Tag: growth
What is Celtic (Christian) Spirituality?
In recent years there has been renewed interested in the unique flavor of Christianity from the Celtic region. The Celts transformed their paganism into devote Christian practice and belief, but their connection to nature and to each other in community continued to flavor their understanding and practice of Christianity.
The ultimate Druid (their word for a priest) was then, Jesus, the Christ, Son of the Living God.
After the area was first introduced to Christianity, it became largely cut off from the world and also the massive changes in Christianity that happened once it became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Subsequently, Christianity evolved and soon involved in the power and authority of the (Rome-based) Roman Catholic Church who dominated and influenced life and culture during the middle ages in almost all of the Western civilized world (except the areas that were not subjected to the influential jihads of Islam).
Most Protestants don’t realize the deep and prevailing influence that the Roman version of Christianity has on how they understand, and practice their faith. Many widespread notions in the Western church, even today, began during the Middle Ages and stemmed from Rome.
Empires have a knack of distorting things for their own gain. Religious empires are no exception.
It’s insightful to see how Celts lived out their spirituality and it can add to our own understanding and growth to learn some things from them.
Here is the wikipedia article to expand your general understanding.
Here are some distinctions:
Distinctive Features of Celtic Christianity:
-love of nature and a passion for the wild and elemental as a reminder of God’s gift.
-love and respect for art and poetry.
-love and respect for the great stories and “higher learning”.
-sense of God and the saints as a continuing, personal, helpful presence.
-theologically orthodox, yet with heavy emphasis on the Trinity, and a love and respect for Mary, the Incarnation of Christ, and Liturgy.
-religious practice characterized by a love for tough penitential acts, vigils, self-exile, pilgrimages, and resorting to holy wells, mountains, caves, ancient monastic sites, and other sacred locations.
-no boundaries between the sacred and the secular
-unique Church structure:
-there were originally no towns, just nomadic settlements, hence the church was more monastic rather than diocesan, resulting in quite independent rules and liturgies.
-also, Ireland was very isolated and it was hard to impose outside central Roman authority.
-influenced much by (original/early Christianity) middle-eastern and coptic monasticism.
-they celebrated Easter and Lent according to the ancient calendar system.
-Irish tonsure shaved the front of the head (like the druids).
-abbots had more power than the bishops.
-monasteries often huge theocratic villages often associated with a clan with the same kinship ties, along with their slaves, freemen, with celibate monks, married clergy, professed lay people, men and women living side by side. (Sometimes monasteries “raided” other monasteries, esp. during the period of the Anglo-Norman invasion.)
-while some monasteries were in isolated places, many more were were at the crossroads of provincial territories.
-women had more equal footing in ancient Irish law, thus had more equal say in church government. (Did St. Bridget receive Holy Orders and act as an Abbot?)
-developed the idea of having a “soul friend” (anmchara) to help in spiritual direction.
-invented personal confession.
-monks traveled as “Peregrinari Pro Christ” (White Martyrdom).
-many pagan practices were “Baptized” such as St.Stephen’s Day, and the resorting to holy wells, and many monasteries were built on pagan sacred site (as evident in the names Derry, and Durrow).
Prayer Attributed to St Patrick, missionary to the Celts:
| I arise today, Through the strength of heaven: Light of the sun, radiance of the moon. Splendor 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 |
Growth can Start with Shame
I’ve noticed that every time I take a new or risky step, the first thing that I experience is discomfort.
Later it coagulates as Shame.
So, if, say… I’m going to take on something now, or write about something close to my heart that, haven’t shared before, or extend myself in a way that feels out of my expertise or depth… I’ll feel weirdly yucky and vulnerable, and than shameful.
I’ll think, “No one will care about this, don’t be a fool.”
or I’ll think, “You will be mocked. Don’t do step out on this.”
or I’ll think, “How can I do this so it doesn’t feel so risky?”
Just beyond those moments are moments of greatest growth and authenticity.
Defining moments.
Fear is wrestled and vanquished.
We stand on the precipice sometimes not knowing which way to go…onward or backward.
If it’s starting to scare the stink out of you, you’re doing it right. You’re pointed in the proper direction.
If you feel like running, hiding, or chickening out, then, good: you’re about to grow.
Keep going.
Do the thing you feel most vulnerable doing that you’ve been hoping for down deep: It’s the idea you just can’t shake but it scares you silly.
Lent is a great time to wrestle with all this stuff and the Resurrection celebration later becomes that more precious.
Here is a Scripture meditation for you today:
Spiritual Formation vs. Discipleship (homage to Dallas Willard)
Christianity just lost a wonderful teacher. Today, Dallas Willard has died of cancer at the age of 77.
As a person who has spent countless hours learning about spiritual formation and endeavoring to be formed well, I am saddened that we’ve lost such an insightful man. A number of his books were part of my required texts and his keen wisdom helped to shape me.
In homage to him today, I will refer you to this article that is very helpful for understanding the difference between discipleship and spiritual formation and why the formation of our characters into Christ-likeness gets sidelined in churches and Christian institutions. It’s quite good.
Remember to say a prayer today for all those who grieve his loss.
article excerpt:
Interview:
What do you mean when you use the phrase spiritual formation?
Willard: In our country, on the theological right, discipleship came to mean training people to win souls. And on the left, it came to mean social action—protesting, serving soup lines, doing social deeds. Both of them left out character formation.
Isn’t character formation very much a part of many Christian schools and institutions?
Willard: What sometimes goes on in all sorts of Christian institutions is not formation of people in the character of Christ; it’s teaching of outward conformity. You don’t get in trouble for not having the character of Christ, but you do if you don’t obey the laws.
Read the rest here.
This is the video collection of the last conference Dallas Willard did in February on Knowing Christ, and the Dallas Willard Institute at Westmont College. (It’s excellent)
To visit the Dallas Willard Center at Westmont click here.
Here are just a few of my favorites:
Empowerment through decoding Shame : Brené Brown
Dr Brené Brown’s insights have the power to be life changing because she articulates and deciphers some of our most damaging obstacles with clarity that we can understand. This is how we start positive transformation.
After you watch the video, tell me what had the biggest impression on you.
Find more at Brené Brown’s website.
My recommendations of Books by Brené
