"Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness — without it no one will see the Lord." + Hebrews 12:14
Here are some recent highlights:
When we handed these books out to our congregation, this is part of the note we included inside each one:
This might seem at first
to be a peculiar Advent devotional.
But saints often are peculiar people
who stand out in a particular time and place.
In fact, the times when saints shine
the most are times of darkness.
They give glimpses of Jesus’ Light,
which darkness cannot overcome.
Advent begins in the dark.
And we, as part of Jesus’ Church,
are called to live as Advent people
who anticipate Jesus’ coming
into our darkness today to overcome it.
Ultimately, our hope rests in the God of Advent
who drew near to us in Jesus’ first coming
and will come again
to take away the darkness forever
and be our eternal Light. That hope is what saints have embodied
as our sisters and brothers across time,
ethnicities, Christian traditions,
nationalities, and more.
As we step into this next year,
our prayer is that we will shine
all the more with the holy light
of Christ in us and through us.
And we pray that we
“being rooted and firmly established in love,
may be able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the length and width,
height and depth of God’s love.”
After all, “the Father has enabled us
to share in the saints’ inheritance in the light.
He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and
transferred us into the Kingdom
of the Son He loves.”
This post features an excerpt from Our Church Speaks so that you might also walk some of this journey with us with reflection, prayer, and anticipation for how the Light of the world might shine in your life during this season.
Moses the Ethiopian Monastic & Martyr
Moses the Ethiopian (also known as "Moses the Black") is among the most prominent ancient desert fathers, cherished for his dedication to humility and peace. He was born in Ethiopia and joined a band of seventy-five violent outlaws in the Nile valley of Egypt. This band of thieves terrorized the local populace, and Moses, distinguished by his towering figure and violent nature, soon became the robbers' leader. While being pursued by the authorities, Moses hid in a monastery with Egyptian monks. There, he observed the peace of Christ through the witness and discipline of the monks. Moses repented of his violence and lawlessness, was baptized, and became a member of the monastery.
In his early years as a monk, Moses found it difficult to completely leave the habits of his hold life behind. One day, Moses found several robbers stealing from the monastery. He overpowered them and dragged them to the chapel by force, where they too repented and became members of the monastic community.
Moses became frustrated with himself and with his lack of progress in invited Moses to join him on Together they watched the sun creep to the horizon. "Only slowly do the rays of the sun drive away the night and usher in a new day," said Isidore to Moses. God was at work in Moses, slowly refining the once-violent outlaw into a powerful figure of peace and
In time, Moses became a respected monastic leader, known as Abba Moses (Father Moses), and many of his teachings were recorded and preserved. "If we took the trouble to see our sins we would not see the sins of a neighbor," Abba Moses taught. Abba Moses also said, "Do not be at enmity with anybody and do not foster enmity in your heart; do not hate one who is at enmity with his neighbor — and this is peace."
Scripture
"We ask you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seeks to do good one to another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." + 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18
Meditation: Rise of a New, Urban Monasticism
emerged in the third century in response to the cultural decline of the Roman Empire and the need that many Christians were sensing for a new kind of
This new movement would invite the participant into a life of submission, peace, discipline, community, virtue, love, labor, and prayer. The monastic movement saw itself as
While it is not possible to know whether contemporary Western society is truly in decline or merely experiencing a dip before another rise, it is true that many followers of Jesus today are sensing a renewed need to dedicate their whole selves to holiness in Jesus. For this reason, counterintuitive as it may seem to many, there is a renewed interest in monasticism among the younger generations. But the monastic impulse of today differs from its historic form in several key ways. First, it is noncloistered. Monastics do not withdraw from their cities; they are embedded within society. Second, its commitment is limited, not permanent. In our highly mobile society, monastics are free to come and go. Third, it is bivocational. Monastics usually hold some sort of part-time or full-time job in the marketplace.
If the new monasticism is embedded within cities, limited in commitment, and bivocational, then what makes it monastic? The answer is that the new, urban monasticism is a community of Christians who share a rule of life and who are seeking to help one another grow in Christlikeness. What makes this different from a "normal" congregation? The honest answer would be, not much — except that most congregations do not invite their congregants into this depth of spiritual formation.
Moses the Ethiopian, before his conversion, was about as unmonastic as a man can be. It is a testament to the power of sharing a rule of life within a community of believers that he was transformed from a violent outlaw into a man who peacefully gave his life away to violent outlaws. This kind of deep transformation is only possible through the Holy Spirit, and it requires community and personal discipline. These are the tools by which we partner with the Holy Spirit in our own transformation.
This new, urban monastic movement of our time is simply the latest form of seeking this partnership with the Spirit of Christ.
Prayer
O God, Your blessed Son became poor for our sake and chose the cross over the kingdoms of this world. Deliver us from an inordinate love of worldly things, that we, inspired by the devotion of Your servant Moses, may seek You with singleness of heart, behold Your glory by faith, and attain to the riches of Your everlasting Kingdom, where we shall be united with our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
pgs. 114-116
Bonus Advent 1st Collect:
Almighty God, give us grace
to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which Your Son Jesus Christ
came to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day,
when He shall come again
in His glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through Him who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God,
now and forever.
Amen.
pg. 60
Additional Advent Resources:
Many blessings of peace and presence,
Rev. Mike “Sully” Sullivan
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