For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

- Romans 15.4

So the body of the Church, enriched by the splendour of its Founder, is augmented by the hosts of saints and is made resplendent by religion and learning, so that those who come after draw profit from the concourse of the learned.

  - The Monk Jonas, Life of St. Columban, Italian, 7th century[1]

At The Fellowship of Ailbe, our mission is to encourage and lead others to realize more of the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God in their lives.

We do this by a variety of means, many of which involve drawing on the example and resources of our Christian forebears, especially those from the Celtic Christian tradition.

We are not a Celtic Christian fellowship, but a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic tradition. Those who stood for the cross, and carried the Gospel of the Kingdom to so many lands between the 5^th and 9^th centuries, have much to teach us with respect to how to live full Biblical faith.

In our newsletters, courses, and other resources, we introduce insights from Celtic Christian leaders, or we reflect perspectives and practices they found helpful and which we believe can benefit us in our walk with and work for the Lord today.

There is no virtue in being ignorant of our Christian heritage; yet the period of Celtic Christianity remains terra incognita for the vast majority of pastors and church leaders today.

The greatest benefit that comes from studying this period is in the way these saints help to expand our view of Scripture. They enlarge our vision of how to think about and appropriate the victory Christ has achieved for us, and they teach us how to depend on the Word of God more consistently in every area of our lives. Their views of creation, spiritual realities, community life, and mission contain many insights, based in Scripture, that can help us become a more faithful and fruitful generation of believers.

Part of our mission at The Fellowship of Ailbe is to introduce these ancient folk and their insights to you, that you might be enriched by the splendor of their Christian vision and experience.

We can only know what true Christianity is as we search the Scriptures, and as we learn from the heritage and practice handed down to us from the generations past. We stand on the shoulders of giants, yet we know very little about any of them. A line of orthodox belief and practice traces from the apostles through the Church Fathers and saints great and small throughout Church history. The period of the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD) is an important link in that full-faith chain.

We hope you find these thrice-weekly devotionals instructive. We won’t be taking the Celtic tonsure any time soon, or changing the date we celebrate Easter, as Celtic Christians insisted; however, if together we can acquire a bit of the deep spirituality, passion for mission, vision for culture, seriousness about Christian life, and everyday wisdom that these Celtic Christians demonstrated, then this effort will have been worthwhile.

Thanks for being part of The Ailbe Community. May you know the rich blessings and presence of our Lord this Easter and always.

Psalm 78.4, 5 (Foundation: “How Firm a Foundation”)
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, I would do Your will, King of the thronging heaven. May I be forever with your royal host in the everlasting victorious Kingdom. Adapted from Oengus mac Oengobann, Féilire Oengusso[2]

Full Faith
This week, in our ReVision column and newsletter, we begin a 10-part series on Full Faith. The topic for this week’s series is Assurance and Evidence, and looks to the book of Hebrews to guide us in seeking out the unseen things of Christ as the anchor of our faith. Next week our topic will be Great Expectations, as we look to Jesus to guide us in thinking about what we can expect from life in His Kingdom.

I encourage you to download the PDF of this week’s study. Make some copies for friends, and agree to get together to study this and all 10 parts of our series, Full Faith. Your vision of Christ and your faith in Him can be enriched and strengthened as a result.

Please prayerfully consider becoming a supporter of The Fellowship of Ailbe. It’s easy to give to The Fellowship of Ailbe, and all gifts are, of course, tax-deductible. You can click here to donate online through credit card or PayPal, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452.

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.