There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God,
The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

  - Psalm 46.4

So still, my brethren, give ear to our words, in the belief that you will hear something needful, and refresh the thirst of your mind from the streams of the divine fountain of which we now wish to speak...

  - Columbanus, Sermon XIII, Irish, 7th century[1]

The Fellowship of Ailbe is a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. The Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD) offers much in the way of instruction and encouragement for us, and part of our burden is to dip into that tradition in order to refresh the Body of Christ in our day.

What is it about this period that we find so worthwhile?

Many things, among them the spiritual strength and courage of the leadership, their devotion to the Word of God and sound learning, their disciplined approach to all of life, their commitment to a Biblically-informed culture, their love for creation, and their zeal for holiness and mission.

The period of Celtic Christianity is terra incognita for most Christians, an unknown stream feeding into the long river of Christian history and heritage.  We who drink often from this stream hope to lead others to find refreshment there as well.

The river of God’s grace and Spirit that flows through the corridors of history is comprised of many streams, all tributaries to the grand tradition of Christian orthodoxy. It was the genius of the Protestant reformers of the 16^th century to insist that all doctrinal claims be proven from Scripture and shown to agree with the writings of the Church Fathers. They understood the importance of looking to all the tributaries of the Spirit for the insight and strength He might offer there.

The reformers were completely unaware of the Celtic Christian movement. I can’t think of a single reference in their works, before Eriugena (9^th century), or any awareness on the part of the early reformers, to any of the Celtic saints or their contribution to the progress of the Kingdom.

But I’m certain that, had Luther, Calvin, Bucer, and the rest had access to the writings that have come to light in the past 200 years or so, they would have drunk deeply from this ancient stream and found it more compatible with their views than not.

We at The Fellowship of Ailbe are like those volunteers who stand along the course of a long-distance race, offering cups of water to those who run past.

As you run your race in the Lord (Heb. 12.1, 2), we hope to offer you refreshment from this ancient and somewhat unfamiliar stream. Our mission is to point the way to a life of renewed vision, revitalized disciplines, and increasing love for God and neighbors. We have found this ancient stream of Celtic Christianity to be a reliable source of refreshment for such a journey, and we hope you will find it so as well.

Let us know how we can encourage or assist you in your race. We will offer what refreshment we can.

The ancient streams of the faith hold much to refresh our faith today. We hope you enjoy drinking from this one.

Psalm 78.1-7 (Foundation: “How Firm a Foundation”)
Give ear, O my people, attend to my word, dark sayings and parables sent from the Lord,
Things we have before by our fathers been told, which we would not dare from our children withhold.

The glorious deeds of our God in His might, and all of the works He has done in our sight,
Together with all of the words of His Law, would we on ourselves and our children bestow.

Lord, let all our children arise and declare the truth of the Lord every day everywhere,
And set all their hopes in God’s wonderful Word, and never forget all the works of the Lord.

Thank You, Lord, for this vast, rich, refreshing, and ever-flowing stream of Your Spirit and grace! Refresh me in it day by day, I pray.

And if you find this ministry helpful…
…then we humbly ask you to support us with your prayers, referrals, and gifts. Each of these assists in furthering our work. By your prayers you support us, like Aaron and Hur, holding up the arms of Moses amid the heat of battle. By your referrals you offer a cup of refreshment to a thirsty friend. And by your gifts you fulfill the Biblical teaching concerning those who are taught spiritual matters sharing in the material needs of those who teach (for an explanation of our approach to seeking financial support, click here).

We hope you will pray for us daily and refer others to us often. Just forward Crosfigell to your friends, with a note encouraging them to read it.

And we hope you will share with us by your gifts. We are encouraged by those of you who have joined others in The Ailbe Community by contributing financially to our ministry. May I encourage the rest of you to do so as well by sending your gift today? You can use the donate button at the top of this newsletter or at the website, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Thank you very much for caring and sharing with us.

Psalms to Pray for Today and Tuesday
Today
Morning: Psalm 119.129-136; Psalm 113
Evening: Psalm 38

Tuesday
Morning: Psalm 119.137-144; Psalm 114
Evening: Psalm 39

T. M. Moore, Principal
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All Psalms for singing from The Ailbe Psalter. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.