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I want, tonight, to look at some examples of early Christian communities and to consider how we, the faith community of Holy Trinity Devonport, stand in their tradition.

Pachomius, an Egyptian monk, who lived from 290-346AD, found that the work of God was easier and more effectively done when those labouring lived in a supportive environment. He was a pioneer as he wrote a basic rule of community in which he emphasised efficient organisation and the rule of elder monks over the newly professed. The Rule of Pachomius became popular and the movement towards communal life began in earnest. The first real revolution in Christian community came when St Basil the Great taught the idea and concept of communal monasticism based on love, holiness and obedience. Basil’s view was outward looking and focused on the importance of a servant attitude. He taught that those in the community had a duty of care and service to all Christian society: They should care for orphans and widows, feed the poor, nurse the sick and elderly, educate children, and even provide work for the unemployed. Indeed, Basil himself, who was a man of some means, used up all his own resources establishing hospitals, schools and hostels.

Christian communities exist to serve and praise God. The communities of faith which were the great monasteries were organised around worship. Observation of the Daily Office meant that the community prayed together eight times a day:

1)      Matins – which began at midnight

2)      Lauds – which followed immediately afterwards

3)      Prime – at sunrise

4)      Terce – at mid-morning (around 9am)

5)      Sext – at noon

6)      Nones – at mid-afternoon (around 3pm)

7)      Vespers – at twilight or early evening (i.e. the time of Evensong)

8)      Compline – just before bed

In between worship the members of the communities, monks and nuns, would serve God and put the Gospel into practice through doing different kinds of physical work, providing charitable services, and teaching. Some of them got involved in activities that you may not necessarily associate with those of religious – making alcohol. The requirement of wine for Mass led to the discovery of méthode champenoise by a man who is still revered today by many connoisseurs, Dom Perignon; the famous liquor Benedictine was made by monks of that order, whilst Trappist monks became known for the brewing of beer. Dom Perignon, and all the others, did the work that God had equipped them to do and, as each undertook their area of responsibility according to their gifts, a vibrant witnessing and serving community grew.

As I am sure you are aware, these dedicated Christians virtually single-handedly kept learning alive during the Dark Ages and provided the vast bulk of education right through until the advent of the universities and cathedral schools in the High Middle Ages.

A number of communities and orders grew up, and then transplanted houses and members in many different parts of Europe. Some of the more well-known groups that lived in community serving God in their various locations included the Franciscans, who followed the Rule of St Francis of Assisi; the Benedictines, who followed the Rule of St Benedict of Nursia; the Cistercians, whose great spiritual leader was that giant St Bernard of Clairvaux; and the Augustinians who followed the teaching and example of St Augustine of Hippo.

Let us stop for a minute. What does this sound like? Who does this remind you of? Yes, that’s right: It reminds you of the work and mission of Holy Trinity. Just like St Basil and the monks existed to know Christ and make Christ known, that is the pledge we make and the mission statement that our parish follows. While we are not in community in the sense of being cloistered together physically, we are most certainly part of a community of faith. We also have another important experience in common with the monks of old: Both they, and us, come to the parish church to partake in the sacraments. Most monks and, obviously, all nuns, were in fact lay-people as the majority of us are and were called to be set apart, as indeed we, by our calling as Christ followers are also.

Think about how our calling and Christian community has so much in common with our forebears in the faith. They had regular worship and time to study the Word of God and pray. So do we in our context. We have Sunday morning and evening services, and services mid-week. We have small groups, as we will have during 40 Days of Community where we can do even more in-depth learning, study and sharing. We, too, have out own personal quiet times and opportunities for being with God. We also carry out on a daily basis the vocation that God has laid upon us.

The community of Holy Trinity is also led the way that early Christian communities were led with a number of people set apart as elders to undertake certain designated responsibilities. We too, have our own pastor to teach and care for us in the form of Abbot Murray Spackman! He is assisted by the Reverend Mother, Charmaine, and our group of elders with special responsibilities: the parish vestry. A further parallel is in the area of gifts – in every age the gospel has been progressed and service rendered by God’s people through the exercising of special gifts given to them for the mission of the Church and the glory of God. Just as the monks had cooks and workers, gardeners and apothecaries and people who were responsible for hospitality, so too the life of the modern-day Church and, indeed, the Church of the future, relies on the gifts of the people of God to communicate our Saviour’s love for the whole world. Like our brethren of long ago, it should be our desire for our community to be a shelter for the weary; a place where the lonely, desperate and needy find love and compassion, a hot cup of tea or a meal, and the heart of Christ.

What I want to emphasise is that we stand in a holy and hallowed tradition of service and devotion to Christ. I think that we should rejoice and be glad that, in our own time and place, we are living the gospel as Christians have in every age. But – and this is the really exciting part – there exists, in 40 Days of Community, the opportunity to see how we can do it better! Nothing or no-one is perfect, so now’s the opportunity to be still and wait on God; now’s the time to ask Him to refine us, to make us more like Him and more effective for Him. I think that it’s a wonderful gift and one that we should all grab with two hands because that which enhances our community, and its mission of service, will bless generations to come.