We Are

We are a church that is guided by a Celtic spirituality.  By “Celtic spirituality” we refer to a spirituality resulting from the cross-fertilization of pagan Druidry and Christianity, and which is characterized by:

 

1.      Love for nature and all of creation

2.      Recognition of the presence of the divine residing in everything

3.      Devotion to and love of learning

4.      Yearning to explore the unknown

5.      Love of silence, solitude, prayer, and meditation

6.      Mystical concept of time and space

7.      Appreciation of ordinary life and time as holy

8.      Value of kinship relationships and especially soul friends (anam chara)

 

Due to the ancient Celts’ wide distribution throughout Europe, there are many people of European descent who have some Celtic ancestry without realizing it.  However, one needn’t be a person of Celtic ethnic descent to appreciate the distinctive spirituality of the Celts.  Saint Brendan’s Church welcomes to its community all who feel an affinity with its spirituality, regardless of race or ethnicity.

 

For more on Celtic Spirituality, you may wish to read Church of Scotland minister Peter Neilson’s article on the Celtic Way, Andrew Dunn’s summary of Celtic Christianity, and Alistair Bate’s interesting and informative article entitled, Celtic Spirituality: A Unitarian and Druidic Perspective.

 

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.

A Celtic Spiritual Community

God’s aid

 

God to enfold me,

God to surround me,

God in my speaking,

God in my thinking.

 

God in my sleeping,

God in my waking,

God in my watching,

God in my hoping.

 

God in my life,

God in my lips,

God in my hands,

God in my heart.

 

God in my sufficing,

God in my slumber,

God in mine ever-living soul,

God in mine eternity.

The soul shrine

 

God, give charge to thy blessed angels,

to keep guard around this stead tonight,

a band sacred, strong, and steadfast,

that will shield this soul-shrine from harm.

 

Safeguard thou, God, this household tonight,

themselves and their means and their fame,

deliver them from death, from distress, from harm,

from the fruits of envy and of enmity.

 

Give thou to us, O God of peace,

thankfulness despite our loss,

to obey thy statutes here below,

and to enjoy thyself above.

Michael of the angels

 

O Michael of the angels

and the righteous in heaven,

shield thou my soul

with the shade of thy wing;

shield thou my soul

on earth and in heaven;

 

From foes upon earth,

from foes beneath earth,

from foes in concealment

protect and encircle

my soul ‘neath thy wing,

oh my soul with the shade of thy wing!

A blessing

 

The love and affection of heaven be to you,

the love and affection of the saints be to you,

the love and affection of the angels be to you,

the love and affection of the sun be to you,

the love and affection of the moon be to you,

each day and night of your lives,

to keep you from haters,

to keep you from harmers,

to keep you from oppressors.

The new moon

 

Hail to thee, thou new moon,

guiding jewel of gentleness!

I am bending to thee my knee,

I am offering thee my love.

 

I am bending to thee my knee,

I am giving thee my hand,

I am lifting to thee mine eye,

O new moon of the seasons.

 

Hail to thee, thou new moon,

joyful maiden of my love!

Hail to thee, thou new moon,

joyful maiden of the graces!

 

Thou art traveling in thy course,

thou art steering the full tides;

thou art illuming to us thy face,

O new moon of the seasons.

 

Thou queen-maiden of guidance,

thou queen-maiden of good fortune,

thou queen-maiden my beloved,

thou new moon of the seasons!

The sun

 

The eye of the great God,

the eye of the God of glory,

the eye of the King of hosts,

the eye of the King of the living,

pouring upon us

at each time and season,

pouring upon us

gently and generously.

 

Glory to thee,

thou glorious sun.

 

Glory to thee, thou sun,

face of the God of life.

The Lightener of the stars

 

Behold the Lightener of the stars

on the crests of the clouds,

and the choralists of the sky

lauding him.

 

Coming down with acclaim

from the Father above,

harp and lyre of song

sounding to him.

 

Christ, thou refuge of my love,

why should not I raise thy fame!

Angels and saints melodious

singing to thee.

 

Thou Son of the Mary of graces,

of exceeding white purity of beauty,

joy were it to me to be in the fields

of thy riches.

 

O Christ my beloved,

O Christ of the holy blood,

by day and by night

I praise thee.

The guardian angel

 

Thou angel of God who hast charge of me

from the dear Father of mercifulness,

the shepherding kind of the fold of the saints

to make round about me this night.

 

Drive from me every temptation and danger,

surround me on the sea of unrighteousness,

and in the narrows, crooks, and straits,

keep thou my coracle, keep it always.

 

Be thou a bright flame before me,

be thou a guiding star above me,

be thou a smooth path below me,

and be a kindly shepherd behind me,

today, tonight, and for ever.

 

I am tired and I a stranger,

lead thou me to the land of angels;

for me it is time to go home

to the court of Christ, to the peace of heaven.