the celtic way…
8 Jan 2007
I picked my first book that gave me a taste of an ‘emerging future’ back in 1999. Robert Webbers ancient-future faith was a curious anomaly for me as I felt very much trapped between my love for the modern church and my love for the traditional church in which I had been raised.
My love of ancient-future worship has led me down some interesting paths in the last eight years; Catholic, Anglican, Baptist and Orthodox, these traditions have enriched my understanding of worship and of Jesus and God, but the one I come back to over and over again is Celtic Christianity.
My heart seems to lie in the simple yet beautiful rhythm of the Celtic past.
I arise today,
through the strength of heaven:
Light of the sun, radiance of the moon.
Splendour of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of sea,
Stability of earth and firmness of rock.
I arise today,
Through God’s strength to pilot me:
God’s might to uphold me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me, God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me, God’s hand to guard me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me.
From the snares of devils, from temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
Afar and near, alone and in a multitude (St Patrick)
This extract from St Patrick’s Breastplate speaks to me in ways that modern worship simply does not, that doesn’t make it better it just makes it different.
It touches the world around me recognising Gods glory in His creation, reminding me of The protector, guardian of my soul. The Celts read 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that said “Pray without ceasing†and set out to do just that. Their prayer was down to earth and practical, it was part of everyday life, they would pray when they were doing the most mundane of task bringing Christ into the smallest parts of their lives which they quite rightly believed he was interested in.
I think we can draw on their experience.
1.Celtic Christianity was culturally sensitive with a respect for the beliefs of others. They lived alongside people, modelling and living what they taught, bringing the bible alive.
2.Celtic Christianity relied on the power of the Holy Spirit. As time went on many Celtic churchmen replaced the Druids as counsellors to kings and there are many stories about the humble way they went about their tasks, often refusing gifts and comfort offered by their patrons living a reliance on the Holy Spirit.
3.Celtic Christianity was community, it was based around the family and the tribe, they were organised in local communities. Their bishops were travelling preachers under the guidance of the leaders of the communities. These communities were schools, prayer houses, hospitals, hostels, social action centres and craft centres all rolled into one, providing security as communities within a community in a time of social instability
4.Celtic Christians were a passionate group of believers and loved life. The Celtic Christians shared their faith and their lives out of the joyful abandonment to a life lived to the full in relationship with Jesus. This is reflected in the love of nature; love of their fellow man and in their prayers
Resources:
Marc is currently working on a website resource on celtic christianity so please feel free to ask him more in the comments…
19 comments
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Comment by ZooMuse
4.21 pm on 8 Jan 2007
Simply reading Patrick’s words from my computer screen put my heart at rest. I could envision two groups of people, facing one another, speaking it out alternately, phrase by phrase, back and forth, speaking from their hearts to the hearts of others. Thanks for your ministry to me today.
Comment by marc
4.49 pm on 8 Jan 2007
Thanks Zoo…here in the UK (that’s where I am) it feels very take some Celticness into our hearts.
There is a beauty in the ebb and flow of the tide, the coldness and solitude of Scotland.
Go to the highlands and see Gods awesomeness in the landscape…
Comment by steven hamilton
7.22 pm on 8 Jan 2007
as the son of, son of, son of (ok, several more times) son of scottish immigrants, yes! exactly…i think there is a poetry that we are missing out on today. like walter brueggemann talks about in speaking of moving to poetry in a prose-flattened world. to me poetry is much a part of the way of the Spirit. i see it in our scriptures and in our lives.
it gives words weight, and life majesty. there is a drinking of life and a radical, vulnerable sharing of life as well.
Comment by Molls
10.21 pm on 8 Jan 2007
Wow—that is really interesting. That prayer was absolutely beautiful.
Comment by Jason
10.32 pm on 8 Jan 2007
I have a friend who thinks that Celtic spirituality allows protestants to be Catholic without being Catholic :-)
It does seem to be a vital link between the spirituality of the ordinary, the internal and external world and the rest of our faith.
I’d love to see some developments of Celtic spirituality for environmental stewardship, anyone?
Comment by Paul
12.02 pm on 9 Jan 2007
Thanks bro, inspiring post! How do you see celtic christianity shaping your faith more than say the other traditions you mentioned?
Comment by steven hamilton
12.13 pm on 9 Jan 2007
jason –
i think one of the first pieces toward celtic spirituality for environmental stewardship is to mine again the vein that the celts mined in terms of the mystery, wonder and observation of creation. land and sea and light and sky were things of wonder..that brought insight to the One who created them. it seems to me they were concerned with a brought to the wonder and observation of creation not a theology induced from creation. i think that may be a first step in a larger journey into celtic spirituality for environmental stewardship in this day and age. what do you think?
Comment by steven hamilton
12.16 pm on 9 Jan 2007
hmm, lost some words in that post,
insert: ‘theological perspective’ between the ‘concerned with a’ and ‘brought to the wonder…’
mea culpa
Comment by marc
1.12 pm on 9 Jan 2007
M3
Steve I completely agree. There is an awesomeness when you look at the world that God created, it is a reflection of the majesty and beauty of our creator.
Comment by marc
1.21 pm on 9 Jan 2007
M5 Jason, I can see why your catholic friend may say that and in a way he is right.
But then that only counts if you wish to surround yourself with denominational boundries…that’s not something I do if I can help it.
With the pollution and associated problems I don’t really think its a suprise the Celtic Christianity has had a upsurge, we are worried about our planet and what better way to pass our message along to other than a spiritual understand of the connection between God and Creation.
Comment by marc
1.25 pm on 9 Jan 2007
M7
Steve I certainly agree that Celtic Christianity has woken up many to the concerns of the stewardship of our lovely world.
Comment by steven hamilton
3.16 pm on 9 Jan 2007
here is a poem in celebration of this:
Taste and See
My mouth waters in anticipation…
enticed…my senses stirring,
I take hold of the fruit of gladness…the earth yielding its crop
I begin to squeeze the harvest…and the lovely liquid flows forth…
Exploding with flavour, I drain it all…
the taste dances on my tongue…and I wring out the last drops
…drenched with joy…like juice dripping from my chin…
taste and see that YHWH is good
Comment by marc
4.03 pm on 9 Jan 2007
Love it Steve…makes me feel kind of peckish as well:)
Comment by Stephen Kingston
10.07 pm on 11 Jan 2007
Beautiful prayer, thank you.
Comment by Makeesha
4.29 pm on 12 Jan 2007
I really love celtic Christianity as well…what little I know of it. I often use the prayers from Northumbria when I pray the hours. I really love their connection to the world around them – be it nature, other people or the work of their hands. I think that’s an amazing and under-appreciated discipline
Comment by tiber jumper
5.35 am on 13 Jan 2007
It is my understanding that Celtic Christianity was thoroughly Catholic in belief. A book called the Celtic Way of Evangelism made it sound as if it was a distinct religion. My studies don’t bear that out.
Comment by Bryan Riley
3.40 pm on 13 Jan 2007
Do you have some recommendations for reading about Celtic Christianity?
Comment by Caroline
7.17 pm on 14 Jan 2007
It’s possible to over romanticise the Celtic Church. We actually know very little about it.
Still, some of the traditions we have of Celtic Monasticsim (coming to many parts of northern England from Ireland via Iona (and based initially on Lindisfarne) has be a real blessing to me over the last 3 or so years.
As to resources, try the books of Ian Bradley. His recent books have been something of a revision of his early enthusiasm but they maintain an awareness of how the Celtic Christians from Ireland and Iona can still speak to us. Also, try the Northumbria Community website (just google it, I can’d do clever links).
Comment by marc
10.13 am on 15 Jan 2007
Hi Tiber, Bryan and Caroline.
Tiber you are right it is not a different religion although it does have a distinctive style and feel to it.
Bryan I would recommned David Adam he has written many books that contain the daily office, prayers, stories about the Celtic Saints.
Also Celtic Daily Prayer by the Northumbria Community is an excellant place to start also.
I would also recommend Esther De Waal and Ray Simpson both fantastic authors.
Celtic Christianity is seen as romantic sometimes but that I feel is a good thing, it draws people in with the wrmth of the heart of Jesus, something that can be lost in todays rather austere evangelical outlook.
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