--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I could scarcely reconcile myself at…" description: "\"I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which Whitfield set me an example on Sunday; having been ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/john-wesley-1398_church_i-could-scarcely-reconcile-myself-at-fir_3044932.jpg" --- # I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange… ![“I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which Whitfield set me an example on Sunday; having been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a…” quote by John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/john-wesley-1398_church_i-could-scarcely-reconcile-myself-at-fir_3044932.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/john-wesley-1398_church_i-could-scarcely-reconcile-myself-at-fir_3044932.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bac/john-wesley-1398_church_i-could-scarcely-reconcile-myself-at-fir_3044932.jpg) > “I could scarcely reconcile myself at first to this strange way of preaching in the fields, of which Whitfield set me an example on Sunday; having been all my life (till very lately) so tenacious of every point relating to decency and order, that I should have thought the saving of souls almost a sin, if it had not been done in a church.” [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Initially resisted preaching outside church, fearing it compromised decency, but learned that salvation can occur in any setting. **In simple terms:** Preaching can happen anywhere. Key Takeaway Embrace diverse venues for sharing faith. Themes faith mission tradition adaptation social norms Mood reflective inspirational Type religious historical When to use this quote - rural gatherings - public squares - online streaming - community events Key Concepts evangelism contextual theology spiritual outreach Questions to Reflect On - What challenges arise when moving worship outdoors? - How to maintain reverence in informal settings? A Different Perspective Traditionalists may reject non‑church venues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/church/) [Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decency/) [Done](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/done/) [Example](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/example/) [Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fields/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching/) [Preaching Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preaching-fields-5036694/) [Reconcile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reconcile/) [Relating Decency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/relating-decency-5036696/) [Saving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saving/) [Scarcely Reconcile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scarcely-reconcile-5036695/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Should have](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should-have/) [Sin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sin/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Sunday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sunday/) [Tenacious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tenacious/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) [Way Preaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way-preaching-565117/) ## Related quotes > [“Man-made ministers are of no use in this world. The sooner we get rid of them the better. They carefully prepare their sermons, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-haddon-spurgeon/man-made-ministers-are-of-no-use-in-this-world-the-sooner-we-get-rid/) [Charles Haddon Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-haddon-spurgeon/) > [Today's Democrats are little more than a collection of narrow interest groups-unions, tort lawyers, minorities headed by an ossified leadership. They are clever, tenacious…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-l-bartley/today-s-democrats-are-little-more-than-a-collection-of-narrow/) [Robert L. Bartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-l-bartley/) > [Seriously, though, I realise I set the bar really high with Tenacious D - one of the great, great bands of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-gass/seriously-though-i-realise-i-set-the-bar-really-high-with-tenacious-d/) [Kyle Gass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-gass/) > [“And for the record, you had me with your tenacious snark. You are indeed, my girl.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joslyn-westbrook/and-for-the-record-you-had-me-with-your-tenacious-snark-you-are/) [Joslyn Westbrook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joslyn-westbrook/) > [Hope is tenacious. It goes on living and working when science has dealt it what should be its deathblow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-laurence-dunbar/hope-is-tenacious-it-goes-on-living-and-working-when-science-has/) [Paul Laurence Dunbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-laurence-dunbar/) > [They that have grown old in a single state are generally found to be morose, fretful and captious; tenacious of their own practices and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/they-that-have-grown-old-in-a-single-state-are-generally-found-to-be/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [He was so tenacious he defied the distraction of women by refusing to have them in his presence, just as later in life he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kit-williams/he-was-so-tenacious-he-defied-the-distraction-of-women-by-refusing-to/) [Kit Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kit-williams/) > [They're very tenacious. They're dedicated. Once a woman decides she's going to do something, she'll probably stick to it. The only problem with women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-lydiard/they-re-very-tenacious-they-re-dedicated-once-a-woman-decides-she-s/) [Arthur Lydiard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-lydiard/) > [Melancholy betrays the world for the sake of knowledge. But in its tenacious self-absorption it embraces dead objects in its contemplation, in order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-benjamin/melancholy-betrays-the-world-for-the-sake-of-knowledge-but-in-its/) [Walter Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-benjamin/) > [You have to be really tenacious. You have to keep at it. There are many roads to get there. If you can get yourself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-c-k/you-have-to-be-really-tenacious-you-have-to-keep-at-it-there-are-many/) [Louis C. K](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-c-k/) > [The magic in that country was so thick and tenacious that it settled over the land like chalk-dust and over floors and shelves like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/the-magic-in-that-country-was-so-thick-and-tenacious-that-it-settled/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [Like some kind of particularly tenacious vampire the short story refuses to die, and seems at this point in time to be a wonderful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/like-some-kind-of-particularly-tenacious-vampire-the-short-story/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [BlackBerrys are a wonderful tool. I'm very tenacious about keeping up with my kids, as they are with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cindy-mccain/blackberrys-are-a-wonderful-tool-i-m-very-tenacious-about-keeping-up/) [Cindy McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cindy-mccain/) > [My favorite type of music to sing to would be rock and roll, Tenacious D, Led Zeppelin, some Queen - I love all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casey-abrams/my-favorite-type-of-music-to-sing-to-would-be-rock-and-roll-tenacious/) [Casey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casey-abrams/) > [I just remember the early days of Tenacious D. There was no talk or thought about doing a TV show or a movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-black/i-just-remember-the-early-days-of-tenacious-d-there-was-no-talk-or/) [Jack Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-black/) ## More by John Wesley > [I build on Christ, the rock of ages; on his sure mercies described in his word, and on his promises, all which I know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/i-build-on-christ-the-rock-of-ages-on-his-sure-mercies-described-in/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/i-set-myself-on-fire-and-people-come-to-watch-me-burn/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Having, First, gained all you can, and, Secondly saved all you can, Then give all you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/having-first-gained-all-you-can-and-secondly-saved-all-you-can-then/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [People who wish to be offended will always find some occasion for taking offense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/people-who-wish-to-be-offended-will-always-find-some-occasion-for/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“Those without enough love experience rage, but love drives rage away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/those-without-enough-love-experience-rage-but-love-drives-rage-away/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [I reflected much on that vain desire, which had pursued me for so many years, of being in solitude in order to be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/i-reflected-much-on-that-vain-desire-which-had-pursued-me-for-so-many/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“By salvation I mean not barely according to the vulgar notion deliverance from hell or going to heaven but a present deliverance from sin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/by-salvation-i-mean-not-barely-according-to-the-vulgar-notion/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [They say I killed six or seven men for snoring. Well, it ain't true. I only killed one man for snoring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/they-say-i-killed-six-or-seven-men-for-snoring-well-it-ain-t-true-i/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [“I had a sort of faith during my early life. But devils also have a sort of faith. Still, neither they nor I received…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/i-had-a-sort-of-faith-during-my-early-life-but-devils-also-have-a/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/preach-faith-till-you-have-it-and-then-because-you-have-it-you-will/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, to all the souls you can, in every place you can, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/do-all-the-good-you-can-in-all-the-ways-you-can-to-all-the-souls-you/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [If I had 300 men who feared nothing but God, hated nothing but sin, and were determined to know nothing among men but Jesus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/if-i-had-300-men-who-feared-nothing-but-god-hated-nothing-but-sin-and/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [The case is this: God offers you one of the greatest mercies on this side of heaven and commands you to accept it. Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/the-case-is-this-god-offers-you-one-of-the-greatest-mercies-on-this/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [Though I am always in haste, I am never in a hurry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/though-i-am-always-in-haste-i-am-never-in-a-hurry/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) > [In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wesley/in-all-cases-the-church-is-to-be-judged-by-the-scripture-not-the/) [John Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) [Explore all 246 John Wesley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wesley/) ## More Church quotes > [While the 1963 Birmingham church bombing is the most historic, there also was a series of church burnings in the 1990s. Recognition of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthea-butler/while-the-1963-birmingham-church-bombing-is-the-most-historic-there/) [Anthea Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthea-butler/) > [If I had my brothers I think with just a little bit of the correct marketing, I'd like to be almost exclusively in small…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-bozzio/if-i-had-my-brothers-i-think-with-just-a-little-bit-of-the-correct/) [Terry Bozzio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-bozzio/) > [Turn over the pages of history and read the damning record of the church's opposition to every advance in every field of science. . . .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/upton-sinclair/turn-over-the-pages-of-history-and-read-the-damning-record-of-the/) [Upton Sinclair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/upton-sinclair/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Jeff Chu's pilgrimage across America to discover his own place as a gay man in the Christian church as well as attitudes about being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donna-freitas/jeff-chu-s-pilgrimage-across-america-to-discover-his-own-place-as-a/) [Donna Freitas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donna-freitas/) > [God is not calling us to go to church; he is calling us to be his church, the hope of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-groeschel/god-is-not-calling-us-to-go-to-church-he-is-calling-us-to-be-his/) [Craig Groeschel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-groeschel/) > [The emerging church movement has come to believe that the ultimate context of the spiritual aspirations of a follower of Jesus Christ is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samir-selmanovic/the-emerging-church-movement-has-come-to-believe-that-the-ultimate/) [Samir Selmanovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samir-selmanovic/) > [ T\]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-building-it-s-not-a-preaching/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [There could be no more powerful argument against mixing religion and government than the success of independent African American churches in placing racial segregation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-jacoby/there-could-be-no-more-powerful-argument-against-mixing-religion-and/) [Susan Jacoby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-jacoby/) > [Worship is not about personality, temperament, personal limitations, church background, or comfort. It is about God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-wimber/worship-is-not-about-personality-temperament-personal-limitations/) [John Wimber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-wimber/) > [A beggarly people, A church and no steeple.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-macaulay/a-beggarly-people-a-church-and-no-steeple/) [Thomas B. Macaulay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-macaulay/) > [Pound St. Paul's Church into atoms, and consider any single atom; it is to be sure, good for nothing; but put all these atoms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/pound-st-paul-s-church-into-atoms-and-consider-any-single-atom-it-is/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [The religion of art, like the religion of politics, was born from the ruins of Christianity. 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