Is fearr clú ná conach -- A good name is better than riches.

I was thrilled to find this proverb in Irish. In the front of my book, Three Finger: The Mordecai Brown Story, we have: "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

Mordecai Peter Centennial Brown, better known as Three Finger Brown, had a good many names because he was well liked. He had some Welsh and Irish heritage as well, so this proverb fit him.

My son, who home schools over the Internet, had to come up with a verse in response to reading The Death of Salesman. I suggested this one. It seemed to fit. What people think of us and our character is worth more than worldly treasure.

Something to think about......

Closer to God

This is my great niece Kayleigh. She was born on Nov. 25 and she was less than 24 hours old when I held her in this picture. Although she was in her mother's womb for 9 months, I can't help feeling that she is, at this age, closer to God than the rest of us. Haven't you felt that when you've held a newborn in your arms?

The spiritual belief of the ancient Celts was that there is a thin ribbon separating this life from the next. Every once in awhile you get a glimpse into that other world. I did--when I held Kayleigh.

Congratulations, Michelle, Nate, and Felicity.

Ninth Wave of the Sea

Photo via creative commons by Eric Neitzel

There is an ancient belief that if you count the waves at sea, the ninth one will be the most powerful. If you can defeat it and survive, then you can survive anything.

I'm not a sailor, far from it. I'm not real comfortable in a boat. But I am curious. I first learned about this from Tim Serverin's The Brendan Voyage. Actually, Severin says it's the seventh wave, but the point is the same.

I'm working on my first draft of my novel, Brendan the Navigator. I'm at a point where the crew is about to endure a frightening storm at sea, not their first, but definitely their worst.

So, I've been thinking about this ninth wave. What kind of fear must sailors feel as they count them off: five, six, seven . . . they know it's coming, the worst one yet. When it does come, they think they are going to die. But they don't give up. It's not human nature to let go and die. They fight. And once the fight is over and they've won, they know they can endure anything, even though they'd rather not face a ninth wave again.

I don't think I've hit that wave in my own life. But I'm not counting: four, five, six . . . I have a lifesaver. This is a Psalm I'm including at the start of the chapter I mentioned: "You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them." Psalm 89:9

Ask for the Ancient Paths

photo via creative commons by alex.ch

An ancient prophet declared:

This is what the LORD says:
"Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls."
(Jeremiah 6:16NIV)

The word "ask" really strikes me in this passage. Who do we ask? Those who went before us, I think.

New Reads

I'm at it again, doing lots of research and adding books to my collection.

Here are the latest:

This is a tiny book packed with lots of text, pictures, and references. I think it will be worth the price. So far, here's one phrase I've highlighted: Christianity probably first came to the Celts in the way it first came to most of the rest of the world: through informal contacts by 'everyday' Christians, most likely traders..."


I am really excited about getting into this book. The subtitle is: Rule and Writings of Early Irish Monks. The rules of the ancient monastic orders are here, as much as could be translated from centuries old documents. Things like: "Do not conceal your bodily faults when you speak to God in tears."--from The Rule of Ciaran, late 7th or 8th century. In the back are litanies and poems, which I've only just begun to look at. The poems, of course, have been translated into English, which is no small feat to make them still poetic. Here's one translated by Robin Flower:

The maker of all things,
The Lord God worship we;
Heaven white with angel's wings,
Earth and the white-waved sea.

And finally, I'm really enjoying my copy of a book written a hundred years ago: A Smaller Social History of Ancient Ireland by P.W. Joyce. This has lots of good information that I can use while creating a fictional world for my novels.

New Monasticism part two

I picked up a copy of the Northumbria Community's book: Celtic Daily Prayer, Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community. The introduction, written by Richard J. Foster, helps explain the way this community is taking the old monastic rule and using it today, not by living by rigid rules and being isolated, the way the ancient monks would have, but by adjusting it for our lifestyles today. The group defines community not by communal living, but by joining together, in prayer and in commitment, to take this spiritual journey. From the intro: "These are folks who live in ordinary life, who face daily all the demands that you and I must face--demands of family and work, school and home." And speaking of the Sermon on the Mount, "For them this Sermon must never be relegated to another dispensation or viewed as utopian sayings to be admired in the abstract. Instead, this, Jesus' greatest teaching on how we are to live, is, very simply, to be lived--right in the midst of the pressures of contemporary society."

Everytime I read Matthew 5-7, there is always something new that pops out at me. This time it is the theme of worry. Not only is worry a problem for us in our everyday lives, but it's a problem for the church as well. Jesus tells us not to worry, but it's still hard not to, isn't it?

Well, that's something to think about. Another aspect that is central to this group's identity is its commitment to prayer. That's what I'll talk about next Friday, along with Esther De Waal's The Celtic Way of Prayer.

A New Monasticism

photo via creative commons by Neil Tackaberry

"The renewal of the church will come from a new type of monasticism which only has in common with the old an uncompromising allegiance to the Sermon on the Mount. It is high time men and women banded together to do this"
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in a letter to his brother

I haven't verfied this quote, and I've seen it slightly different in another place on the Internet, but the idea of a new kind of monasticism is an intriguing. The Northumbria Community is a group of Christians in England (with a branch in the US) who seek God in the Celtic monk tradition. To quote them: "the Community is geographically dispersed and strongly ecumenical but with an identity rooted in the history and spiritual heritage of Celtic Northumbria."

The idea of a new monasticism is explained this way: "Monastic spirituality implies a single-hearted (solitary) seeking of God. This may or may not be carried out in the company of others, (the monastic tradition has embraced both alone and together), but the focus is clearly on returning to God, and making use of a daily rhythm of prayer (Office) and a Way for living (Rule), that enable us to ‘marry’ the inner journey, the landscape of the heart - a call to repentance, to self denial, and a call to recognise and to resist evil – with the outer journey, the landscape of the land, which has given us a platform to 'find a different way' of being Church. Then to offer the fruit of our life with all who come our way and cross our path in the everydayness of our roles, responsibilities and relationships, asking with them ‘Who is it that you seek? How then shall we live? How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?’"

What I love about this are the questions directed to others. "Who is it you seek?" Everyone is seeking something. Like Rick Warren explains so well in the Purpose Drive Life, everyone wants to know for what purpose they were put on this earth. Everyone is seeking answers. Perhaps the new monasticism is about asking seekers questions and sharing what we've learned by asking ourselves those same questions. Then, after we know who it is we seek, the other questions follow logically: "How then shall we live?" and "How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?"

What do you think?

Cindy
www.brigidofireland.com

Music for the Soul Part 2

Music is well said to be the speech of angels; in fact, nothing among the utterances allowed to man is felt to be so divine. It brings us near to the Infinite.
Thomas Carlyle

There is so much more to be said about Celtic spirituality and music, that I couldn't stop with one post on subject. If you visit Celtic Christian Tunes, you'll find artists' links, reviews, and more. I found more Celtic Christian artists than I knew existed. Like David Fitzgerald, Troy Donockley, and Lianna Klassen. There are many more there I haven't explored.

I download songs to my iTunes and play them while I'm writing. The music quiets my mind and helps me to ready my spirit for what it is I'm supposed to write. I suspect many writers are the same. For me, it's Celtic tunes that inspire me the most. Vocals are fine, but words get in my way while I'm trying to get down my own words. So instrumentals are my favorites. You can learn more about these special instruments here.

Music for the Soul

photo via creative commons by Scots Music

Last week I talked about Malachy McCourt's History of Ireland. As luck would have it, he was in the news recently. Seems he's running for New York Governor on the Green Party ticket, even though he admits he won't win. See the Newsday.com article.

Today I thought I'd chat a little about Celtic spirituality and how it is expressed in Celtic music. Many people feel a spiritual connection while listening to music. Celtic music definitely stirs the soul, don't you think? In ancient times, bards or poets, normally in possession of a harp, were respected and sometimes even feared for the messages they brought.

If you visit www.brigidofireland.com and click on "Irish Links" you'll find some of my favorite groups. I'm constantly adding to the list, but as far as stirring the spirit, Jeff Johnson and John Doan are at the top of my list. Both have written music from their hearts in response to the old Irish tales and legends. I love that. I recently received an autographed copy of Doan's Eire, Isle of the Saints, A Celtic Odyssey. John wrote: "To Cindy, with stories in song. All the best! John Doan." I added it to my iTunes list that I play while I'm writing. It's awesome.

Stories, songs. Songs, stories. A declaration of what our spirits long to express.

Have you ever heard Contemporary Christian Celtic music? One CD I have and listen to to be uplifted and to worship God is Revial in Belfast by Robin Mark.

Is Celtic Faith stronger than the rest?

photo via creative commons by Jimmy Emerson, DVM

Faith is tested in times of crisis. Remember how the churches were filled right after the terrorists attacks of Sept. 11, 2001?

People fear God's judgment or want to somehow makes sense of the crisis they are experiencing. But far too soon, when they realize it's not the end of the world or they realize that no sense can be made of senseless acts--whether of nature or man--they fall away.

One example is the New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812. The town of New Madrid, Missouri, is thought to have been the epicenter of several large earthquakes, perhaps 9.0 or higher. It was felt all over the eastern half of the United States and even into Canada. People thought Matthew 24: 6-7 was being fulfilled: "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places." Remember that the War of 1812 was looming and Tecumseh was attempting to organize Indian troops against the white man.

To further bring panic, people thought Revelation 6:12-13 was coming true: "There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth..." A sulfur-like fog filled the air after the quakes, concealing the sun. The vapors took on a reddish hue. And a comet had been seen in the sky for months, leading people to believe that the stars were indeed falling.

Predictably, people turned to churches. But soon fell away. That leads me to wonder if the Celtic faith has an element to it that sustains believers through such things. Celtic people of the past believed that the spiritual was ever present. While no one likes to endure such disasters, wouldn't we be much better off if we realized that the Creator's hand is always present? That while the way may be rough, the landing will be soft because we land in his arms. Reminds me of the old Irish saying that I used in my novel, Brigid of Ireland: "If God sends you down a stony path, may he give you strong shoes." The ancients didn't fear troubles; they expected them. But they trusted God to help them through it.

Found in a Bog!

Today I posted on Favorite Pastimes about the ancient book recently found in an Irish bog and the misunderstanding that sprang forth from the report.

Because everyone jumped to equate the finding with a message from God concerning current events in Israel, the real joy in the find was lost. It's amazing that something 1200 years old was preserved. Go to Favorite Pastimes under the title "Urban Legends". I'm not going to repeat it all here, but this could be a topic we could explore later: how much do we know about history and how much do we jump to erronous conclusions?

God To You!

Photo creative commons by Andy Roberts

A man I know was recently surrounded (as he often is!) by native Irish speakers. He wanted to welcome them to the United States. He speaks the language and teaches it to others. He greeted one young person in the traditional Irish way: Dia dhuit! (God to you!)

It's common in the Irish language to use phrases like that. An Irish man I recently met was constantly shaking people's hands and saying, "God bless you!" It was as natural to him as saying, "Nice to meet you." Of course, the next moment he was complaining about the weather by saying, "Jesus! It's hot!" It's just the way they talk.

But when the first man met the strangers and greeted them, they gave him a quick sneer and one finally replied, "Conas ata tu?" (How are you?) Whether the old ways of seeing God in everything is passing away, or whether this person was anti God or something, I'm not sure. Perhaps my friend's greeting is no longer politcally correct.

Photo from freefoto.com
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Legends

Aren't legends fascinating? I've always thought so. Recently I met an author who thinks so too. In

fact, her motto is: Legend begins where truth ends...Or is it the other way around?

Linda Wichman was just featured on a blog I participate in called Favorite PASTimes. She wrote a tale that picks up after King Arthur's death, called Legend of the Emerald Rose.

Doesn't it seem like the more we learn, the more questions we have? But then.....that's what I love about legend. You don't to prove it's true; but you always know it could be. That how I feel about Brigid and the other ancient Celts I study.

Books, Books, Books!

Two new books came in the mail today, both by Sean O Duinn: The Rites of Brigid, Goddess and Saint and Where Three Streams Meet: Celtic Spirituality. Sean O Duinn is an Irish monk and he wrote his doctorinal thesis on the Rites of Brigid.

These books are part of my research for a non fiction title I'm working on. (When I receive and sign the contract, I'll give you more information.) I love doing research. I suppose that's why I write about history. Even so, when it comes to understanding ancient Celtic spirituality, we can mostly speculate. I love reading others' opinions and I can't wait to hear what a monk has to say on the topic.

I have yet to get back to Esther De Waal's Every Earthly Blessing, Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition, but I will. It's interesting reading her perspective as a lay person. I've read quite a bit of Ian Bradley's Celtic Christianity: Making Myths and Chasing Dreams. He gives good historical perspective on why scribes wrote the stories of the ancients the way they did. Much was politically motivated and/or exaggerated, but surely not all. The truth is in there somewhere, but do we really want to learn it? Something to think about!

Book selling

I know that this blog is about Celtic Spirituality, but I'm going to diverge today. (Hey, it's my blog.)

I just returned from the International Christian Retail Show in Denver, CO. It was great fun and educational to see what new books are coming out. My husband was searching for books for "seekers"--those who are looking for spiritual fulfillment and haven't found it in the church so far. What he found was mostly for the churched. It occurred to him that a seeker will likely not pick up a non fiction book, but fiction? There are real possibilities there.

At any rate, I signed copies of Brigid of Ireland
and gave away about 100 copies to book sellers and industry professionals. That's what I'm doing in the photo. I also got to meet some friends (some of whom I'd only met by e-mail before) and the staff of my publisher. Actually, two publishers: Monarch is in the UK and they acquired my book. Kregel works with Monarch to distribute here in the US and in Canada.


One thing that amazed me was the number of foreign countries represented. I think it was something like 60. Everywhere we went we heard people speaking in other languages. Surely some of the seekers are outside of the US. I truly hope they found some of what they need to spread God's message to the people in their respective countries.

There is a lot of deal making going on during these conventions. As an author it's amazing to sitting by and watch people with their laptops and notebooks open, pens scribbling, while others are talking on cell phones and consulting their Blackberries.

Through all this, people came to my signing and thanked me for writing my book. Can you imagine?

Next week I'll continue the discussion on Celtic Spirituality. But maybe this post wasn't completely unrelated. After all, the ancient Irish monks were only successful because the world was seeking something. Something better than what they already knew. Now, that's an interesting concept. Are we really that different because we use electronic technology and they used what they had? Today, as in the past, we use story and music to communicate. That's what this convention offered.

Spiritual vs Secular

©Cindy Thomson

I've been reading Every Earthly Blessing, Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition by Esther De Waal. She says that the Celtic tradition does not distinguish between the spiritual and the secular world. This is unlike the Puritan tradition found in English and American religion, according to De Waal.

I wonder how differently we would treat each other if we viewed everything as spiritual. I'm not an environmentalist (at least not a tree hugger kind of person), but what if we saw God in creation, both human and in the natural world, realized that His hand is in everything? What if we viewed our own bodies as a creation of God rather than as just our own property?

In America, society seems to want separation of everything spiritual--put it aside, keep it inside a church building. Can we separate what is spiritual from what we think is not? Or did the Celts have it right? Is there no separation?

Hopefully, by next week I'll have the book finished and comment some more.

Until then, view life with your heart!

Celtic Ancestors?

Ah, I'm late. Friday was two days ago. Well, summer has a way of doing that to you.

I'll take this opportunity to point you to a new blog hosted by 6 authors (one is me!) It doesn't deal with Celtic Spirituality, but it is focused on historical fiction if you're interested.

I think many people (especially Americans) are interested in Celtic Spirituality because they have roots in Celtic countries. You may be interested in reading my post on the above mentioned blog
about genealogy. You may even spot the family pictured above!

How about you? Have you dropped by because your ancestors were Celts? Let us know.

Monasterboice ©Cindy Thomson

Celtic, Irish, Scottish?

I've had people ask me what Celtic means. I've heard people call anything Irish or Scottish Celtic. I think there are many misconceptions about what connotates Celtic and that includes defining Celtic Christianity or Celtic Spirituality.

The truth is, the Celts were a race of people that moved through western Europe and into Ireland in ancient times. Their influence is left all over Ireland and Great Britian. More about the history of the Celts can be found here: http://snipurl.com/rrzl

For my purposes, I'll define Celtic as what most people think of as Celtic: the influence of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh cultures.

I apologize for not having much content lately, but that will change. Stay tuned for discussions on Celtic spirituality in books, news, and opinions (yours and mine.)