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Wondering Pilgrim

~ the ramblings of a perambulent and often distracted sojourner

Wondering Pilgrim

Tag Archives: celt

When it all comes together

13 Sunday Aug 2006

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in churches of christ, Ministry, mission

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books, celt, church administration, churches, Ministry, mission, Wembley Downs

Church reviews, Celtic models of ministry and Paul’s letter to the Ephesians bring about another of those synchronous moments of which I am quite fond! The Revised Common Lectionary has us travelling through Ephesians right now – a marvelous treatise of a vision of universal community that embraces all – for all are from God and, under Christ, are part and parcel of God’s now-revealed purpose for all creation. Something we have termed the fifth gospel – the gospel of “Wow!” Now how do we live out its ramifications in community – that’s the rub.

Doherty asserts three crises currently facing the church and Western Society generally – the crisis of individualism, a crisis of faith, and a crisis of lifestyle. He seeks the answer in the kind of community spirituality suggested by the Celtic missionary era. Getting pretty close to the kind of society feted in Ephesians, it seems.

Celtic models of ministry

09 Wednesday Aug 2006

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Ministry, mission

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books, celt, Ministry, mission

A few years ago I stumbled across something called the Celtic approach to Christianity. As I investigated further, it was apparent that I was at a fork in the road in how I approached my ministry. I realised that I was often focused on ecclesiastical organisational minutiae when my heart was really set on the nitty gritty of divine-human engagement. The stories from Celtic times (whether mythic or real) fired my imagination and helped me embrace my task in a more feisty, imaginative and bold manner. Yes, the organisational details still require attention, but the end is clearer and more distinctive. I was reminded of all this when my copy of A Celtic Model of Ministry by Jerry C Doherty (Liturgical Press, 2003) arrived today. A glance through its pages looks like something now familiar and something new. I look forward to reading it.

Incarnation strikes retail hub

01 Sunday Jan 2006

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Spirituality

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Tags

celt, Christmas, incarnation

I ventured into Perth’s CBD this morning, on leave from my pulpit and looking for a church service to sneak into. For the first time, I saw the new street decorations, unashamedly and unabashedly telling the story of the Incarnation, from the Annunciation through to the Flight to Egypt. The replicas of medieval paintings enthralled me and I almost didn’t make it to the service I was planning to attend. It was probably the unexpected surprise of seeing these large icons dominating Perth’s retail hub, now quiet and deserted on the morning of New Year’s Day. I guess one could respond with cynicism over crass exploitation of Christian symbols by a commercialism that is almost manic at this time of the year. The vision that appeared to me was of the Celtic cross in the ancient marketplace with one or two monks explaining to the gathered crowd how its symbols and markings tell the greatest story ever told. I also thought how ironic, that in our irreligious society, it is possible to tell this story so clearly under the sponsorship of a city council, while similar exercises are banned under interpretation of separation of church and state laws in more overtly religious cultures, most notably the USA. Posted by Picasa

Is King’s Park a thin place?

28 Friday Oct 2005

Posted by wonderingpilgrim in Spirituality

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celt, King's Park, Spirituality, thin place

I led a group of theologs in addressing this question earlier this week. King’s Park is a popular tourist spot overlooking Perth. It contains a large number of hectares of natural bushland, the state war memorial, botanic gardens and picnic areas. It is a place of great spiritual significance to the Noongar people.

Our particular exercise was to contemplate the Celtic notion of “thin place” – or where the spirituality of a place is so pervasive that the veil separating heaven from earth grows transparent enough to see from one place into the other. What then are the implications as we share the Christian journey with others? The photo is from the Mt Eliza lookout – usually very crowded on a fine day. This was the middle of the week on a rare bleak day. Less people than usual and a nice Celtic climatic backdrop. It helped! Posted by Picasa

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