“The power to transform societies
and to redeem the human condition
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.
