This is the work of shepherds.
Disciples and Disciple-making (2)
Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13.17
Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord. Philemon 1.20
Discipleship and disciple-making are, in the first instance, ministries of the soul. If we try to bypass the soul in these disciplines, we’ll end up with a patch-on result rather than what the Lord desires.
Aelred understood this well: “…my friend must be the guardian of our mutual love, or even of my very soul, so that he will preserve in faithful silence all its secrets, and whatever he sees in it that is flawed he will correct or endure with all his strength. When I rejoice, he will rejoice; when I grieve, he will grieve with me; he will consider as his own everything that his friend experiences.”
A soul devoted to God—heart, mind, and conscience—and committed to loving others is what we seek in discipleship. Such a soul will, over time, shape the body for transforming obedience, worship, and service.
The shepherds of God’s churches are called to watch over the souls of His people, to be their true friends in the Lord. Here is where the path of disciple-making begins. Yet most people in churches today feel distant from their leaders. They don’t think anybody really knows or cares about them among the leadership of the church, so they seek their friendship within small groups or Bible studies or other church activities, where, for many, success in discipleship is paltry.
If the shepherds of our churches, working together as a team, do not watch over the souls of God’s people, in ways such as Aelred describes, in what sense can we be said to be fulfilling our calling from the Lord (1 Pet. 5.1-3)? Solomon counseled us to look well to know the condition of our flocks (Prov. 27.23), and that begins with knowing the state of their souls and helping apply the disciplines of growing in the Lord.
Friends linked together at the soul will be more likely to help one another grow in grace and persevere in our callings from the Lord.
Resources for Shepherds: Growth in the Lord and our calling
Some new items at the Resources for Shepherds page to pique your interest and encourage you in your walk with and growth in the Lord. Contemplate the peaceful life or rural Vermont in a painting by a local artist. Consider an important insight about how we communicate God’s truth. Rediscover a Christmas tradition worth keeping. And be encouraged about some recent work in behavioral science that sounds a lot like Biblical thinking—and thus, might open some doors for the Gospel.
Men, come and join one of our Winter/Spring reading and discussion groups. We have some challenging subjects to explore, and you can preview them all by clicking here. This is a great opportunity for discussion, learning together, and meeting some new friends. There is no fee for participating. For additional information, or to enroll in any of our groups, send me an email at tmmoore@ailbe.org.
And men, we would love for you to join us once a week to seek the Lord for revival. We meet every Tuesday morning, 10:00-10:30 Eastern to pray together through a psalm for the Lord to revive and renew His Church and begin a great awakening among the lost people of our world. If you’d like to join us, just send me an email at tmmoore@ailbe.org.
From the Celtic Revival
Last Tuesday, in our twice-weekly teaching letter Crosfigell, we looked at the idea of legacy, guided by Colum Chille and Dorcas. We’re all going to leave a legacy. Of what will that legacy consist?
For he has died to us, the leader of nations who guarded the living,
he has died to us, who was our chief of the needy,
he has died to us, who was our messenger of the Lord…
– Dallán Forgaill, “Amra Choluimb Chille,” Irish, 6th century[1]
Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.
– Acts 9.39
To read this issue of Crosfigell, “Sewing-up Your Legacy,” and learn more, click here.
Each issue of Crosfigell features an excerpt from the literature from the saints of the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD). You can subscribe to Crosfigell and all our other teaching letters by clicking here.
How do the Scriptures teach us to picture ourselves as disciples?
This week we begin the first of several brief conversations concerning how the Bible teaches us to think about who we are as disciples. It’s a different a different picture from what most of us entertain. Click the audio bar included with this issue of Pastor to Pastor to listen in.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Our book, Fan into Flame, provides the Lord’s shepherd an opportunity to review, reset, and renew their work. Learn more about this book, and order your copy here in book form or here as a free PDF.
Support for Pastor to Pastor comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
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, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[1] Clancy and Márkus, p. 105.
