Disciples and Disciple-making (14)
I was glad when they said to me,
0“Let us go into the house of the LORD.” Psalm 122.1
Aelred of Rievaulx (1109-1167) believed that soul friends who sought the Lord together could expect to realize greater immersion in the Lord: “Friendship will be full of riches for those who cherish it when it is completely centered upon God; for those whom friendship joins together, it immerses in the contemplation of God” (Spiritual Friendship).
I find this to be true. Talking with Susie about what the Lord is teaching us, or how we are seeing Him at work in our lives, makes me want to seek Him more. Being with the Brothers of our Fellowship—whether in our times of informal discussion, reading and study, or talking about books—has a similar affect. The more we talk together about the Lord, the more we want to know, love, and serve Him.
True friends—soul friends—spend time together in the Lord’s Presence, sharing favorite passages of Scripture, praying and singing to the Lord, talking with one another about His abundant goodness, truth, and grace. Something about being together in the Lord, focused on Him, encouraging one another in Him, and listening for Him through what He has taught others “immerses” us “in the contemplation of God” and urges us on to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
With whom do you gather for the purpose of becoming more deeply immersed in God? Take the lead and gather with your soul friends regularly. The synergy of your being together in the Lord will, like a rising tide of spiritual growth, lift all the ships in the room.
Teaching and learning as disciples
Mike McQueen has more than forty years of experience making disciples among the Chinese community in central Illinois and at the University of Illinois. He has reduced his understanding of discipleship and disciple-making to a few headings, and we’re in the process of talking through each of those. Use the link or turn to the audio bar at the top of this email to join our conversations.
Resources for Shepherds
Did you ever wonder what preaching was like during the late Middle Ages? Did anyone preach at all? It’s clear that Chaucer’s country parson did. Breaking from the tale-telling template established by the leader of the pilgrimage, the Parson laid into the troop with exhortations on true Christian morality. Read a summary of His—atypical but powerful—preaching in my article, “The Parson and His Tale (2)” at the website (click here).
How have we come to be a nation of people who are self-inflated, chaotic and confused, disgusted with our country, and totally unsure about what to do next? James Block says that it’s because our affections have gone astray. Or rather, they’ve been hijacked when we weren’t looking. Read a summary of his important article and find a link to The Hedgehog Review where you can read it for yourself by clicking here.
Our ReVision series on “How to Pray for Your Church” is currently looking at how we can pray more effectively for church leaders. You can pick up on Friday’s conversation about “equipping the saints for the work of ministry” by clicking here.
From the Celtic Revival
Where did great Irish saints like Columbanus find the strength to do so many amazing works for the Lord? He himself tells us:
Be it Thine, I beg, most loving Saviour, to reveal Thyself to us who beseech Thee, so that knowing Thee, we may love Thee only, love Thee alone, desire Thee alone, contemplate Thee alone by day and by night, and ever hold Thee in our thoughts…
– Columbanus, Sermon XII, Irish, 7th century[1]
Focused on Jesus. That’s the key. Read the entire issue of Crosfigell which this quote introduces by clicking here.
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How can we as believers confront the myriad of lies which the world chooses to live by? Only by holding fast to God and His Word. Our latest book, Let God Be True, explains how to confront the lies of our secular age with the truth that is in Jesus, and how to equip God’s people to be more confident in their witness for the Lord. Download your free PDF of Let God Be True by clicking here.
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).
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.
[1] Walker, p. 115.
