Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus...

  - Hebrews 12.1, 2

It is a commendable practice joyfully to accept tribulations and to be patient with them at all times, mindful of the folk in heaven.

  - The Rule of Carthage, Irish, 7th century

“Mindful of the folk in heaven.” Don’t you love that idea?

Carthage wanted his monks to bear in mind at all times that the sufferings and trials they had to endure in this life were no different from those which the saints of previous generations had to endure. They had their trials, and we have ours.

They bore up under hardship, depravation, suffering, and persecution for the sake of the Gospel, so that the Good News could continue to the next generation. And the next, and the next, even to our own.

Our sufferings and trials are part of that same process.

The “folk in heaven” surround us and observe our doings. There is even some indication that they make our prayers more “fit” for the Lord’s heavenly court (cf. Rev. 5.8; 8.3, 4). The more we know about them, the better we will appreciate their sacrifices on our behalf. The more we study their lives and works, the greater will be our gratitude to the Lord for making us part of this one great, universal, ages-spanning people, the Church of Jesus Christ.

Celtic Christians studied the lives of great saints, to learn from their trials and to emulate their example. One theologian even encourages the practice of having a “soul friend” among that cloud of witnesses. Patrick is mine for this year. (See The Week January 4-10, 2015, “Friendship with the Saints”).

Being mindful of the folk in heaven can inspire and challenge us, fill us with humility, determination, and courage, lead us to give thanks and praise to God in the midst of all our trials, and empower us to persevere in following and serving Him.

I find that meditating on the likes of Patrick, Colum Cille, Columbanus, Brendan, Kevin, Aidan – besides the great saints from other periods of Church history – can lift my spirits, renew my resolve, and keep me focused on the particular race the Lord has set before me.

Do you practice this important discipline of being “mindful of the folk in heaven”? Should you?

Psalm 113.1-3, 8, 9 (Armageddon: “Who is On the Lord’s Side?”)
Praise the Lord, O praise Him, all who know His Name!
From this day forever, magnify His fame!
From the time each morning when the sun is raised
To its evening waning let His Name be praised!
  Praise the Lord, O praise Him, all who know His Name!
  From this day forever, magnify His fame!

Seated now with princes ‘round Your glorious throne,
We by grace are lifted to become Your own.
Barren women, joyous, glad their children bear;
Joining in the chorus, they Your praise declare.
  Praise the Lord, O praise Him, all who know His Name!
  From this day forever, magnify His fame!

Where saints and angels dwell
Faith is grounded in unseen things, and, on the basis of those unseen things, faith gives us hope and nurtures the evidence of Christ’s life in us (Heb. 11.1). It ill behooves us, therefore, to be content with only a vague notion of the realm of unseen things. After all, we’ve been seated there with Christ (Eph. 2.6), and we are commanded to fix our mind on unseen things (Col. 3.1-3). But how can we do this if we’re not familiar with the terrain? Precisely why you should order a copy of The Landscape of Unseen Things, a comprehensive study of the unseen realm, designed for personal or group use. The 24 studies in this workbook can clarify and enlarge your vision of unseen things, and help you learn how to practice being mindful, not only of the folk in heaven, but of the Lord in glory and the angels He sends to help you each day. Click the link above or visit the bookstore, and order your copy of The Landscape of Unseen Things today.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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