The Celtic Christian Communion

The Celtic Christian Communion

A communion of free churches, ministries and ministers being based on

the Holy Word of God in the Celtic expression of the faith.

OUR SPIRITUALITY

Our Communion is guided by a Celtic Christian spirituality. By "Celtic Christian spirituality" we refer to a spirituality resulting from the cross-fertilization of views of Celtic and Christianity, and which is characterized by:

1. Belief in Jesus as our personal savior and in the Apostle’s and Nicene Creeds.

2. Love of nature and a passion for the wild and elemental as a reminder of God's gift.

3. A mandate for hospitality.

4. Emphasis on family and kinship ties

5. A love of laughter, dancing, and just plain living life well!

6. Also appropriately, at times, a love of silence and solitude.

7. A deep understanding that past, present, future, and all times are connected.

8. Sense of God and the saints as a continuing, personal, helpful presence.

9. Thin boundaries between the sacred and the secular, a sense that God is present in the every day things of life.

10. A yearning to explore.

11. Love and respect for art and poetry.

12. Influenced much by middle-eastern and Coptic monasticism.

13. Women had more equal footing in ancient Celtic law, thus had more equal say in church governance.

14. The concept of Anamchara or "Soul Friend". This was usually a spiritual mentor or confessor.

Due to the ancient Celts' wide distribution throughout Europe, there are many people of European descent who may have some Celtic ancestry even without realizing it for example Northern Italy was settled by Celtic tribes prior to Rome becoming an empire. However, one needn't be a person of Celtic ethnic descent to appreciate the distinctive spirituality of the Celts. The Celtic Christian Communion and the Order of Saint Columba welcome into this community all who feel an affinity with its spirituality, regardless of sex, race or ethnicity.

For more on Celtic Spirituality, you may wish to read Andrew Dunn's summary of Celtic Christianity and the Brief History also found on the website of The Community of Saint Ita and Saint Fillan. (The article The Celtic Way by Church of Scotland minister Rev. Peter Neilson is no longer available.)

Here also is a sampling of Celtic prayers from the nineteenth century collection, Carmina Gadelica: Hymns and Incantations, collected in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland by Alexander Carmichael.

God's aid                                                                   The Lightener of the stars                                                       The Sun

God to enfold me,                                                     Behold the Lightener of the stars                                    The eye of the great God,
God to surround me,                                                 on the crests of the clouds,                                             the eye of the God of glory,
God in my speaking,                                                  and the choralists of the sky                                           the eye of the King of hosts,
God in my thinking.                                                   lauding him.                                                                  the eye of the King of the living,
                                                                                                                                                                   pouring upon us
God in my sleeping,                                                   Coming down with acclaim                                            at each time and season,
God in my waking,                                                    from the Father above,                                                   pouring upon us
God in my watching,                                                  harp and lyre of song                                                     gently and generously.
God in my hoping.                                                     sounding to him.
                                                                                                                                                                    Glory to thee,
God in my life,                                                          Christ, thou refuge of my love,                                        thou glorious sun.
God in my lips,                                                          why should not I raise thy fame!
God in my hands,                                                      Angels and saints melodious                                            Glory to thee, thou sun,
God in my heart.                                                       singing to thee.                                                               face of the God of life.

God in my sufficing,                                                  Thou Son of the Mary of graces,
God in my slumber,                                                   of exceeding white purity of beauty,
God in mine ever-living soul,                                      joy were it to me to be in the fields
God in mine eternity.                                                 of thy riches.

                                                                                O Christ my beloved,
                                                                                                                                      O Christ of the holy blood,
                                                                                by day and by night
                                                                                I praise thee.