Anthony of Egypt (a.k.a. St. Anthony, first of the Desert Fathers and Mothers, founder of the monastic movement, and my namesake) set out for the desert wilderness to find the deep treasures of God. He lived at a time when Christians were no longer being persecuted. Under Emperor Constantine, Christianity became the Empire's religion. Because of the Empire's acceptance of followers of "The Way" (as Christianity was called, back then) many believers became complacent in their faith. They became luke-warm. Persecution and the threat of martyrdom were the driving forces that lead disciples of Jesus into deep communion and intimacy with God. Anthony craved the depths of God when all around him was shallowness of spirit.
By engaging in voluntary weakness through Prayer, Fasting, Silence, and Solitude, Anthony found what he was looking for. He patterned himself after Jesus and John the Baptist(who both knew the wilderness). Grunewald's "The Temptation of Saint Anthony" (the painting shown here) depicts Anthony in battle with his demons. The spiritual disciplines, when engaged, have a way of highlighting our inner demons. But Anthony rose high above his tormentors. His pursuit in the desert brought him into close friendship with God. He became a thriver, not just a survivor. Anthony returned from the desert some twenty years later. He was a changed man. He walked with the power of the Holy Spirit. Wherever he went, miracles, healing and the presence of God's power accompanied. He attracted a group of followers, who wanted what Anthony had. This group followed Anthony back into the desert. They became the Desert Fathers and Mothers. This started the monastic movement in the Christian Church.
There is a similar movement happening right now. God is raising up a group of people who are hungry for His presence. They are a people of ONE THING, to tabernacle with the Lord and gaze upon His beauty (Psalm 27:4). They are tired of compromise - of living a life of stale abnormal Christianity, and must have "Normal Christianity" (full of power, driven by love) as in The Book Of Acts.
For more info on Anthony and the Desert Fathers, read Henri Nouwen's classic,"The Way of the Heart".
