Disciples and Disciple-making (9)
Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4.9, 10
“For in human affairs there is no goal that is holier than friendship, nothing more useful, nothing more difficult to find, nothing that is sweeter to experience, nothing more enjoyable to maintain.” Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1167), Spiritual Friendship
It can be difficult for shepherds to know true spiritual friendship with members of their congregation. Certainly, there will be a leader here, an elder there, or a mature older person who will befriend the Lord’s shepherd at a personal level.
But the Lord’s shepherds need more than friendship at a personal level. We need someone who will stick with us as a soul friend. Aelred reminds us, if we do manage to find one, to make sure our mutual aim is holiness. Friendship based on holiness and striving for holiness is the essence of soul friendships. When this is our aim, our friendship will be truly useful, sweet and enjoyable, as well as fruitful for the Lord.
But, as Aelred also notes, such friendships can be hard to find. Pray that God will give you such friends. Shepherds might even look beyond their own churches to other shepherds in the community. If we can make soul friendships with other shepherds, and enjoy one another as Aelred suggests, this might be a solid first step for our congregations learning to pursue sweet oneness in the Lord.
Disciples are ambassadors of the Kingdom
What is the purpose of discipleship? What are we trying to accomplish? Mike McQueen weighs in on these questions in this week’s discipleship conversation.
Resources for Shepherds
For some reason, I have calling on the brain. I think it arose, first, from a painting I received from the Daily Art App (which, by the way, I highly recommend). Horace Pippin’s “Night Call” richly illustrates the commanding place that calling has in our lives.
Calling is really the best way to think about our lives as Christians. We come to faith in Jesus when God calls us to His Kingdom and glory. From there, we’re called to seek the Kingdom of God as the defining priority of our lives. So calling, rather than, say, contentment or even mission, more accurately describes what God intends for us. I begin to argue this in part 1 of a 2-part meditation, “Calling and Callings.”
Finally, over at “The Front Porch Republic”, Matt Miller in his article about regional writing, helped me to realize that I’m called to be a regional writer, and so is Susie; and we didn’t even realize it. A brief review of and link to Miller’s excellent article, together with my reflections on Susie’s and my “region”, are available here.
Our current Read Moore series is taking excerpts from the book, The Church Captive. The first in our daily (5 days) readings begins here.
Finally, our latest book, Enjoying God, is now available as a free PDF download for your e-reader by clicking here.
From the Celtic Revival
I’m always a bit baffled as to why pastors and church leaders think the best way to “grow” churches—that is, numerically—is to infest our churches with the virus of contemporary culture. Aren’t we supposed to be calling these people to “put off” their old ways and “put on” the new ways of Jesus? How did Celtic missionaries and scholars manage to lead so many to Jesus? We might find an answer in a brief line from a poem by 6th century poet Dallán Forgaill:
Living his name, living his soul, from the crowds he prepared under the holy Law.
– Dallán Forgaill, Amra Choluimb Chille, Irish, 6th century[1]
Colum drew “crowds” by teaching God’s Law. These young pagans gladly became his disciples and imitated his life, and soul. Instead of coffee bars and klieg lights, he offered them a stone hut and long days of work, prayer, and meditation on God’s Law. As you can read in tomorrow’s Crosfigell letter, this is the way to greatness in the Kingdom of God.
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We have much to learn from those ancient monks and how they lived and worked. Our book, Living to Rule, takes a closer look at monastic rules from this period to discern the disciplines that helped them to “save civilization” (Cahill). You can download a free copy of Living to Rule by clicking here.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this issue of Pastor to Pastor 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).
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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. 111.
