COME YE APART
Implementing monastic values to ground our faith.
Since the church began, believers have been called out to be set apart by God. However, with the saints of the Early and the Celtic church the emphasis was not merely on the calling, but also how they encountered God, and how He used them to impact the world and inspire the church to flourish.
What was it they had that proved to be so effective in changing the world and ushering in the Kingdom?
Community! Connection! Rhythm!
They weren’t called to solitude but to community – of which the Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is the primary expression – and was walked out on the Earth by Yeshua, as he taught His disciples and functioned in His ministry, delivering the Good News and administering healings. He ate, slept and lived intimately with them.
Monastic orders developed a desire to emulate this through Christ-like submission to the will God, and so composed a rule. A rhythm of life-giving components, tapping into the essence of the Creator and the beating tune of Gods heart. It was this call to be separated from the world to the intimacies of God, transforming their hearts, being disciplined, that prepared them to go out to spread the Gospel.
Monasteries had continuum of worship and prayer to connect with God, creating and opening the thin places where Heaven could touch earth, cultivating the environment for the movement of the Spirit. In these environments visions were birthed, calls to missions released, and pilgrimages established.
Communion was implemented by drawing near to His presence, through worship and prayer, study of His Word, and experiencing His glory in creation, allowing these early saints to know Him intimately, as they lived daily in the tent of meeting, equipping them with ability to impact all creation with the message of Salvation.
They learned from God through the study and memorising of scripture – partaking of His life-giving essence, a devotion that trained and equipped the saints.
They put their hands to work in the land to provide food not only for themselves but for the needy and thus answering both the first and the great commissions.
They used their gifts of creativity unto the glory of God and in the service of the Gospel.
Modelled by Christ both in His teachings and in His actions toward humanity, and as key elements of monastic life they established places of refuge for the people through hospitality, missions, mercy, and justice.
These same expressions of love still flow from the Fathers’ heart today. If we were to implement these monastic values in our walk, could we expect that our hearts might truly be conformed to His image? Would we be bold enough, could we love enough, to say ‘Hineni’, ‘here am I’, to the service of the Gospel, and to take up the greater part in the ministry of Christ?
‘… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25, 40 (NIV)
by Dermot Nelson