Dear Folks -
This Sunday in Bill's absence we will hear from Rev. Shelli Williams.
Rev. Williams works with St. Paul's Methodist Foundation of Houston and
Adult Education. Her bio is available on the St. Paul's UMC website:
here.
She sent me an description of Sunday's very interesting topic. Shelli
attended a 4-week study on Celtic Spirituality and will share with us
the highlights.
"THE CELTIC WAY: A BRIEF LOOK AT CELTIC SPIRITUALITY
History tells us that the Roman Empire never made it to Ireland, leaving
the green isle just beyond the control of both the emperor and the
authorities of early Christianity as most of us know it. So Ireland and
the other islands that claimed this Celtic strain of belief, birthed a
Christian experience somewhat removed both geographically and
theologically from mainland Europe. It is Christianity mingled with,
but not compromised by, the finest aspects of pagan Celtism, those that
found resonance with Christian symbols and understanding. For Celtic
Christians the experience of vision is a tangible way of seeing what God
has done and then seeing it through God's creative eyes, followed by
seeing the life-giving possibilities God sees. Not overly concerned
with ecclesiastical matters, the Celtic Way is instead expressed through
the beauty of art and symbols, the richness of prayers and poetry, and
an understanding of the sacredness of all of Creation. This Sunday,
we'll take a brief "lightening" view of what Celtic
Spirituality is and what it might mean for us as a way of finding our
own way to an understanding of who God is in our lives."
As usual for guest speakers, the text is not available. The audio file is below.
Much Love,
Susanna