Unblocking Ancient Wells - Celtic Mission and Community Transformation
Every now and again a little gem comes my way and this happened when I bought a book called 'The New Celts', which I've now featured in the new catalogue. This book turned upside down my whole thinking on Celtic mission and community transformation from a historical perspective. I came across four conclusions:
- Celtic Saints were real and their lives genuine and radical.
- Celtic mission was God's answer in the Dark Ages, with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.
- Their corporate witness has become masked and distorted.
- Research methodolgy needs to include God's redemptive purposes
Space does not permit a lengthier article, but in brief I compared the results of Celtic mission with the five common elements found in transformations stories. They compared very well indeed!
Persevering Leadership
Strong sense of mission and 100% commitment to the Scriptures, learning about 40% of the Bible by heart.Fervent United Prayer
Strong, ardent intercessors, prayed singly and corporately at least seven times a day.Social Reconciliation
Aidan particularly trained English boys to succeed him in the ministry.Spiritual Warfare
Columbia, Patrick, Sampson, all have stories of wrestling with devils to avert disaster.Diagnostic Research
Evidence shows that they did their homework in seeking out new territory and a patron to support their work.
The land yielded its abundance, whole communities were affected by their lifestyle and their fame spread far and wide. People were converted (willingly) in large numbers and Christian communities were established around the monastaries.
Aidan of Lindisfarne
Through the witness of these Irish monks the English were converted to Christianity and men like Columbanus and others carried the gospel to the Continent. I am convinced that our land has experienced community transformation in the past. There are, therefore, ancient wells and anointings in the land from which we can draw, as we press towards transformation in our lifetime.
Taken from a longer research note on Celtic Mission by Francesca Cornu Fleming.
Suggested further reading:
'Life of Columbia', by Adomnan
'Bede's Ecclesiastical History'
'The Celtic Way', by Ian Bradley
'The New Celts', by Roger Ellis & Chris Seaton.