley's" Norwich (sourced here)
Medieval Norwich (sourced here)
Roman Norwich at the time of Christ
and Queen Boudica (Boadicea) of the Iceni (sourced here)
