For He established a testimony in Jacob,
And appointed a law in Israel,
Which He commanded our fathers,
That they should make them known to their children;
That the generation to come might know them,
The children whowould be born,
Thatthey may arise and declare them to their children,
That they may set their hope in God,
And not forget the works of God,
But keep His commandments…

  - Psalm 78.5-7

But whatever type of man he may have been, we know for certain that he left successors distinguished for their purity of life, their love of God, and their loyalty to the monastic rule...they diligently followed whatever pure and devout customs they learned in the prophets, the Gospels, and the writings of the Apostles.

  - Bede, on Colum Cille, Ecclesiastical History, British, 8^th century

There is not very much first-hand, contemporary information about Colum Cille, the founder of the monastic community on Iona in the middle of the 6^th century. He left us a few writings – mainly poems – but nothing like what we have from Columbanus, or even Patrick. Contemporary poets celebrated his learning, piety, evangelistic zeal, and skill in training others. Later biographers recorded what they considered to be the most important aspects of his life and work.

But from his own hand, we have precious little. How is it, then, that Colum was recognized as a faithful disciple and worthy disciple-maker?

Bede, writing the history of the English Church almost 150 years after Colum, didn’t know much about him either. All he knew was that, whoever this man was, he had been a powerful influence for the Gospel. And Bede knew this by the disciples of disciples of disciples of Colum Cille who were alive and serving in his day.

Colum was known by his disciples, who, following his teaching and example, sacrificed the conveniences of this world to carry the Gospel and Christian learning to places far beyond their home base on Iona.

We’re not making many disciples in the churches these days. Oh, we have plenty of teaching, preaching, and whatnot. But we’re not making many disciples – men and women distinguished by holiness, deep spirituality, sacrificial living, and courageous and consistent witness.

We like our Christianity on our terms – just enough to give us a sense of security about the future, plus some hope and joy for the present. But the kind of sacrificial, disciplined, others-seeking discipleship that Colum Cille exemplified, following Jesus and the apostles?

Well, we’re a little short on that at the moment.

Nor does this generation of believers appear to take the Law of God seriously as a primary source for its own Christian faith, as the psalmist indicated we should. No disciples, and little regard for the Law of God. Is it any wonder that the influence of the Church in America has waned so much over the past generation?

Making disciples is not just the work of pastors. All Christians are called both to be disciples and to make disciples. All men in the church have a duty to submit themselves for discipleship, and then to disciple their wives, children, and other men as the Lord gives them opportunity and leave. Women have a duty to disciple other women. All church members should seek to edify one another, so that we might learn Jesus and grow together as His body.

Disciples are those who, like Colum Cille, sustain a lively and intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. They love the Law of God and all His Word, and they diligently practice the disciplines that get us into that Word. They pray frequently and fervently, live joyously, work tirelessly, shed the world like a bad penny, and chat up Jesus and the Gospel at every opportunity. They have their trials and temptations, and times when they stumble and fall. But in every situation, true disciples rest in the Lord and seek His pleasure and will, so that they can get on with their calling to follow Him.

True disciples are the very embodiment of the Law of God in their love for God and their neighbors.

The business of the church – and our business as followers of Jesus Christ – is not just preaching, teaching, and doing good works. Our business is to make disciples, and we will not realize our full potential as the Body of Jesus Christ until we give making disciples a higher priority than at present.

Psalm 78.4-7 (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, 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.

Lord, help me to grow in my own discipleship; help me today, Lord!

One-on-one disciple-making
Here’s an opportunity for you and a friend to work together to grow as disciples and witnesses for the Lord. Check out the brief video introducing our Mission Partners Outreach (click here). You and a friend can study and work together for three months to improve your walk with and work for the Lord. This free training opportunity can help you identify and begin working your Personal Mission Field. Let Christ make an imprint on you, and through you on others, as you work with a friend through this very helpful training regimen.

Your gifts help to support this ministry. God supplies our needs, and He may be pleased to do so, at least in part, through you. Please seek Him in prayer concerning this matter. You can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Drive, Essex Junction VT 05452.     

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