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.