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Realizing the presence, promise, and power of the Kingdom of God.
Pastor to Pastor

Seek Our True Home

And show others the way.

Columbanus (20)

How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O L
ORD of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the L
ORD;
My heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 84.1, 2

It’s very easy for Christians to lose sight of their goal in life. We are pulled and tugged and shoved and nudged and yanked and tempted in so many different directions! We tend not to think too far ahead. We make plans for retirement, perhaps for a vacation, but beyond that we’re not too specific about our journey through this world. One day at a time, that’s the ticket. Seize the day!

Well, yes – and no. Our way in life as Christians has a destination, and that destination should focus and shape everything else we do. As Paul wrote, “one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3.13, 14). Columbanus reminded us of this in Sermon V:  “Let us not seek upon the way what shall be in our homeland; for toil and weariness are appointed on the journey, rest and peace are made ready in the homeland. Therefore we must beware, lest perhaps we be careless on the way, and fail to reach our true home. For indeed there are not a few so careless on this journey, that they seem to be not so much on the way as in their home; and they travel unwillingly rather than freely towards a homeland that is certainly already lost.”

Christians can seem at times as if we are not so much on our way to our homeland, as we are already there. We sing “This world is not my home. I’m just a-passin’ through”. But do we have a clear sense of where our true home lies, of what it consists, and how we should be preparing for it all along our way? Or have we become too comfortable with this world, too nonchalant about our walk with the Lord, too quick to avoid conflict or trial for the sake of the Gospel?

Columbanus suggested that we run the risk of losing our eternal homeland if we live in the present as though the present were most important. We don’t lose it, of course; rather, we’re found out never to have had it in the first place. If all we’ve ever sought or served is the stuff of this present life, then we’ll be disappointed when these idols finally let us down and our Lord confesses that He never knew us.

Only as we keep our hearts and minds set on our true homeland will we be able to walk this temporal way as God intends.

Resources for Shepherds
An excellent companion to Columbanus’ Sermon V is Jonathan Edwards’ sermon, “The Christian Pilgrim.” I’m happy to send you a PDF. Just write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Men, you can join us each Tuesday morning at 10:00 Eastern for 30 minutes of seeking the Lord for revival. We pray with men from around the country and other countries as well, using a psalm to guide us and joining our voices to seek the Lord for revival. Just write to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and I’ll add you to the Zoom mailing list.

Don’t forget to visit our Resources for Shepherds page at the ailbe.org website. This is a good place to gain new insights and resources for the work of shepherding God’s flock.

Men, I would like to get a group of pastors together to read through and discuss my book, Fan into Flame. This handbook on ministry contains a variety of assessment tools to help you discover ways of improving in your calling. Click here to learn more about this book or to order a free copy. If you’re interested in being part of this group, write and let me know at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

From the Celtic Revival
Colum Cille was the founder of the Iona community in the 6th century. He was in many ways, a remarkable man, as a contemporary remembered him after his death:

By the grace of God Colum rose to exalted companionship;
awaiting bright signs, he kept watch while he lived.
His lifetime was short,
scant portions filled him.
He was learning’s pillar in every stronghold,
he was foremost at the book of complex Law.

  - Dallàn Forgaill, Amra Choluimb Chille, Irish, 6th century[1]

Though he wrote little, Colum left much as his legacy of faith, including missionaries, pastors, and monastic communities. His selflessness, vision, discipline, and great learning make him an example we can all look to in our individual callings.

Check out our Celtic Legacy podcast and the other resources available on our dedicated Celtic Revival home page.

You can also download a free copy in PDF of our book, The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction, by clicking here.

T. M. Moore.

Considering Membership in The Fellowship of Ailbe

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] Clancy and Márkus, p. 107.

T.M. Moore

T. M. Moore is principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He and his wife, Susie, make their home in the Champlain Valley of Vermont.
Books by T. M. Moore

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