2023 Evangel Gathering - Friendship and Flourishing for Missions
44 • 2023 E vangel G athering • S acred R oots T hriving in M inistry : F riendship and F lourishing for M issions
c. Many spiritual classics follow the biblical example and share biographies or spiritual autobiographies of Christian leaders who are worthy of remembering, considering, and imitating (Heb 13:7). Examples from the SRSC include:
1) Tobit and Ben Sirach’s stories (SRSC 5)
2) Athanasias’ The Life of Anthony (SRSC 6)
3) John Woolman’s Journal (SRSC 12)
4) Theresa’s The Interior Castle (SRSC 15)
5) George Mueller’s Autobiography (SRSC 16)
B. Historical reasons to engage spiritual classics:
1. Examples from Sacred Roots
a. Reading Athanasias spiritual classic, Life of Anthony, led Augustine to commit his life to ministry and to launch a movement of disciples that has lasted fifteen centuries. 16
1) Augustine’s proverb, “What you wish to ignite in others must first burn inside your heart.”
a) This motto continues to animate the Augustinian Novacella Monastery located in the Italian Alps.
b) This monastery has been in continuous operation since it was founded in 1142.
c) Augustine’s life and the spiritual classics he wrote has nurtured movements of Christian leaders that have lasted for over fifteen centuries.
16 David Wright, “The Life Changing ‘Life of Antony,’” Christian History Institute (blog), 1999, https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/life-changing-life-of-antony.
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