First, a history lesson (naturally).
In the summer of 395, St Columba and a band of twelve monks landed on Iona and began building their abbey. There is evidence to suggest that Columba had connections with local rulers and, for the first season at least, received resources from elsewhere to help establish the monastery, but soon it was self-sufficient and quickly gaining reputation. This became a missionary base that for some centuries was the hub of Christianity in Britain.
The abbey was a place of worship, a home, a base for local ministry and the 'mother house' that other communities were planted from and affiliated to. It was from Iona that Aidan went to establish the famous abbey on Lindisfarne (Holy Island).
Ray and I see the potential for a modern day version of this model. Currently he lives in Watford but is often on the road, networking pubchurch groups and trying to set up new ones. I on the other hand am much more of a 'stationary' kind of guy, feeling drawn to one place and looking after the community there. When translated into our vision, Ray naturally wants to set up/network the small dispersed communities, where as I naturally want to look after the central bar church itself. It was pointed out to us recently that this is a classic Celtic bishop/abbot role allocation - the bishop overseas all the churches in one area where as the abbot is specifically looking after the abbey.
Hmm...not sure my Baptist sensibilities really appreciate the idea of being an abbot! Plus abbots are supposed to be holy types...not sure I really fit the bill (but that's another story!). Well Ray and I are trying to meet up sometime before Christmas to chat further, so hopefully more stuff will be revealed then.
And of course we still have our main problem: no people!
Still excited though!! :)
I was following you till now!
ReplyDeleteIf you love history, and use it to stimulate thinking and to un-block stereotypes, tight 'wineskins' that have lost their 'new wine', then I am all for it.
History and current stories, and art, and music and creation and science (and Downton Abbey??!), can all be a means to help us see clearly into the 'the invisible things of Him...His eternal power and divine nature' (Rom 1.20).
But as we build our understanding, it is important that we develop our theology based on God's revelation in the WORD and His Word. Beware of unbiblical steps taken by man-made religion (including my own, and even the Celtic Christians!).
Two elements of the history of the Church in Britain seem to be inappropriate examples (and language) for your venture.
1. The planting of Abbeys on windswept islands, with limited populations, even in those days! I know these became 'mission bases' for mission to other parts of Britain and Europe, but I thought you had said in a previous blog that you want to see something emerge in the centre of a city population. This is more like the biblical model of church growth in the Acts.
2. Use of language such as Bishop/Abbot. As you almost certainly know, the word Bishop was an institutional emergence that had no basis in new testament communities. It is the word 'overseer' of the local community/flock and was always plural, and synonymous with 'elders', based on the ancient Jewish communities. Surely, this biblical idea that has largely been lost (not helped by the Bishops/King James protecting this translation in the KJV), is a key principle for any emerging Christ-following community of faith, and an ideal principle for your pub-church model?
And, as you say, to press the use of the word 'Abbot', is to press the association with 'the Abbey' , the building. I wonder whether God wants you (and all 'churches' today) to grasp afresh the truth of the church being the community of Jesus-followers, and not a building. Even if you have a Pub of your own, should the building be what defines you, or the community?
To play on words, Pub comes from Public House - and this could be a great metaphor for a community of God's People - God's Public House!
God's Home - open to the Public!