easter blues

We have journeyed through and experienced Lent in a different, Celtic, way and come out the other side into a time of rejoicing and celebration. Jesus destroyed evil and defeated Satan so that we, you and me, all of us, could be ‘released’ to become the amazing fantastic incredible people that God originally created us to be.

How exciting!!!

And yet …. in my times as a church leader, and before, after easter I have looked around and it seems as if everyone is totally knackered! So tired and washed out in fact that clergy in the CofE traditionally have a post Easter break to give time to recover. There seems to be a sense of anti climax as we return to normal day to day life with seemingly nothing at all being changed. We have experienced, been challenged, awakened and yet …. it may just be me … but what I see more and more is Easter Blues, fed by an acknowledgment that life just goes on as normal.

Does it have to be like this?
I kind of feel it’s a choice we make; a choice that most of us make subconsciously.
A fire starts with a spark.
A flood with a trickle.
A race with a step.
A thought from a space.
We were reminded during Celtic Lent that everyone is made in the image of God.
If we look for that image in people around us what would happen?
If we allowed our Image of God-ness out when with others, how might they react?
If we gave space for that out could be quite exciting to see what God may do.

Maybe we need to pull ourselves out of the Easter Blues, take on board that we are surrounded and inhabited by the Creator, Warrior God whilst we stand on sacred ground.

Surely, that alone is quite life giving.

Caim Prayer

Yesterday we thought about the Eucharist bread in Celtic Christian Theology via Celtic Lent. Today we consider the wine.

The Celts did not have a polite sip of the wine. The cup that was passed contained a round a bottle and a half of wine and, after the whole loaf of bread had been dunked in the wine each person took a good glue! These worshippers were really throwing themselves into the Jesus story and experiencing the events as fully as they were able through the liturgy and actions. Through the dining of the wine they were immersing themselves in the saving and victorious blood of Christ.

One tradition that I totally love was that after the wine had been drunk, the priest would then visit each worshiper and circle their head with the cup while saying a Caim, or circling prayer, such as:

Encircle me Lord
Keep harm without
Keep safety within

Encircle me Lord
Keep turmoil without
Keep peace within

Encircle me Lord,
Keep evil out of
Keep your peace within

Saying these prayers either alone or wit others have become, for me, a powerful way to start the day and remind myself throughout the day as I repeat them that, very consciously, I am walking on holy ground with the creator.

St Patrick’s Prayer

Today’s reading has been looking at St Patrick’s breastplate prayer. As part of my rhythm I have come to use this prayer in its fullness on a weekly basis. On a daily basis, before going out, I use the end part of the prayer which reminds me of who I am and who I walk with:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

Sometimes it has been a hard prayer to pray due to my context.
Sometimes I really just don’t want to pray.
Sometimes I’m just too angry with God to pray.
Sometimes I feel too disconnected to pray.
Sometimes I love these words of prayer.

But, without fail, these words lift me daily. Saying these words daily has become a good habit. A practice that constantly reminds me that, no matter what is happening to me or how I’m feeling, that I am not alone. Not only am I not alone, but I am totally surrounded, totally inhabited and totally immersed in God.