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Tag Archives: Basil of Caesarea

Basil ā€“ A Clue to the Future

How do we develop churches that effectively engage in mission and, at the same time, possess spiritual depth? Basil of Caesarea (330-379) may provide a clue for us. Basil was a creative leader, theologian, monk, community developer, and bishop. Inspired by the devotion of the Egyptian desert monks, he was troubled by their lack of mission. As a result, he moved their monastic houses from the desert to the city so they could go outside their walls to serve the poor and needy. He wanted them to function as role models for people in local churches as well. (See Scott Sunquist’s book Understanding Mission.) He transformed monastic houses into vehicles of mission. Monks and nuns were dedicated to a holy life ā€“ for the sake of the church and her mission. For the next 400 years, this then became the norm in Persia, Ethiopia, Egypt, North Africa (Augustine lived in a type of monastic. Read more.

Learning to Lead from the Best

Most Christian leaders today look primarily to secular entrepreneurs in order to learn how to leadā€“ e.g. Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos. That is a good thing. My deep concern is proportion. We donā€™t spend nearly as much time sitting at the feet of Christian leaders who are prayerful, discerning, and biblical. The best models I know come out of early church history. OrigenĀ (182-251) was the head of a famous catechetical school (or seminary) in Alexandria Egypt. For Origen, all Scripture was the ā€œmusic of God.ā€ He was so ascetic in his lifestyle that, to avoid slander arising out of his wide ministry and to serve his quest for perfection in Christ, he castrated himself in accordance to Matthew 19:12. Regardless of our opinion of his actions, it demonstrates his all-out commitment to live what he was preaching. AthanasiusĀ (300-373) was a deacon in the church in Egypt and a great defender of Scripture.. Read more.

Learning to Lead from the Best

Most Christian leaders today look primarily to secular entrepreneurs in order to learn how to lead– e.g. Jack Welch, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos. That is a good thing. My deep concern is proportion. We don’t spend nearly as much time sitting at the feet of Christian leaders who are prayerful, discerning, and biblical. The best models I know come out of early church history. Origen (182-251) was the head of a famous catechetical school (or seminary) in Alexandria Egypt. For Origen, all Scripture was the ā€œmusic of God.ā€ He was so ascetic in his lifestyle that, to avoid slander arising out of his wide ministry and to serve his quest for perfection in Christ, he castrated himself in accordance to Matthew 19:12. Regardless of our opinion of his actions, it demonstrates his all-out commitment to live what he was preaching. Athanasius (300-373) was a deacon in the church in Egypt and a great defender. Read more.