State of the Church: The Celtic Revival (22)
Watch, for the sea is stormy and whipped up by fatal blasts, for it is not a solitary threatening wave such as, even across a silent ocean, is raised to overweening heights into the ever-foaming eddies of a hollow rock, though it swells from afar, and drives sails before it while Death walks the waves, but it is a tempest of the entire element, surging indeed and swollen upon every side, that threatens shipwreck of the mystic vessel: thus do I a fearful sailor, dare to cry. Watch, for water has now entered the vessel of the Church, and the vessel is in perilous straits.
– Columbanus, Letter to Pope Boniface
“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me.”
– Ezekiel 33.7
Watchers on the wall
It seemed to Columbanus that the priests and bishops of Gaul, who were pressuring him to conform to their authority, were failing in their calling. God had appointed them to watch over His flock for their wellbeing. Instead, by their worldly lifestyles, they were encouraging a lackadaisical faith among the people in their care. The waters of worldliness were washing over the decks of the Church, and “the mystic vessel” was in danger of sinking.
Boniface was the third pope to whom Columbanus wrote in the hope he might do something to rectify this situation. We have no record of any of these popes responding to his appeals.
To make matters worse, the young people who were serious about their faith abandoned the churches of their families and neighbors and fled to the two monasteries Columbanus had started. They were seeking a true and vibrant experience of Jesus, whatever it cost them, and they were further evidence to Columbanus of the desperate condition of the churches in Gaul.
Those who were appointed as watchers on the wall were failing in their duty, failing in their calling, and failing the people of God.
Watchers all
Each one of us has been appointed a watcher on the wall to defend the City of the Lord from the tumult of worldliness that rages all around us. This call to be a watcher applies to us at three levels.
First, we must watch over our own souls and lives (Prov. 4.20-27). The days are evil, Paul reminds us, and we must use the time God gives us each day to increase in love for Him and to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord (Eph. 5.15; 2 Pet. 3.18). We must not allow sin or slackness to be found in us. We must watch with all diligence that we are doing all things heartily, unto the Lord and for His glory (Col. 3.23; 1 Cor. 10.31).
Second, we must watch over our Personal Mission Fields, those places and people and things God has entrusted to us for good works of ministry (Eph. 4.11, 12). We have work to do, sowing, tending, and cultivating our field so that our families are nurtured and cared for, believing friends are encouraged, and those who do not know the Lord hear of Him as the Lord leads. We must pray daily that God will show us the work we are to do in our Personal Mission Field and that He will get glory as we do (Ps. 90.16, 17).
Finally, we must watch over the state of our church. As members of Christ’s Body, we want to contribute to its health, be sensitive to its wounds, and stand up against any threats to subvert its mission or message.
The apostle Paul calls all believers to “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love.” That’s a tall order, but we must not fail in fulfilling it. God watches over us in all our watching over ourselves and others. By His grace and strength, we can do whatever He commands.
For Reflection
1. What does being a watcher on the wall require of you?
2. How does God want to use you for the good of those over whom you watch?
Psalm 127.1
Leominster: Not What My Hands Have Done
Unless God builds the house, the workers toil in vain.
Unless He watches o’er us all, the watchmen have no gain.
In vain we early rise, and late retire to rest,
for God gives precious, needed sleep to those He loves the best.
T. M. Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
For a good complementary study to this, check out Pray for Your Church. It’s free in The Ailbe Bookstore. And download our ReThinking Church Appraisal Tool by clicking here.
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision series on “The Church” we consider the question of how to “church”. Our Read Moore podcast is working through our book, The Kingdom Turn. The focus of our Scriptorium daily study is on “Matthew: The Coming of the Kingdom.” Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
