Pastoral Vision (14)

“He who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” But this He spoke concerning the Spirit… John 7.38, 39

Jonathan Edwards might have been describing our own day: “The Scripture gives us great reason to think, that when once there comes to appear much of a spirit of prayer in the church of God for this mercy, then it will soon be accomplished…Spiritual waters and rivers are explained by the apostle John, to be the Holy Spirit…It is now a time of scarcity of these spiritual waters; there are, as it were, none. If God’s people, in this time of great drought, were but made sensitive of this calamity, and their own emptiness and necessity, and brought earnestly to thirst and cry for needed supplies, God would, doubtless, soon fulfill this blessed promise” (An Humble Attempt).

We recognize, as Edwards in his day, the paucity of living waters emanating from the Church to the world. Churches are drying up like wadis in a dry spell. Pastors are leaving their callings at an astonishing rate. Church attendance is in decline nearly everywhere. And as for our Kingdom influence on our culture and society, well, it seems “as it were, none.”

We need a fresh vision for revival, renewal, and awakening. And that vision must come from the shepherds of God’s flock, who know what the lush pastures and still waters look like and are willing and determined to lead the sheep safely there.

First we must recognize our need. Only then will we seek from the Lord that which we lack. But too many believers consider that their Christian life is “good enough”. They like their church, they have many Christian friends, and their life is pleasant enough. Why would they want to seek more of the Spirit of God? Where no vision for revival exists, no effort will be exerted to realize it.

But if we can rouse the people of God to consider the greater boon and glory that attend His constant filling and transforming work in our lives, their complacency may give way to a new vision, and more earnest and fervent prayer for the Spirit may ensue.

Do you have a vision for revival? Are you communicating it and leading the Lord’s sheep by it? Be faithful to seek a fuller measure of God’s Kingdom; make sure you see it clearly and proclaim it exuberantly.

And then the living waters will begin to flow again.

Resources for Shepherds
What does revival look like? How can we begin to prepare for it? We offer several books to help you begin seeking the Lord for revival and preparing your church for that great work of God. Revived! explains why we need revival and how to prepare for it in prayer. Restore Us! offers guidelines and resources for seeking the Lord for revival. And Preparing Your Church for Revival explains why and how we need to be preparing our churches today for what we will do when revival comes.

Men, we invite you to join men from around the country to seek the Lord for revival every Tuesday morning at 10:00 Eastern via Zoom. Using a psalm to guide us and joining our voices together after each prayer, we have been seeking revival for nearly 20 years now. We invite you to join us for 30 minutes of heartfelt, encouraging, and visionary prayer. Write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I’ll make sure you receive the link.

Men, join us for our May Kingdom Conversation on the topic, “Understanding the Times.” The mighty men of Issachar were an integral part of David’s team because they understood the times and knew what Israel must do (1 Chron. 12.32). If we are to fulfill our calling to the Kingdom and glory of God, we must understand our own times so that we can create initiatives and responses that will advance the Kingdom of God in our world. Our discussion will be built on our book, Understanding the Times, but reading it is not required. Discussion questions will be sent out in advance. You can order a copy of Understanding the Times either in book formor in a free PDF. We will meet Thursday, May 23, at 8:30 pm Eastern.

From the Celtic Revival
The leading characteristics of Celtic art of the Christian period are as follows:--
(1) The prominence given to the margin or frame within which the whole design is enclosed.
(2) The arrangement of the design within the margin in panels, each containing a complete piece of ornament.
(3) The use of setting-out lines for the ornament, placed diagonally with regard to the margin.
(4) The use of interlace-work, step-patterns, key-patterns, spirals, and zoömorphs in combination.
(5) The geometrical perfection of all the ornament.
(6) The superiority of the decorative designs to the figure-drawing.

 - J. Romilly Allen, Celtic Art In Pagan and Christian Times[1]

Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

 - Genesis 1.31

It is delightful to see how Celtic Christian art reflects appreciation for the revelation of God, both in Scripture and creation. The article introduced by this quote from J. Romilly Allen explains the wonderful parallels between the work of those ancient artists who carved the high crosses of Ireland and the Master Creator of all, our Lord God. You can read the entire article, which is part 8 in our series on “Irish High Crosses”, by clicking here.

Perhaps our tour of Irish high crosses will help us regain some sense of the role of the arts in enhancing our walk with and work for the Lord. You can follow this study, every Tuesday and Thursday, by subscribing to Crosfigell. Update your subscriptions or start a new one by clicking here.

We have prepared several free resources to give you a look into the period of the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD) and to challenge your faith and ministry with the example of our Christian forebears. Click the links below to check out the following:

The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction
Living to Rule: An Introduction to Celtic Christian Spirituality
Lives of Irish Saints: A Tribute
Columbanus: A Devotional History
Colum Cille: A Devotional History

T. M. Moore

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And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 103 Reynolds Lane, West Grove, PA 19390.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] Allen, p. 254.