The Iona Vision and Why It Matters To Us

Island of Iona, Scotland

History


In the year 563, a priest and monk named Columcille (later called St. Columba) and 12 companions left the comfort of Christian Ireland and set off for northern Britain.  Their purpose: to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the Picts.  The Picts were a people in bondage, not necessarily economic or political bondage, but spiritual bondage.  They had heard of Christianity, but they were immersed in a despairing pagan darkness.  Even the Picts who thought of themselves as Christian were bound to cultural legalisms and fundamental misunderstandings of the Gospel.


While Columcille and his group were on their way to Britain, a storm arose suddenly and blew their tiny boat ashore on  a small island called Iona.  Taking this unexpected event as a sign from God, they chose to base their evangelism from this unusual place and founded an abbey.  The abbey was, literally, an island of safety where the community could fast, pray, worship, and be discipled.  It was also a place where they could bring both the converted and the searching in order to show them what the beloved family of God looked like when gathered.


But Iona was not just a place of retreat.  Far from it.  It was primarily a staging ground for the assault of the Kingdom of God against the kingdoms of darkness.  From this base, Columcille and the members of his growing community went forth into the lands of the Picts.  After a while, they began to establish daughter communities on the mainland. They also sent their missionaries far and wide, even into the impenetrable darkness of Germany.  All the while, the community maintained its connection to the Church in Ireland, submitting to the leadership of the broader Body of Christ.  As the years progressed, Iona became a place of major influence in Northern England and Scotland and the center of Christianity for generations.

Celtic Christianity


Celtic Christianity is the form of our faith practiced by Columcille, and it is the historical basis of the Christianity of England and of Anglicanism.  It is marked by a variety of traits, some of which are:
* Evangelistic fervor: they were devoted to freeing those in spiritual darkness.
* Orthodox faith: they were true to the Scriptures and the traditional faith.
* Outwardly focused: they laid their lives down for those beyond their borders.
* Personal relationship: they were personal disciples of Jesus Christ.
* Experience with God: they were people of prayer and vision who encountered God.
* Repentant hearts: while believing in the goodness of their remade hearts, they also sought repentance and amendment of life in their sinfulness.
* Communal life: they were devoted to one another, and they welcomed and incorporated newcomers and new believers.
* Liturgical worship: they worshiped God in holiness.
* Charismatic power: they called on the Lord and saw Him move.
* Flexible wills: they were willing to change and grow as the Lord moved them.
* Creative spirits: they respected God’s creation, and they generated arts and music which brought Him glory.
* Balanced existence: they sought a life of freedom through balance.                   

 *Beatific Vision: they wanted to live in Christ and pursued that life on progressively deeper and deeper levels through their common life.
* Christ as King: above all else, they adored Jesus as their Lord.


In other words, the Ionan community represented the very best of the Christian life. And they call us forward, as part of the “great cloud of witnesses,” to a faith in God which is both ancient in its roots and progressive in its implementation.

How Our Church Will Proceed

The Anglican Church is deeply rooted in the Celtic church and the Benedictine order.  Our vision is shaped by primarily Scripture, but the Iona narrative is what has inspired the vision of this church. While we do not believe that Iona was (or that there ever has been) a golden age of the church, we desire to learn from this story and be shaped by the wisdom of the Ionan church.  Our vision is an Ionan vision. 

            Church of the Advent seeks to bring the redemptive power of Jesus Christ to the dark places of Columbia.  Our vision is shaped by the same values that were central to the life of the Celtic Church, those listed above.  Church of the Advent is developing into a missional staging ground to grow strong communities of discipleship and service out of downtown Columbia.  Our community will be self giving in the way that Christ gave himself for us.  We will put the gospel and the spiritual well being of Columbia before our own comfort or desires. This means that we are committed to prayer, service, and discipleship based in Columbia.  The church will grow through dicipleship groups that eat, pray, and study together.  We will also grow through service to this community and especially those in this community who are in need. 

            Church of the Advent will also be a community that welcomes everybody, wherever they are with God.  It is not our goal to pressure or judge people, but to call them into a community of love, reconciliation, and relationship with Jesus Christ. The Ionan vision guides us to be an open, honest, and transformational community, and by following that vision, we can show people the life-giving light of Christ.

ANNOUNCEMENT: New Dinner/Study group on Sundays 6:30--8:30pm

We are starting a new dinner/study group!!!  On Sunday nights from 6:30--8:30pm, we will eat some delicious food, have Compline worship service, and study the spiritual disciplines.  We will look at what the disciplines are, why we should do them, and what the Bible and Christian tradition has to say about them.  This Sunday is the first meeting, so come join us for some food, prayer, and study! Email adventpastor@gmail.com for directions.

An Evening with Rev. Ernest Mahoro--recap

"The church has the power to tell people who are desperate that there is a chance to live again." 

Rev. Justin Hogg and Rev. Ernest Mahoro

Rev. Ernest Mahoro presented Columbians with a rare opportunity on the evening of Tuesday, August 31st. It was a chance to listen to the story of a man from the other side of the world, someone who has seen the devastation of genocide, the blight of poverty, and the instability of a weak government. The event was called “Rwanda: AIDS, Genocide, and the Church, an evening with Rev. Ernest Mahoro.” In the Friendship Room at Daniel Boone Public Library, a group of fifty people gathered to hear his story and ask questions.

The presentation began with Rev. Mahoro explaining that he is present in Columbia as part of a trip to visit his friends in Fulton, namely members of the Rwanda Community Partnership. He is currently residing in Ambridge, PA, while he attends Trinity School for Ministry to receive a Masters of Arts in Religion. He is married and has four children. Rev. Mahoro hopes that his visits will help form HIV/AIDS associations that can positively influence Rwanda.

Rev. Mahoro continued his presentation by addressing the church’s role in Rwanda’s social services. He said that in Rwanda “the church deals with life holistically, not just the spiritual but the physical.” Mahoro asserted that the reason that the church must take care of people’s physical needs is to follow the example of Jesus. “Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and visited the poor. He gave his whole life to the people of his time,” Mahoro continued. “Our community is poor, and people need food, clothes, and shelter. The church helps people meet those needs.”

The 1994 genocide left Rwanda’s population impoverished and the government unstable. Loss and depravity were widespread, and though the people have come a long way since then, there is still much to be done to improve Rwandans’ quality of life. Mahoro addressed this topic, speaking about the need for education, HIV/AIDS awareness, and responsible family planning. Mahoro said, “If the church works properly, it is helping the poor. The church is a healer.” He stressed the importance for care of widows and orphans. Because of the post-genocide devastation, many orphans grow up to be prostitutes if they are girls or they take to the streets if they are boys. This only enhances the HIV/AIDS crisis. Mahoro noted that while the government’s response of educating people about condoms was helpful, the church also has a responsibility to teach people about living a sexually moral life and refraining from sexual intercourse until marriage.

Mahoro also addressed the need for responsible family planning in Rwanda. He said that in Rwanda, “poor people have lots of kids because they don’t work. Food, medicine, and shelter are a problem because these people cannot afford to take care of a big family. The church is encouraging people to think responsibly about their family size.”

Vocational training is lacking for most Rwandans, and only 25% of the population go to high school while the rest return home and do not work. Much of Rwanda’s social and vocational education is the work of the church. The lack of education contributes to the continuing poverty in much of Rwanda, and Mahoro encouraged people to come to Rwanda and work as teachers.

Rev. Mahoro also asserted that the role of the church is not purely physical either, and the church has an important place in the spiritual lives of Rwandans as well. Due to the social problems resulting from the genocide and the AIDS crisis, many Rwandans feel helpless, hopeless, and lost. The suicide rate is high, and many people live in a state of chaos. Mahoro said, “The church has the power to tell people who are desperate that there is a chance to live again. People come to church, and they dance, they sing, they cry, and they receive hope.”

Reconciliation is one of the priorities of the church in Rwanda. Many people live among neighbors who killed their family in the genocide, and the work of the church is to help people forgive and reconcile with their neighbors. Mahoro said, “The church brings people together to talk, share problems, and pray. Peace and reconciliation are keys to unity in Rwanda. People must learn to trust each other and forgive each other in order for them to live at peace with each other. The church helps them do this.”

Rev. Mahoro concluded his presentation by asking for help. He said, “God has blessed America. You have more than you need. As brothers and sisters created in God’s image, we need to help communities outside of America.” He stressed the need for teachers and medical workers, and he noted that the government encourages communities to work with churches and pastors. Rev. Mahoro finished his speech with the exhortation to “do good—in all places, at all times, to all the people you can.”

If you have questions about how you can help, or if you have questions regarding Rev. Mahoro's visit, please contact adventpastor@gmail.com.

Rev. Ernest Mahoro to Visit Columbia!

Anglican Church of the Advent presents:

Rwanda: Genocide, AIDS, and the Church

An Evening with Rev. Ernest Mahoro

Daniel Boone Library

Tuesday, August 31st, 6:30pm

Join us for an exciting opportunity to meet Rev. Ernest Mahoro from Kibungo, Rwanda. An Anglican pastor and a Development Officer overseeing 110,00 parishioners, Rev. Mahoro has traveled the Rwandan countryside offering encouragement and training. He will share many valuable insights into Rwanda’s past and present as he discusses how his country, and specifically his church, has faced a severe AIDs crisis and the 1994 genocide. Rev. Mahoro will also invite questions after his presentation. Come and hear his story!

This event is open to the public.  Light refreshments will be served after the presentation.

Scripture to Consider: Communion

Matthew 26: 26-27 “While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to His disciples saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body.’ Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”



In the Church, we come together most through the Lord’s Supper (also called “Communion” and “Eucharist”). This is where we truly feed on Christ, and we become one. At the Communion table, we get a short glimspe of what it will be like when Christ returns and sets up His heavenly kingdom here on earth. This is a gift from God that gives us grace and stength to live life in this fallen world. It is through Communion that we are regularly reminded of the need to repent of our sin and of God’s grace offered through Christ. We receive that grace anew anytime we partake of His body and blood.

Scripture to Consider: Now and Not Yet

I John 3:2 “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”



The Church is a community that exists between two worlds. We live in the old world that is still controlled by sin, but we also live in a new world where the power of death and sin have been defeated by the blood of Christ. The old world is fading away, and someday soon it will no longer exist, and humanity will live in perfect peace with God. This will happen when Christ returns to establish His throne on earth and rules over everything. Therefore we must live this life in the victory we have already and in the hope of the future when Christ returns. Then the inward victory in our hearts will be seen throughout the world, and there will be no more sin, suffering, or death.

Scripture to Consider: the Church

Ephesians 1:18-23 “ I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."



We are called to be in community together. From the beginning God did not think it was good for people to be alone. The community we are called into is the body of Christ. Only the church has Jesus as its head, and it is the only true community. The Church will not pass away, and the community of the faithful is the eternal kingdom of God on earth. But we are not what we ought to be. We are fallen and sinful people who are in desperate need of God’s work in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Church only has one Jesus who is perfect at the head of the church, and the rest of us us are in desperate need of God’s help. The church is a hospital were the sick go to become well. The Church is not a place of perfect people but a place where fallen and broken people work together to become well. It is also a place where people come together to fullfill their destiny as worshippers of God. In one voice, we come together and worship God. This allows us to enter truly into one community and allows us for a short time to glimpse the heavenly realm of God. We enter into the church through the sacrament of Baptism. Though the church is vastly imperfect now, we believe that when Christ returns, He will bring all the churches together as one unified Church, and He will rule in perfect peace over all the world. In the meantime, we live in a season of waiting, during the time since Christ’s coming which started His kingdom, and we look forward in hope to the time of its completion with His return.

If you have questions about this, please contact adventpastor@gmail.com. This passage is taken from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

Scripture to Consider: Living By Faith

Romans 1:16-17 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" {cf Hab. 2:4}



Faith is that you trust in God. If you trust in God through Jesus Christ, who is our only bridge to God, then you are saved from death and sin. We are made righteous through our faith in God. When we trust in God through Jesus, Jesus takes our place in the eyes of God. God does not see our sins and faults but the perfection of Jesus and we are set free to love and serve Jesus.

If you have questions about this verse, please contact adventpastor@gmail.com. This passage is taken from the New International Version of Scripture.

The Holy Spirit and Witnessing

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."



Christ has died on a cross for us taking the wrath of God upon Himself for us. We can now look upon the work and teaching of Jesus, especially the cross of Christ, and understand what love really is about. It is the absolute self-abandoning, self-sacrifice of one person for the sake of another. Anything less than this is not love. Because of the love of Christ we are called to give our lives to Jesus and to love others through service to the downtrodden and by bringing the light of Jesus Christ to all the dark places in the world and proclaiming the Gospel. Therefore, Church of the Advent is a missional church, called to lead the lost of this world to the light of Christ. This is more than a one time conversion but a shift from one life enslaved to this world to a new life in Christ. This is an event that takes a lifetime. The Holy Spirit equips Christians with what we need to reach the lost through witnessing with our words, actions, and lives. The Holy Spirit also enables new Christians to mature in their faith and grow into a deeper and fuller relationship with God. All of this is made possible because the Holy Spirit is alive and at work around us and in the Church.

If you have questions about what this means, contact adventpastor@gmail.com.  This verse is from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

Scripture to Consider: Proclaiming Christ

Luke 4:18-19 "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."



This verse is a quote from Jesus during his ministry. He is saying that he has come to raise all those who are oppressed out of oppression and set them free. The ultimate way that Jesus released us from oppression was through his death, burial, and resurrection. Through this, Jesus conquered death and sin.


After Adam and Eve rebelled against God, humans became haters of God and each other. We were trapped in our own selfish nature, only serving our own desires. We were turned inward, feeding our own appetites. We were devouring ourselves from the inside out. But Christ came to turn us from ourselves to our creator. The only true food is the bread of life, which is Jesus himself. By partaking of life in Christ, we are set free from the death caused by Adam and Eve’s sin and our own sin, and we are brought into eternal life in Christ’s kingdom. Because we follow Christ, we also proclaim him and preach good news to the poor and the oppressed. We enact our life in His kingdom when we reach out to the poor and those in need of Christ.

Also see, John 6:32-35.
If you have questions about this verse or would like to learn more about what that means for this church, please contact adventpastor@gmail.com.  This passage is from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

Scripture to Consider: Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18 - 6:1 "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."




This verse represents God’s call on Church of the Advent to be ambassadors of God’s reconciling us to himself. What does that mean? To be reconciled with God is to replace a hostile relationship towards God with a loving relationship with God. This is only possible through Christ’s death on the cross which was the ultimate reconciliation of all humanity throughout time to God. When we reconcile with the community and act as agents of reconciliation, we are reciprocating the act of grace and generosity shown in Christ’s death for us. Through this we are able to love each other, and the best way to love another person is to show them the love of Christ.

If you have questions about this passage of Scripture, please contact adventpastor@gmail.com.  This passage comes from the New International Version of the Holy Bible.

What is Anglican? Part 4: A Church of Three Streams

The Anglican church embraces three streams of faith.

1.  Catholic: This does not mean “Roman Catholic,” which is one expression of Christian faith. When we say “catholic,” we mean universal faith throughout time, centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. To say “catholic,” is also a statement of hope and faith that one day all churches will be united under Christ.

2.  Evangelical: This means that our faith and practice focus on preaching the Gospel and people turning their hearts to Christ. We affirm that the Scripture is the word of God and the revelation of who God is. The Scriptures teach everything that a person needs for salvation. We are sinners in need of Christ’s salvation, and he came to seek the lost and hurting people of this world and set them free from sin and death.

3.  Charisma: The word “charisma” refers to the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the Holy Spirit is working in and through the church. The Holy Spirit empowers the Church through: prayer, both private and corporate; through the study, preaching, and teaching of God’s word; through Baptism and Eucharist (communion); and through other unexpected ways in the life of the church and the believer. This is a powerful belief because it means that we affirm that Christ will still heal us and perform miracles today through us.

The three streams of the church is a trinitarian concept that flows from the revelation of who God is. The streams merge in the Anglican concept of church and help believers learn to love God with heart, soul, and mind and to love their neighbors and themselves. We believe that God is three persons in one: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and we believe that humanity was created in the image of the triune God. This means that people were made for community because the person of God is a community. Christians best show God to the world when they create communities of love that reach out to the world.  For a Biblical statement on this, see John chapter 17.



If you have questions about the three streams or would like to learn more about what this means for our church in particular, contact me at adventpastor@gmail.com.

What is Anglican? Part 3: A Global Church

The Anglican church exists around the globe.  There are Anglican churches on every continent in countries such as Rwanda, Nigeria, Egypt, Singapore, Myanmar, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Brazil, Chile, Germany, Norway, and many more. We are community that not only enters into worship with those who came before us (see What is Anglican? Part 1: Ancient Roots) but with the whole world. We all worship together as one church. Worldwide there are over seventy million Anglicans, and most of them are not in the western world.

In the Anglican church, we believe that everybody is to worship God together as one people, followers of Christ who have been redeemed by God's grace. This community emphasis is increasingly important in the western world where individualism is destroying communities. The Anglican church represents a lively tradition that can interact with the culture around it without being compromised by that culture. The Book of Common Prayer, which we all use to worship, has been translated into many languages, and the music and style of a worship service can be altered to fit the cultural norms of any global setting.

We believe that Jesus Christ died for the whole world, and because of that, the Church is not limited to one national identity.  The Church is a far richer place when we interact with believers of other cultures. We believe that it is important to support our brothers and sisters in faith around the world by praying for them regularly, by giving money to churches in need, and (when possible) visiting churches of other nations to offer support and to learn from them.  If you want to learn more about the Anglican Church of the Advent's international ties, please contact me at adventpastor@gmail.com.

What is Anglican? Part 2: People of the Book

The Anglican church is liturgical.  Liturgy is the order of worship for a church, and every church has some kind of liturgy.  The Anglican Liturgy is written in the Book of Common Prayer, which was formulated by Thomas Cranmer during the English Reformation almost 500 years ago.  Anglicans all over the world worship together using the Book of Common Prayer. Though the Book of Common Prayer has been updated many times in past 500 years, almost the entirety of the liturgy  in the book remains interconnected with Scripture.  One of Cranmer's major goals in reforming the Roman Catholic prayer book was to eliminate anything that was not founded in Scripture. 

What is in the Book of Common Prayer?
The bulk of the book is literally prayers to God.  Many of these prayers form a worship service.  During a traditional Anglican worship service, the congregation hears four readings (often called "Lessons"): one from the Old Testament, one from the Epistles, one from the Gospels, and a Psalm.  Often the Lord's Prayer is recited, and one of the creeds of the Church (such as the Apostles' Creed or the Nicene) is said in unison by the congregation in order to regularly affirm their faith.  The pinnacle of an Anglican service is communion, and it is always last in the service because everything else in the service points to this special act of worship.  All of these, along with prayers for every occasion, can be found in the Book of Common Prayer.  If you are interested in finding out which Book of Common Prayer I recommend and how to use it, contact me at adventpastor@gmail.com. 

What is Anglican? Part 1: Ancient Roots

     The Anglican church has been built on ancient roots. We are a church that is shaped by Scripture as the word of God. In the Anglican church, we also value the past and the history of the church. We believe that wisdom and true faith has always existed in the church and that we are a part of a much larger picture that involves the whole history of the Church from the dawn of creation through time to the present day.
    We are shaped by the traditions and wisdom of the church both through time and throughout the world. We do not cling to our traditions for their own sake, but we believe that the traditions we follow express the Gospel of Christ. They allow people to submit themselves to something other than themselves and what they want.
     Following the traditions of the historical church can take many forms.  Some of these forms are visible in our worship, in the use of a liturgy, prayer book, and often icons in our worship.  Sometimes following the traditions is invisible in the Anglican church, such as the use of doctrines and prayers from the early church.  We seek to affirm and proclaim the gospel with the church through time to the present day world.

What do we mean by the "church through time"? 
Hebrews 12 says,"we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses ."
This means that those who have died and gone before us in the faith are alive in Christ and worshipping Him with us.  When we say the Sanctus during worship ["Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest"] we are proclaiming it with all of the heavenly realm.  During communion, we "join our voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven."  Many of our practices and beliefs were set into place long before us, and we continue to hold to those because of their truth in Christ.  When we say "church throughout time," we are affirming our place in a rich and complex history that has preceded us and will continue long after we are gone.

Who are we?

Welcome to the Anglican Church of the Advent blog. We are a church plant that desires to reach into the dark places of Columbia, MO, and share the light of Christ. The following points will give an idea of what that means in more detail.

• We are a missional expression of the Anglican Church. What does this mean? It means that we are committed to the worship of God because we were made to give God glory. It also means that we are committed to mission because we believe that all Christians are called to share the reconciling love of Christ to the world.
• We are committed to discipleship because we believe that all people are called, not to just come to Christ, but to be transformed in our knowledge and habits to become more like Christ.
• We are committed to service to this community and the least of this community. A church that does not care for the poor and the poor in spirit has lost the heart of Christ.
• We are committed to community.  We are called to love one another and be in community with one another through hospitality, worship, prayer, and service.
• We are a work in progress at this time, both as people in need of a savior and as a church plant.

If you want to be involved with planting a church or are just curious about the church, please email me at adventpastor@gmail.com. Also, the events posted on this blog are open to anybody who would like to come. Your presence and input is wanted and needed. We can also use prayer that God will show us the mission that is already being done through the Holy Spirit in Columbia and how we can enter into that mission. 

Not Quite Ready Yet!

This blog is currently under construction! We expect to have more to see in the next week or so! Visit again soon, and feel free to email with questions if you have them!
Thanks!