It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains...and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD...that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths.”

   - Micah 4.1, 2

Here then the excellent man began to build a monastery. At the news of this people streamed in from all directions in order to consecrate themselves to the practice of religion, so that the large number of monks scarcely had sufficient room. The children of nobles strove to come thither; despising the spurned trappings of the world and the pomp of present wealth, they sought eternal rewards.

   - Jonas, Life of St. Columban, Italian, 7th century

Columbanus’ reputation for boldness, fairness, brilliance, wit, courage, and uncompromised conviction spread rapidly throughout Gaul. By the time they finished building their first monastery at Anegray, there was need of a second, which they constructed at Luxeuil – and it was over-occupied before it was finished.

People are drawn to holiness, earnest spirituality, reverence, courageous adventuring for Christ, and the lifestyle of humble service and simple obedience. That we don’t believe this today is evident by the fact that we try everything else to attract people to us other than the things Columbanus did so well.

The people of his day fled the corrupt and self-indulgent culture which they knew was destroying them to find life and meaning amid the austere but loving and devoted environs of a Celtic monastery.  Today we dress our churches up in the culture of the corrupt and dying world in the hopes that those folks out there who seem to love everything hip and pop and casual and entertaining and focused on me will feel right at home in our churches. And, not surprisingly they do – for now.

But the jury is still out on the “contemporary church” and its eager embrace of all things sizzling and secular. Micah foresaw a day when people would stream into the church from all quarters. Why? “For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Mic. 4.2).

“The words that I speak unto you, they are Spirit, and they are life” (Jn. 6.63). Live the Word, proclaim the Word, bring the Word to bear on every aspect of life and culture until the corruption and decrepitude stand out in all their embarrassing ugliness, then see if earnest, seeking people don’t choose to flock to Anegray and Luxeuil once again.

Psalm 67.1-2 (Solid Rock: “My Hope is Built”)
O bless us, Savior, by Your grace, and shine upon us with Your face,
That we Your way may loud proclaim and tell to all the earth Your fame!
Let all the people praise You, Lord, rejoicing in Your holy Word,
Rejoicing in Your holy Word!

T. M. Moore, Principal
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