Currently Reading: The Celtic Way of Evangelism, by George G. Hunter

This book does a great job of describing the purpose and function of the people of God in the task of evangelism. Picture this: you arrive in a city on a buisness trip. The hotel your company has reserved for you swears they never got the reservation. So you are stuck; homeless. Walking hopelessly down the street, you notice a man waving at you. You walk over to him, and after hearing your story he offers you a place with his family during your stay. Upon entering his “house” you see it is more like a monastery, complete with monks, gardens, and activity. You pass by several of the “cells” that the monks live in, and you begin to wish you had happened across another stranger. Still, you are thankful for his kindness, and as you approach your room you find it is the master! Its bed pillows are softer than the ones you have at home! It has a jacuzzi! This is the life! A feast is prepared in your honor, and several of the monks break their fasting to eat with you. Amidst the activities of service, you hear the monks offering prayers to God, thanking himfor the food, but also prayers for washing the dishes, sweeping the floors, and riding their bicycle! This is truly a community that understands God, and they seem to undestand where you are coming from too. Could this possibly be God reaching out to you through these people?

These are the Celts of the 5th and 6th century. Hospitality and evangelism were the two most important values to their monasteries; a cornerstone for their entire Christian experience. These Celts created church much differently than the prevailing world understood it; “unorthodox” to the world, but indigenous to Celtic culture. Ownership of their own faith had transformed into a God-movement that could not be stopped.

What can we learn from these Celtic peoples? I am asking myself what it means to live out-loud for Jesus in the midst of a community. What makes the church different than a Kiwanis Club? Are hospitality and evangelism still so intricately linked in our faith communities today? What would happen if we took seriously the parable of the Good Samaritan?

It was a special night last night for our house church.

On Tuesday’s this semester, our MRNA group (Missionary Residency in North America. A program I’m in that trains us in developing church planting movements) meets for an experience in simple church. Last night a young couple from Cambridge stopped by and led us in worship and prayer. It was amazing. They modeled our time together after what they do in their house church in England.

It began with 30 minutes of praise, and welcoming God into our living room. People took positions of all sorts; kneeling, arms extended, praying out loud or silent. The spontaneous element did not necessarily mean the Spirit was there, but it sure took us out of our comfortable structured worship that many of us are used to. It is in the discomfort that the Spirit is most able to find us and speak to us!

After this, we spent the rest of the evening just praying together. It was a powerful experience. Praise was powerful, petition was pervasive, and thanksgiving was thorough! Many confessed sins, and still more asked for God’s guidance. Others gave a Word they believed to be important to the group. I’ve never been a part of anything like it. All I can say is, “I know the Spirit was there. And I want to be there again!”

“The world pours out its best wine first and switches to the cheap wine after people’s discernment has been dulled. But our Lord’s miracle of turning the water into wine teaches us that for those who follow him, the best is reserved for last.” — Kenneth Boa

I never truly understood why Jesus would begin his public ministry with this miracle. Among the many possibilities, one might be a reminder that Jesus is coming to usher in the last days with some of the best and most exciting “wine” yet! He is continuing to love and develop his people into a bride worthy for him, and as time goes on, more and more exciting things happen!

Later, Jesus cautions his listeners not to pour new wine into old wineskins. A few days ago, I heard this from an up and coming missionary to China:
“What Christ wants to pour into us is not easily contained in the wineskins we hold our Christianity in today.”

We’re out looking for new ways of holding the wine that gets better and better as we approach eternity with God! Whatever our faith may look like, however we may worship (in a house, a field, or a huge complex, in whatever ways we glorify him through community, it must be prepared to hold the wine that Christ gives us.

Isn’t it GREAT to know that Christ plans to give us more and more delicious gifts from heaven as we approach eternity? Okay, a third quote:
“Truly truly, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will also do; and he will do greater works that these.”