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Praying into Saint Patrick’s Day
For a moment let’s consider Evangelism, this very thought is enough to send most of the western and european world running. We have visions of knocking on doors and standing on street corners talking to strangers trying to get them to listen to what we have to say. Why would a perfect stranger care to listen to what I have to say? Why would they stop and pay attention to me? Most of the time people are not willing to interrupt the busy schedule and daily activities to stop and listen...is there a better way then the traditional module we all know and all to often try to avoid.
There is a book I have read titled "The Celtic Way of Evangelism." The way the Celtic church approached evangelism using this model is something we may want to revisit in the western and european church. I will offer this excerpt from an article by Charles Stanley as I believe he captures the essence of this "Way":
Belonging proceeds believing
Because of its geographical distance, Ireland was out of the loop of the first round of major evangelization by the church. When it was evangelized by Saint Patrick, it operated underneath the radar of Roman control. Thus, its breed of Christianity grew up independently of much of the rest of the church. It was, to use modern missions terminology, an indigenous church.Depending on who you listen to, Ireland was thoroughly Christianized between one and three generations--incredibly rapid growth by anyone's standards. Thus, it become a great model for us to study.
Here is an excerpt from George Hunter's excellent book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism that spells out the Celtic strategy for doubling groups contrasted with the Roman way:"Bluntly stated, the Roman model for reaching people is:
1) Present the Christian message;
2) Invite them to decide to believe in Christ and become Christians and
3) If they decide positively, welcome them into the church and its fellowship.The Roman model seems very logical to us because most American evangelicals are scripted by it! We explain the gospel, they accept Christ, we welcome them into the church! Presentation, Decision, Assimilation. What could be more logical than that?
The Celtic model for reaching people works like 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. "
Hunter then summarizes the two approaches with the following chart:
Presentation Fellowship Decision Ministry and Conversations Fellowship Belief, Invitation to Commitment To summarize further, "belonging proceeds believing." (Hunter, pages 53 - 54).
The question is, how do we do this? How do we squeeze one more thing into an already busy life? How do we do it in a systematic, consistent, regular, intentional basis?
Make it priority
Rick Warren has taught us the importance of balancing all five purposes of the church: evangelism, discipleship, worship, fellowship, and service. I believe outreach ought to be our second church priority. Sunday morning is first. Sunday morning we get fellowship, discipleship and worship. The next church activity ought to address one or the other (or both) of the other purposes: evangelism and service. I believe we are going to have to move connecting with outsiders out, and way up, in our priory structure. If I were your pastor, I would give you permission to stay home on Sunday night and Wednesday night if you need to in order to create time and space to connect with outsiders.Success is about concentration. What you say "No" to is just as important as what you try to do. We need to make a "not-to-do list" as well as a to-do list.
Make it a habit
The Bible says, "Get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner." Romans 12:13 [Living] Psychologist tells us about 95% of our behavior is habitual. How we get dressed, get ready for work, go to work, go about our work, come home from work. . . it is mostly habit. Having guests home for dinner is either a habit--something we do most every week, or we don't do it at all. Get in the habit. Put in on auto-pilot. Make it the default mode. Make it the normal thing to normally do on a normal Friday night.
Start with the reachable
Good missionary theory suggests that if you had 1000 missionaries to deploy, and you had missionary fields that were unequally responsive, you wouldn't distribute your resources equally. You would send 995 missionaries to the places where the fruit is ripe and 5 missionaries to the less responsive areas, just to monitor the situation.In a similar way, we do well to concentrate on people who are responsive. Who are the most responsive people? Research indicated that people in transition tend to be more responsive. People who have recently moved, gotten married, gotten divorced, had a baby or experienced other life changes tend to be more responsive than the general population. But, I have a better filter than that to discover the most responsive people on the planet.
The most responsive people on the planet are people who visit in your worship service. That is right, people who visit in your worship service. In most cases we have plenty of prospects if we will just concentrate on having people in our homes that visit in our worship services. And, although most church goers don't have all that many contacts with outsiders, recent visitors often do. If we will take real good care of them, they will tend to tell their friends and you will have even more visitors. It all starts with reaching the reachable.
Make it specific, intentional, systematic, and consistent
This is why I like to talk about giving Friday nights to Jesus. It is specific, intentional, systematic and consistent. It doesn't have to be Friday nights, but Friday nights is a great time to "offer hospitality without grumbling." (1 Peter 4.9) Whether you use this time or some other time, pick a time. If you do it when you get around to it, you won't get around to it.
This is not punishment
I had someone say to me after a conference recently, "I am convicted that I need to try this, but I need to tell you, this will be really, really, really hard for me."Really?
We are talking about dinner and a movie. We are talking about bowling. We are talking about BBQ. We are talking about food. We are talking about playing games. How hard can it be?
My Interim Pastor, Dr. Levi Price preached an incredible sermon this last weekend recalling story after story of Christina martyrs from Paul to Columbine. It was really moving. I found myself thinking, "We stand at the end of a long line of people who have paid an incredible price to follow Christ. My life is so easy by comparison."
Truthfully, giving Friday nights to Jesus is just plain fun to me. We had a couple over the other night. We had burgers, played a table game and had some fun. It was great. No big deal. But living this way, and inviting not only your friends but prospects, recent visitors to your church, absentees from your class--this is the Celtic way of spreading the gospel.
I have always thought playing cards was more fun than visitation. I know it is not for everyone, but for me, far more fun. And equally effective. It is the Celtic way. You can impact 1000 people in 10 years by doing this.
Anyway you can
Ultimately, we get done what we want to get done. Develop a sense of urgency. Cultivate your want-to. Get a must-do attitude. Get it done any way you can. If you can get it done on Friday nights, get it done on Friday nights. If Friday nights doesn't work, get it done another time, but get it done. There is a God that deserves to be worshipped. There are people who need to be saved. There is a work that needs to be done. There is a cause that we need to give ourselves to. The Celtic way is a great way. Belonging proceeds believing. Get it done.>>Click Here<< to read this complete article on Josh Hunt's website.
We recently had the privilege of hosting Josh Hunt for our mid winter Sunday Morning Bible Study leadership conference. The emphasis on investing and building relationships is the key to reaching our society today. Fellowship is premium in a world where we face an epidemic of loneliness. People are lookingfor more than a "friendly" church. They want a place where they can grow and develop lasting relationships that will assist them in building a biblical foundation for life. Josh Hunt will make a difference in your thinking about how simple it really is to reach out to people.
Sincerely,
Charles F. Stanley
Senior Pastor First Baptist Church Atlanta
I also want to offer some stories concerning Patrick and the great things that were done through him and him missionary efforts. These are posted on Kathie Walters' website as well as many others.
A Quick Way To Evangelize A City Or How St. Patrick Won Dublin
Saturday, January 09, 1999
Kathie Walters wrote:
As Patrick came near to Dublin, at that time a small village, he prophesied, "That village which is now very small shall hereafter become very eminent. it shall be enlarged in riches and dignity." Neither shall it cease to grow until it has become the principal seat of all the kingdom."
When the people of Dublin, having heard of the great signs and miracles that were done through Patrick, and when they saw that he was coming to that village, they went out to meet him.
At this time, Alphinus was the king over Dublin. He and all the citizens were in great sorrow, for the death of the kings two children. The kings only son, called Eochadh had died a natural death, in his bedroom. The king's daughter, and a sister to the young prince, had just been drowned, in the adjoining river, now known as the Liffey.
She had ventured into the deep part, for the purpose of bathing. Her name was Dublinia, and from her Dublin is thought to have derived its name. (Joceylyn note) The young lady's body was drawn out of the waters after some considerable search, and laid by her brother's corpse, in order that their funeral rites might be solemnized together.
According to the superstition of the pagans, the tombs were prepared. In the meantime, news was spread over all the city, that "St. Patrick, the potent reviver of many dead persons", (What a reputation !!) had been seen in the town. For He, who burst asunder the gates of death and of hell, smoothed the path for his servant.
The king and the people, who before had said to the Lord, "depart from us, we will not the knowledge any of thy ways," were so cast down, saddened with grief, that all of their rebellion and all their barbarous rudeness, and all the pride of their idolatry, were utterly subdued.
The king, hearing of St. Patrick's arrival, greatly rejoiced, and caused him to come in, where his two children lay dead. He then promised, with all those present, if God restored his children to life, that he and all the citizens would become Christians. Seeing such a gain of souls, in the sight of the king, his nobles, and all the common people, Patrick raised from death to life those princely children, whose bodily resurrection co-operated much towards the spiritual resurrection of their father, with the rest of his people. The king and all his subjects, being astonished at this great miracle, turned away from the worship of idols, and they were baptized in the well (spring). From that day the King and all the people worshiped God and gave liberally to Patrick, so that he was able to give to the poor in that place and other places and have enough to build churches.
Ref. Lives of the Irish Saints -O'Hanlon. Ecclesiatical History of Ireland, Rev. Dr. Lanigan. Sexta Vita S. Patricii, Joycelin notes.
Patrick and The Kings Daughters, and Patrick's Fast and Petitions For Ireland 434 A.D.
Friday, March 12, 1999
Kathie Walters wrote:
Patrick and his companions arrived in the early morning at Tulsk, in the county of Roscommon. As they sat down near the fountain known as Clibach they were approached by the two daughters of King Leogaire, who were intending to bathe in the fountain. Seeing the young clerics with their books in front of them, the young women wondered at the strange sight so early in the morning.
The two women, Eithne and Feidelm, inquired of Patrick as to what race he was from and where he had come presently come from. "Are you some kind of gods?" asked Eithne. "It is better for you to ask about our God than to inquire as to our race," said Patrick. "Where is God to be found, is He under the earth? or in the streams? Or in the hills and valleys?' asked Eithne. "Is He beautiful and to be loved? How is He to be found?" she continued.
Patrick, full of the Holy Spirit replied, "Our God is the God over all, of heaven and earth: the God of the seas and rivers: the God of the sun and moon and stars: the God of the high mountains and lowly valleys; He quickens all things, He gives the light to the sun and moon, He created the waters in dry land, He places islands in the middle of the sea, and placed the stars in the heavens." Patrick went on tell of God's son - Jesus. The two sisters being of one heart cried out and said, "Our only desire to see Him face to face." Patrick baptized both women and loved Christ with all their hearts - for they had sought the true God for a long time.
Shortly after both sisters died. Two druids, Mael and Caplait entered into a great conflict with Patrick over this, as the youngest daughter was the foster-daughter of Caplait. Patrick preached the gospel to Caplait and he became a believer to the great anger of the other druid, Mael. "I will win him back to our gods and cause him to leave you," he said to Patrick. Patrick with great patience preached and reasoned with him until he also gave his heart to God.
Patrick continued to travel and preach to every town and village with many miracles and signs and wonders.
Patrick's Prayers For Ireland
Patrick went to a high mountain in the range of Mayo in order to seek God and to fast and pray. For 40 days he fasted with watching and prayers and travail. Toward the end of the fast, the mountain was surrounded by many demons in the form of large black birds, screaming and giving off a foul smell. Patrick continued singing Psalms and hymns to no avail. Finally Patrick threw his bell at the birds and commanded the to leave. They left and immediately he was surrounded by an angelic choir. Also the angel who was always Patricks companion, Victor, came and said, "Everything you select shall be yours, every land - both hills and valleys, glens and woods. Every petition shall be granted."
Patricks first petition was that every Irish man, woman and child would have opportunity to hear the Gospel and secondly, that barbarian invaders should not prevail against the Irish people. Victor commanded Patrick to get down from the mountain, but Patrick refused until every petition he asked was granted. Patrick contnued to ask for many blessings for Ireland.
What if we as the Body of Christ were to become a people known as "the potent revivers of many dead persons"? Would the world hear our words then? If we fasted for 40 days and became full of the presence of God would the world pause in the business of their daily lives and listen to us? What would happen if one day a week we opened our homes to those who have not been born into the Kingdom and "showed them the Way" without ever "evangelising them" but rather simply loving them in to His Kingdom?
Do you want to taste the waters of revival? Do you want to drink deep from it's well? This is a great way to start. Jesus was always in someone's house he was always looking for a place to manifest The Kingdom. Will you open your house and home as a place where the Kingdom may manifest?
AN INSTRUCTIONAL PRAYER FROM CUTHBERT:
Cuthbert knew that he was going to leaving this world and sat down and dictated his final instructions for the brethren.
"Live at peace with one another, when you meet try and agree and be of one mind. Live at peace with those around you and never treat anyone else with contempt. Always welcome others to your monastery(HOME). Never imagine that you or your way of life is superior to others, all who share the Christian faith are equal in Gods sight..."
When he had finished speaking he was very quiet. He stayed quiet until the evening when he took communion. As he took the bread he lifted his arms upward as if embracing someone, then his face filled with joy, he gave up his spirit to God.
Cuthberts' life was filled with incredible spiritual miracles including incidents with animals and birds which was fairly common with the Celtic church (came from the stream of the church which flowed from the Desert fathers in Egypt).
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