“The power to transform societies and to redeem the human condition
finds roots in the stored wisdom of the human past.”
finds roots in the stored wisdom of the human past.”
~Thomas Oden
1. Supremacy of the First Command :: Although we long for social justice and peace on Earth, we long for the One who is Justice Himself, and understand that there will be no ultimate peace until His Kingdom comes in fullness. Therefore, as we tarry, we position ourselves to minister to and receive ministry from the One who loves us first and foremost. We join with the Holy Spirit in saying, “Come Lord Jesus, Come!” We place prayer, worship, and communion with God as the top priority of every Christian endeavor. We also understand that if the Kingdom of God does not flow in us, it cannot effectively flow through us to a lost and broken world. The new monastic values intimacy with God not only as a means to a ministry end, but also as an end in and of itself. “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? Jesus replied, Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” ~Matthew 22:36-38
2. Sacred
Space:: Weather it be an abandoned
warehouse in an urban context, a closet in a single mother’s apartment, or a log
cabin in the country, we value places set aside for worship and prayer, and
believe that these places can become sacred “thin places” as the early Celtic
Christians used to call them. Places
where the vale between heaven and earth is pulled back so that the presence of
God is made manifest. When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought,
“Surely the Lord is in this
place, and I was not aware of it.” He was afraid and
said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of
God; this is the gate of heaven.” ~Genesis
28:16-17
3. Simplicity ::
Rather than making an official vow of poverty, the new monastics live in the
reality of Proverbs 30:8 “…give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.”
new monastics understand that we are owners of nothing but are stewards
of everything that the Master places within our sphere of influence and
responsibility. Therefore, we choose to
be financially responsible, environmentally conservative, and relationally
careful. Our simplicity does not arise from a
political agenda or social trend, rather it comes from the Holy Spirit’s love
and concern for human beings and the creation that they inhabit; and so we tread
this earth with an open hand and a gentle foot.
Possessions do not govern the life of the new monastic nor does the
tyranny of the urgent. For this reason,
the new monastic not only craves silence and solitude, but his or her rule of
life demands it in order to maintain the delicate balance of being “in the world
but not of it”. Simplicity for the new
monastic is cultivating a deliberate lifestyle wherein life’s worries, riches
and pleasures find difficult ground to grow.
It is in this simplicity that the Word of God is free to grow without
being choked out by the business of life and the deceitful allure of riches.
~Matthew 13:22
4. Radical
Generosity :: The command of Jesus is simple: “Give to everyone
who asks you…” Luke 6:11. Because new
monastics value simplicity and aim to follow the Sermon on the Mount radically,
giving is not an option. We give when we
have plenty to share; we give even when it hurts. Giving includes our time, our talents, and
our money. The deceitfulness of riches
and the pain of extreme poverty can present great danger to the Christian
soul. In light of this, the new monastic
sets his heart and his hand to battle with all vigilance, these two extremes
with the weapon of generosity.
5. Availability :: As
Christ followers, we must be available to God and for people. New Monasticism may best describe the art of
availability or hospitality through The Rule of Saint
Benedict, which states in Chapter 53
“All guests who arrive should be received as Christ.” He also stressed the
importance of listening and being “present” to those whom God would send our
way. According to Holyhead and Muir in
The Gift of Saint Benedict, “A
listening ear, a quiet place for prayer, a healing space to balance the frenetic
clutter of everyday pressures, an environment of simple beauty, these are all
aspects of Benedictine spirituality.” Do not
neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained
angels unawares. ~Hebrews 13:2
6. Night
and Day Prayer :: in a world of
words, activism bears little fruit unless it is born, bathed and nurtured in
prayer. Every new monastic work will in
some way reflect the value and practice of night and day prayer that calls out
for Jesus and justice. This prayer
movement will be fueled by intimacy, aided by liturgy, made enjoyable by music,
and energized by the imminence of Christ’s second advent. ~Luke 18:1-8 Isaiah
62, Revelation 5:8, 2 Peter 3:11-13.
7. Justice :: The
New Monastics will actively pursue justice and
freedom from oppression for all humanity.
However, before racial reconciliation, gender equality, or
economic ills can be addressed, the sanctity of all human life must be the first
focus for the New Monastic Movement. Without this chief cornerstone of justice
in place, any attempt for ministries to call forth justice in the earth will
lack authority and authenticity. Therefore New Monasticism must champion the
rights of the unborn, the elderly and those faced with war and genocide! We believe that any ministry attempt to
bring social justice that is not rooted in the sanctity of human life and the
Imago Dei paradigm has lost its compass.
“Then God said, “Let Us make man
in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of
the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all [a] the earth and over every creeping thing
that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He
created him; male and female He created them.
Then God blessed them, and God said to them,
“Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the
fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that
moves on the earth.” ~Genesis 1:26-28
8. Relational,
Nurturing Community
:: The New Monastic must understand
that the eternal journey is not a solo one.
Our pilgrimage must happen in the context of community. It must be disciple making in its thrust and
mirror the three-fold nurturing model found in Acts 2:42: Continuing in the
teachings of the apostles, sharing fellowship and Holy Communion together, and
attending corporate prayer gatherings.
The community could be a loosely structured group of family and friends
or could be a highly organized structure; however, no matter its look or feel,
it must be relational and accountable in nature. The New Monastic community
needs to be a safe place where relationship with God and others is nurtured and
authenticity is encouraged. Restoration
and healing should be its hallmarks. The
family is to be recognized as one of God’s primary weapons of warfare in the
community and single celibates are embraced as treasured individuals with unique
callings and needs. Each New Monastic
community, whether it be an inner city mission, a large rural family, or a
suburban mega church, should be progressing toward or already have in place each
of the following: 1) a rule of life together 2) a catechism/discipleship tract
for spiritual formation 3) a rhythm of life as outlined by the Christian or
Jewish year 4) a formal rite of initiation and/or membership in the community to
foster a sense of belonging, commitment and stability.
9. Submission
to Christ’s Body:: Members of a New
Monastic community will be marked with a spirit of humility and submission to
one another. Each community should
follow the example given to us in Philippians 2:2-4 by “…being
like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit. Rather, in humility, value
others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to
the interests of others.” The community will also show honor to its
elders and leaders in the Lord. The New Monastics are not afraid of Godly
leadership and welcome healthy and responsible spiritual authority as a means of
accountability, discipline, counsel, and consolation. Hebrews 13:17, 1 Peter 5:5, Ephesians
5:2
10. Fasted
Lifestyle :: New Monastic communities will be committed to a
common lifestyle of simplicity, sexual purity, sharing, silence, solitude,
praise and worship, contemplation, confession, intercessory prayer, and
fasting. Along with these spiritual
disciplines, New Monastics will be radical in their adherence to the Sermon on
the Mount (found in chapters 5-7 in the book of Matthew) as prescribed by its
leaders and agreed upon by the members of the community.
11. Missional :: On
the surface, the history of monasticism may appear to be a movement of
individuals who sought to separate themselves from the toxic influence of the
world by withdrawing into isolation.
However, the history of monasticism paints a much different picture for
those who have taken the time to study the evangelistic effect and influence of
monasticism. The monastic movement has been the birthplace for numerous
missions’ movements throughout the history of the Church. Therefore, New Monasticism will also be
marked by a strong compulsion to spread the Gospel and make disciples, whether
it be to our neighbors across the street or the un-reached people groups of the
1040 window. New Monastics must obey the
Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-19 and maintain a compassionate
calling to minister to the poor and persecuted throughout the world.
12. Ancient-Future
Orthodoxy :: Along with “right
practice” (or orthopraxis), the New Monastic movement must also be diligent and
careful to maintain orthodoxy (or right belief) by safeguarding the apostolic
teaching as established and defined in the five-fold
dictum: One Bible, Two Testaments, Three Creeds (Apostles, Nicene, Athanasian),
Four Councils, and first Five Centuries
of the Church. The Vincentian Rule
should also apply to the New Monastic movement: “In the world-wide community
of believers every care should be taken to hold fast to what has been believed
everywhere, always, and by all (Ubique, Semper, Ad Omnibus). As Thomas Oden says in his book The Rebirth
of Orthodoxy, “Classic Christian teachings holds fast to what has been
believed and consented to around the world by Christians of all times and
places.” Ancient Future Orthodoxy
guards the message of the apostolic tradition and keeps it from being highjacked
by new doctrines that have no Biblical or historical basis. The New Monastic
movement must be diligent to maintain classical orthodoxy and not deviate into
strange adaptations of the Gospel influenced by social trends or political
expedience. While being ever vigilant to guard the sacred Biblical message of
the past, ancient-future orthodoxy must be progressive in its missional,
formative and stylistic approach towards living out the Gospel. With that said, the New Monastic movement
should also strive to operate in the spirit of the following statement offered
by Count Zinzendorf, who many believe to be the father of New Monasticism:
“In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things love.” The New Monastics will not cave into
the lures of ecumenicalism at the cost of orthodoxy, but will look for common
ground with those who share in the unity of the faith though they may differ on
particular elements of practice and/or worship expression. Titus 2:1, 2
Timothy 1:13, 2 Timothy 4:3-5.
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