Joining a monastery
- Thread starter elysian
- Start date
-
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
He mentioned St Antony so I asked him if he had read his biography. St Antony was the first famous hermit.
Anthony was one of the desert fathers, a hermit who lived out in the Egyptian desert in a cave, which is now a Coptic shrine. He is one of the foudners of monasticism. You see the point of monasticism was to live as hermits but most people couldn't hack it as hermits because it was so tough living in isolation, so they decided to form communities of hermits. Sounds weird when you say it that way but that's how it was once expained to me. You see monks and nuns are all individually hermits of a kind, they pray alone, contemplate alone and work alone for most of the time but they are also there for oneanother because the ascetic life is tough.
Some orders are stricter than others and some have more isolation than others like the Carthusians for example who live in individual houses apart from their brethren and are fed by servants who push food through a special hatch and they never see or speak to anyone. Then there are orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans that are out there in the public. So monasticism ahs come along way since the days of St NAthony.
Some orders are stricter than others and some have more isolation than others like the Carthusians for example who live in individual houses apart from their brethren and are fed by servants who push food through a special hatch and they never see or speak to anyone. Then there are orders like the Franciscans and Dominicans that are out there in the public. So monasticism ahs come along way since the days of St NAthony.
God doesn't call us to be hermits. He created is to be of service to Him by being available and of service to others. His desire is to use us to reach the world for Christ. Living in isolation or in some way sequestered away from the world, or choosing to live in lack of any sort is serving self.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Only if you do not believe in the power of prayer. Cloistered monks and nuns spend their time praying for the world. Monks and nuns that are not cloistered spend their time praying for the world and serving their communities. There is nothing to criticize here.
Some people are called to live in cloisters and some people are called to live in the world. We don't all have the same calling.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
If you don't believe in the power of prayer, then you need a revelation. People who know Christ intimately defintiely beleive in the power of prayer. We are all to spend time praying, but we are also supposed to be balanced---outward-focused, discipling the world. God doesn't call us to an unbalanced life.
Matthew 28:19
Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
I agree, it is self evident, Luther didn't need to except that Rome kept denying the obvious and since She still holds to the Council of Trent, She still denies 'by faith alone'. Actually the more exact expression is 'by grace alone, through faith alone'.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
The entire framework of Benedictine spirituality is balance. Most monasteries follow the Rule of St. Benedict.
Sounds like you are blaming Catholics for Luther adding to scripture.
The life lived in Christ is balanced. Monasteries are superfluous to a serious walk with Christ. I suppose, thouugh, if the church one belongs to isn't doing a good job in teaching the word and training in ministry, then perhaps a short time out for an encounter with God is in order, and if monsateries can provide that, it is a good thing. However, if one is starving in their church, then they need to ask the Lord to lead them somewhere else.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Have you been to a monastery? If you have not, how do you know what they are about or what they offer or teach? I belong to a monastery and am Christ-centered when I am there and when I am home in my parish. However, I have been clear on this thread that monasteries are not places to run away to. You have to be a committed follower of Christ and have a special vocation in order to flourish.
What is that 'special vocation' that one needs to flourish? Right away that smacks of favoritism, which the Lord instructs us against.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Really? Do you reject the idea that Christ needs to call you before you can become a minister? How about a missionary? I believe you have to be call to these vocations if you expect to be blessed and experience success. Or is this favoritism?
All Christians are called to be ministers. The word 'minister' means 'servant'. It is beneficial to really understand what the word says and means. We are all called to be missionaries---as in the great commission---called to preach the gospel to every creature.
We don't have to be called to anything apart from that to obey God.
As far as success goes:
Joshua 1:8
Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
We are called by God into specific vocations based on our gifts.
1 Corinthians 12
Some have very menial vocations, but they do not always correspond ot our spiritual gifitings or God-given natural talents. We are called to use whatever God has given us with all our might, no matter where we find ourselves in life, vocationally speaking.
However, we are all called to be ministers of the gospel, as called disciples of Jesus Christ.
Mark 16:17-18
These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. [sup]18[/sup] They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
No, I am simply defending Luther against Rome's attack on justification through faith alone apart from works/law.
aspen
“"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few
Even though there is no verse in the Bible that says 'faith alone'? Except the one that Luther added to............
Similar threads
