The Shepherd’s Example (4)
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16.13
In all work of ministry, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by daily details, tasks, interruptions, and catching-up on things. So much so, that we can lose sight of our vision for ministry as well as the Source of our strength to keep on keeping on. The Lord has the strength we need, and He is the ultimate vision of all we’re trying to do. We must seek our vision in and strength from Him.
Charles Spurgeon put it this way in Lectures to My Students: “To face the enemies of truth, to defend the bulwarks of the faith, to rule well in the house of God, to comfort all that mourn, to edify the saints, to guide the perplexed, to bear with the forward, to win and nurse souls—all these and a thousand other works beside are not for a Feeble-mind or a Ready-to-halt, but are reserved for the Great-heart whom the Lord has made strong for Himself. Seek then strength from the Strong One, wisdom from the Wise One, in fact, all from the God of all.”
The people we shepherd will gain a sense of what’s in our heart by the vision we pursue, the energy we invest in building the Church, the gentleness—yet firmness—with which we care for them, the intensity of our disciple-making, the fervor of our preaching and teaching, and the consistency of our witness. It takes a great heart from God to accomplish such works infectiously, and God stands ready to grant such a heart to those who seek Him for it.
This is the work of prayer, as we know. Let us be sure to renew ourselves in it day by day.
Teaching and learning as disciples
Dr. Mike McQueen has spent 40 years in the work of making disciples. His insights on this Great Commission calling are a part of this weekly teaching letter. Click the link or the audio bar at the top of this edition of Pastor to Pastor to access our most current discussion.
Resources for ShepherdsLike Jesus, shepherds are to lead their sheep. But where? Certainly, into the continuing work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But what is that? Our workbook, The Ongoing Work of Christ: The Book of Acts and Beyond, can help give you clarity on this. We’ll be teaching this study in our fall Men’s Bible Study. Your opportunity to register for this course will be coming soon. If you’d like to begin that study now, or if you simply want to study this material on your own, click here to download your free copy.
The Celtic Revival (ca 430-800 AD) is a neglected period of Church history. There is much to learn from the great saints and leaders whose work, over nearly four centuries, “saved civilization” (Thomas Cahill). Here are some free resources in our bookstore to help you discover why we think this period is worth revisiting:
Patrick: A Devotional History
Colum Cille: A Devotional History
Columbanus: A Devotional History
The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction
Lives of Irish Saints: A Tribute
Living to Rule: An Introduction to Celtic Christian Spirituality
The Theology of the Celtic Revival II: Foundations
From the Celtic Revival
Brendan of Clonfert (fl. ca. 560 AD):
One day as they were traversing the ocean, they saw an island at some distance from them. And they steered their boat towards it, and landed on it. And in making a circuit of the island, they found good streams full of fish in it…and they found numerous herds of sheep, large and pure white, so that they could hardly see the ground through them for the multitude of the sheep.
- The Life of Brendan of Clonfert
In our twice-weekly Crosfigell study of Brendan, called “The Navigator”, we are gaining insights to his journey from Irish adventurer Tim Severin, who, in 1977, built a leather boat and replicated Brendan’s likely course. He shows us that this “Island of Sheep” may well have been the Faroe Islands, 200 miles north of Scotland. To read more on this edition of The Life of Brendan of Clonfert, click here.
Follow Brendan’s adventure of faith—which, while certainly historical, is in many ways a parable for every believer’s journey in the Lord. Add our twice-weekly Crosfigell teaching letter to your subscriptions.
Men, have you ever thought you might like to know more about The Fellowship of Ailbe? Who we are and what we do? Click the “About” tab on our home page. Watch the brief video there and read about our purpose and projects. If you’re interested in thinking about Membership in The Fellowship, simply drop me a line at [email protected].
Here’s a quick look at our Fall Men’s Reading and Study Groups:
Men’s Reading Group (1): Praying with the Psalms (monthly)
Mean’s Reading Group (2): Brad Edwards, Reason for the Church (bi-weekly)
The Lewis Group (1): God in the Dock (bi-weekly)
The Lewis Group (2): Weight of Glory (bi-weekly)
Men’s Bible Study: The Ongoing Work of Christ (bi-weekly)
The Writers’ Group: C. S. Lewis and the Art of Writing (bi-weekly)
Christian Classics for Discipleship: Augustine, On Christian Doctrine, Books 1 and 2 (bi-weekly)
We’ll be publishing a complete schedule in a couple of weeks, but if you are interested in any of these and would like more information, simply write to me at [email protected].
T. M. Moore
If you have found this issue of Pastor to Pastor helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest this week: Our ReVision series on “The Kingdom Economy” turns to consider the work we’ve been given to do. In our Read Moore column, we continue working through the book, Understanding the Times. And I encourage you to follow our Crosfigell series on Brendan of Clonfert, nicknamed “The Navigator.” Join us and find out why. Click the Articles tab on the home page to see all the selections available to you.
Support for Pastor to Pastor comes from our faithful and generous God, who moves our readers to share financially in our work. If this article was helpful, please give Him thanks and praise.
And please prayerfully consider supporting The Fellowship of Ailbe with your prayers and gifts. You can contribute online, via PayPal or Anedot, or by sending a gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, P. O. Box 8213, Essex, VT 05451.
Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
