Rollins and Celtic Monastic Orders

So, the Pete Rollins event yesterday was excellent.  Quite mind-expanding, and the subsequent conversation with a friend about what we heard was just what I needed. The group was rather intimate — 20 at the most — so we could really dig in and interact.  I was able to ask him if he saw any parallel between what he and his arts collective are doing in Belfast and what Patrick and others did in re-evangelizing 5th century pagan Ireland in forming monastic orders that provided an empty space for God to minister to people’s hearts.  Rollins admitted he doesn’t know that much about Patrick (somewhat surprising for an Irishman), but that the concept of building in space where God can minister through community is definitely something they are doing.

While the similarities are obviously limited, I still can’t help but think about Celtic monastic evangelism when I see Rollins.

I originally posted the following in March of 2006, two months before arriving in Boston.  I’ve definitely learned lots and grown in significant ways since then, but these words still ring true for our context.  Celtic “orders” (clusters of Jesus people and n0t-yet-Jesus people) living in close proximity create precisely the space Pete Rollins talks about in order for the unspeakable God to transform his creation.  I’m re-posting this as-is, sans editing, so please forgive the seminary-induced missional vigor.  Enjoy.

Boston Celtics?
Originally Posted March 26, 2006

I haven’t read the book all the way through, but I have been impacted deeply by missiological principles gleaned from George Hunter’s The Celtic Way of Evangelism.  Hunter suggests that an ancient practice of celtic monastic communities might have some relevance to how we in the West make disciples in a post-everything culture.  He compares the Roman model of “reaching” people with the Celtic model:

The Roman model for reaching people (who are “civilized” enough) is this:

1. Present the Christian message
2. Invite them to decide to believe in Christ and become Christians
3. If they decide positively, welcome them into the church and its fellowship.

In other words, we explain the gospel, they accept Christ, and we welcome them into the church- presentation, decision, assimilation (P. 53).

The contrasting Celtic model for reaching people is this:

1. You first establish community with people, or bring them into the fellowship of your community of faith.
2. Within fellowship, you engage in conversation, ministry, prayer, and worship
3. In time, as they discover that they now believe, you invite them to commit (P. 53).

Christians have defaulted to the Roman way of evangelism for a long time.  We have assumed that a “good gospel message” should stand on its own to convict “the heathen,” and sometimes it does.  But reducing the gospel to a list of propositions to which a person can either agree or disagree is a gross oversimplification.  I have come to realize that in addition to eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, salvation means a different way of living — an attractive way of living — than what the world knows and experiences.  The practices of hospitality, Sabbath, non-violence, service, social justice, praiseworthy speech, as well as the traditional tenets of prayer and worship, point to the goodness of Christ and are indeed “good news” to a broken world.

This is why the Celtic model is so important.  It allows Christians and not-yet-Christians to authentically enter into each other’s lives, as most normal people in the world do, without the question of “have you committed your life to Christ” (writer’s note: what does that even mean, anyway?) being the first question. It allows the secular person to experience what virtuous Christian life looks like, assuming the life of the Christian friend is virtuous. It allows dialogue to frame the process of discipleship, not simply “teaching,” “telling,” or Bible study. It focuses on the process of discipleship in terms of belonging before behaving or believing, with the latter two always eventual goals for the future.If we began taking a more Celtic model of evangelism/discipleship (where discipleship is what leads up to someone’s turning to God, not what follows it), how would that change the way we conceptualize Christian community? How would it transform our relationships and friendships with the not-yet-Christian? Would it make them less awkward if we weren’t always bent out of shape that they aren’t a Christian and allow us to focus on simply being a Christ-like friend to them? I think the Celtic way of evangelism has great implications for the relationship of the Christian community to the world, a world that is growing more and more skeptical of us with each hour that passes and that sees in the church less and less relevance for their lives.

mission in a world God is restoring

I really like this short speech.  I think it’s where Chrissy and I are “at” right now when it comes to mission, evangelism, gospel, etc.  It’s what we believe we were put in our neighborhood to be and do.  Give it a listen if you have a few minutes.

N.T. Wright at Lambeth: A Biblical Hope for Mission

I just listened to it twice.  It’s not long, and it’s powerful.

Great quote:

We have an opportunity in our day to get past that sterile antithesis of either saving souls for a timeless eternity or trying to improve God’s world if we really believe, when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, that “thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven.” … If we really mean that, then we must be doing things that are signs of hope.

…

The church is called to be the people who give the answer to the question, “What would it look like if God was running the show?”  We live between the achievement of Jesus and that final achievement of Heaven and Earth coming together … We have to implement the first and therefore anticipate the second.

What does that mean? If a doctor — if somebody in the university — discovers a wonderful new medication, the doctor has to implement that discovery by making that medication available to the people who need it.  But we believe that one day, there will be a time when God will wipe away all tears from all eyes.  So it isn’t just that we are implementing something that’s been done already; we are anticipating that day — signs of hope, little bits of hope, coming to us from God’s future.