Tag Archives: christianity

Influencers

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Today’s reading from Celtic Lent illustrates how the different monastic communities and rules have influenced each other over the centuries. It’s thought monasticism was imported from Egypt to Ireland which influenced the British which then reinfluenced the Irish and so on.

Today I am going to be asking myself and mulling over what and who has influenced me and forged the way I live out my faith today. I can think of many people who have had a positive impact as well as, sadly, some who have done more harm than good. I am choosing , however, today to contemplate on those positive people and practices, to give thanks to God for them and to ask how these good influencers can continue to inspire and encourage me as I move forward in my life and journey with God.

Who and what has influenced you?

Rule of Life

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In today’s Celtic Lent reading we are introduced to the concept of a rule of life.
I have followed my personal rhythm of life for many years and, if needed, I update it annually after a period of reflection.

David Cole references Pelagius who states:

In a single day we make so many decisions we cannot possibly weigh up the good and evil consequences of each decision. We are liable to make foolish and wrong decisions. …. we need a rule …a simple set of principles we live our life by. This won’t be foolproof but our decisions will more often be right than wrong.

Elements of my rhythm repeat daily, weekly, monthly and annually. For example, daily I aim to spend time in prayer and meditation, weekly I aim to run 3 times, monthly I volunteer for a local project and annually I go on retreat.

I have taken those ideas and principles from monastic communities and made them work for me. Hopefully this week we will get to look a different rules and rhythms and see which we might gain benefit from in our personal journeys with God.

Inspired?

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Today’s reading asks us if we have been challenged or inspired by the Green/White actions of the saints we’ve considered over the last week?

I think I’ve been challenged to look at new ways of discipling and living out my faith in the spheres that are nw available to me. I don’t quite see what this looks like at the moment. Maybe that’s because the in Lent journey I often find myself surrounded by fog. As I keep moving forward the fog eventually clears and I get a great surprise when I find out where I am.

into the unknown

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Todays reading shares the story of Brendan’s voyage.

Brendan was amazing. After a time of prayer Brendan, and a few friends, decided God was calling them to literally go into the unknown. They took the words of Jesus in John 3:8 seriously and decided to simply put themselves in the way of God through the wind and sea and be taken wherever it was that God would have them go. This is classic Celtic spiritually of green and white martyrdom with a solid reality check of knowing this could so easily end up as an act of red martyrdom (see my previous post if you need a reminder).

Sometimes I have felt God calling me to do something, or rather to explore something, that seems impossible to do. These have been both exciting and scary times. Brendan and his friends had no idea where they were going and must have wondered if they were going to fall off the end of the sea. Sometimes that sea would be calm and they would be drifting while others they would have experienced massive waves and just clinging on for dear life as they waited for calm.

Today, are we able to take those kind of risks for the gospel?
Today are we willing to step out into the unknown, not really knowing where we will end up or what will happen?

This resonates quite strongly with me and my journey at the moment. My journey is in no way as scary or as brave as Brendan’s. I am, however, in a situation where I am simply placing myself in front of God on a daily basis. Each day I ask that question ‘where do you want me to be?’ I have not heard any answers yet … so I , as most of us do, will continue to drift and ride waves until I see where God wishes me to be present. Id love to hear from others your experiences of stepping out into the unknown.

To give up or to hold on …. a ‘choice’ or ‘both and’?

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Celtic Lent today introduces the story of Cuthbert.
After a vision Cuthbert gave up his old life to start anew as a monk with God. He journeyed on a horse with a spear and a servant walking beside him to the monastery door. When there he gave the servant his spear and horse and walked into the monastery with just the clothes on his back.

I have struggled with this question over the years because I think there is a bit of a balancing act to do here. I wonder if giving up everything to follow God is all that is required if we are to learn and change on our journey.

During my early Christian life I believe I gave up too much. I gave up a career, which I still believe was the correct thing to do; but I think I also gave up my true character and social class. This was due to a desire to fit in but it resulted in me denying who I was and am.

I have come to understand that Jesus called me as me. Jesus called me as the very left wing, working class, dancing, drinking, loud, dreaming and challenging, and often annoying, character that God created me to be. I may say more about this at a later date. God called me as me, with my faults and sharp edges, because God wanted me to meet others with similar faults and sharp edges so that we could learn more and travel further together.

So, as we travel today and think of Cuthbert and the others we have learned from this week; yes … let us think about what we can lay aside or give up. But let’s also commit to keeping, growing, forming and allowing those bits of our characters that God wants to use to become what God wants them to be.

Red, white or green

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This morning’s thought asks ‘what are you willing to give up?’ whilst adopting the Celtic Christian practice of thinking that lent calls for martyrdom.

I love how those Celts took a triune view of martyrdom with red being giving up your life, white being a major lifestyle change to follow God and with green being adopting a spiritual practice.

For the first time I’m seeing those martyrdoms from the other side. I have grown to adopt white and green into my life. The white has involved leaving a ‘career’ in education and taking roles, in the Christian world, which I felt called to. This is the traditional type question of asking what is God calling me to do and getting on with doing it.

The green I have adopted through practices that were started through previous Lent journeys which have become established in my life beyond Lent. For me this has been meditation and a program of silent retreats.

Following the brokenness that I alluded to yesterday, I find myself in the position that I can no longer do the white in the way I am used to. I have already given up roles and positions to follow God and I cannot currently continue in, or return to, that vein.

Currently I am settled in a new job which allows me to volunteer in a cause I am passionate about. It’s a job I absolutely love. I belong to a team that love to support each other and regularly call out great things seen in team members. I have a lot of fun and love what we do and I really wish I had found this place earlier. In the volunteering I can see, very clearly, how I am making a difference. All I have ever wanted to do is make a difference, and nothing major, just in my own little part of this amazing creation we live in and are part of.

Now …. And this is what has hit me today as I’ve mulled this stuff over ….. if God asked me to leave this job, and this volunteering, what would I do?

What would you do?

just dust …. or a whole lot more?

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This mornings thought from Celtic Lent has caused me to consider throughout today the ‘who am I’, ‘how was I created?’ question.
Were we created from dust, or were we created from a whole lot more?
Celtic christianity has a beautiful story of us not just being created from dust (and to dust we shall return) but that we, or strictly speaking, Adam, was created from earth, sea, sun, clouds, wind, stones and the light of the world.

I totally love that! The idea of being created from all aspects of creation. If that is so it explains the resonance many feel towards the rest of creation. If that is so it means humankind is inextricably liked with the whole of creation, and not just placed alongside to be a steward. Creation is broken, which isn’t a surprise as humankind is broken. We are part of creation and creation is part of us.

Over the last few years I have been experiencing a time of being broken. Thats another story for another time but I can share now that it hurt.
I have needed to be recreated.
Rebuilt.
Restored.
Being smashed into tiny pieces, like a really complicated jigsaw, obviously takes great time and effort to fix.
Only God has the patience and ability to do that.

I am not there yet. But I will be!

During my contemplation today I was reminded of the practice of Kintsugi.
Slowly I am allowing God to rebuild me.
Like someone that fixes a broken vase.
God has started the work, has continued today and will do more tomorrow.
As there are so many little pieces to fix back together God is needing to use a lot of gold.
Today, that simple thought reminds me that despite everything, I am precious to my creator.
So are you.