Wind of the Spirit

   

Many of us have lost touch with the world upon which we walk. Living and working in towns and cities, it is easy to become so familiar with concrete and tarmac that contact with open spaces and countryside can actually make us feel uncomfortable, unable to relax, and longing to return to the security of the familiar!

That was not the experience of the early Christians in Britain and Ireland. Those early Celtic Christians realized something that is more difficult to grasp in our technological age; that we are intimately connected with creation. Their lives were affected by the vagaries of the seasons and natural forces beyond their control. These impacted upon the food they had to eat, the animals they cared for, the comfort in which they lived and the dangers they faced in travelling.

It matters not whether we can claim Celtic roots or not, it is within the scope of all of us to look at the landscape with spiritual as well as physical eyes, appreciate it for what it is and for the way that it influences our understanding both of ourselves and our Creator. A growing passion for the beauty of the world in which we work can lead to a renewal in our attitudes toward the mundane tasks that we face day be day. 

The individual studies contain a variety of discussion questions, as well as lots of information to digest and talk about. The final one is based around a fellowship meal and a time of prayer and worship based upon the form of prayer handed down from the early Christians.

Lord, Thou art my island; in Thy bosom I rest.
Thou art the calm of the sea; in that peace I stay.
Thou art the deep waves of the shining ocean.
With their eternal sound I sing.
Thou art the song of the birds; in that tune is my joy.
Thou art the smooth white strand of the shore; in Thee is no gloom.
Thou art the breaking of the waves on the rock;
Thy praise is echoed in the swell.
Thou art the Lord of my life.

(Prayer of St. Columban of Iona)



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