Columbanus (9)

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10.17

“Who shall examine the secret depths of God? Who shall dare to treat of the eternal source of the universe? Who shall boast of knowing the infinite God, Who fills all and surrounds all, Who enters into all and passes beyond all, Who occupies all and escapes all? Whom none has ever seen as He is” (Columbanus, Sermon I).[1]

Who, indeed. Well, you and I, for one. As those who have been entrusted with the ministry of the Word of God, we’d better make sure we know Him well enough to speak for Him clearly and truly.

In a series of 13 sermons, spread out over as many days, Columbanus taught new members of his community important basics both of the life of faith and life together in the Body of Christ. It is significant that he began this series focusing on knowing the Lord. Everything in Christian life derives from this, expresses this, longs for and drives toward this, and sees in knowing Jesus our end and reason for being. Thus we are called to hear the Word of God as it reveals Jesus to us, that we might increase in the knowledge of the Lord and the grace He calls us as His ambassadors to share with others.

Columbanus continued, “Therefore let no man venture to seek out the unsearchable things of God, the nature, mode and cause of His existence. These are unspeakable, undiscoverable, unsearchable; only believe in simplicity and yet with firmness, that God is and shall be even as He has been, that God is immutable.” Only believe what the Word says – and all that it says. Don’t waste your time on speculations about God or His will that He has not revealed. Sink into His Word, seek Jesus there, and grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord by faith.

Resources for revival
We have prepared a copy of Columbanus’ Sermon I in PDF form, and I’d be happy to send you one if you’ll write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. You’ll be amazed at how much this great saint was able to pack into 10 minutes. His sermons are a great resource for meditation or discussion with leaders or staff.

Our book, To Know Him, looks at Paul’s commitment to seeking Jesus and asks, What does it mean to know the Lord this way? And how can we increase in the knowledge of Jesus? You can order a free copy of To Know Him by clicking here.

Men, we welcome you to join us via Zoom as we gather each Tuesday morning at 10:00 Eastern for 30 minutes of prayer, seeking the Lord for revival. This is one of the most exciting, most challenging, and most visionary times of my week, as men from all over the country unite their voices in seeking the Lord, using a psalm to guide our prayers. Come and pray with us. If you’d like to be added to the invitation list, just send me an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

We’re offering three free resources to help in making revival, renewal, and awakening happen in our day. Click here to learn what revival is and why we need it, what you can do to prepare your church for revival, and how you can lead others to join you in seeking it. 

From the Celtic Revival
Here’s an excerpt from the current issue of Crosfigell, our twice-weekly teaching letter featuring insights from the writers of the Celtic Revival challenging us to think about what it means to love God:

Give and grant and impart to me,
Thy holy grace, and Thy Holy Spirit,
to protect me and preserve me from all my sins present and future,
and to kindle in me all righteousness,
and to establish me in that righteousness to my life’s end...

  - Litany of Jesus II, Irish, 15th century[2]

Strange to think that what we most need protection from is ourselves! But we are all “prone to wander”, as the old hymn has it, and we all need prayers like this to keep us close to Jesus throughout the day, and “to my life’s end…”

How familiar are you with the Celtic Revival, that great period of spiritual increase that Thomas Cahill described in his book, How the Irish Saved Civilization? We’ve gathered a few resources about the Celtic Revival onto a single page at our website. Visit by clicking here to watch a video, listen to a podcast, download a resource, or ask a question about the Celtic Revival. Check out our newest podcast, Celtic Legacy, which offers a more in-depth look at some of the writings from this period.

What does Crosfigell mean? Here’s a little video explaining the name of our teaching letter. You can subscribe to Crosfigell by using the subscription box at the website.

T. M. Moore.

Please pray
id you know that the ministry of The Fellowship of Ailbe is now reaching people in 180 countries? And that we are on schedule to distribute more than 3,000 free Kingdom resources by the end of the year? It is our privilege to provide resources and opportunities to equip and encourage church leaders in building the Lord’s Church and advancing His Kingdom. Your prayers and support help to make this possible.

Pray that God will bring to our Fellowship men who are committed to realizing more of the presence, promise, and power of His Kingdom. If you’d like to learn more about becoming a Brother in The Fellowship of Ailbe, click here to watch a brief video. If you’d like to talk about Membership, write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I’ll send you some additional information.

Please pray that God will move many of those we serve through this ministry to share with us financially in its support. If the Lord moves you to give, you can use the Contribute button at the website to give with a credit card or through PayPal or Anedot, or you can send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[1] All quotations are from G. S. M. Walker, ed., Sancti Columbani Opera (Dublin: Institute for Advanced Studeis, 1957), pp. 61 ff.

[2] Plummer, Litanies, p. 45.