Posted on 12/27/2004 11:21:58 AM PST by sionnsar
The gospel first came to the northern English in 627, when King Edwin of Northumbria was converted by a mission from Canterbury led by Bishop Paulinus, who established his see at York. Edwin's death in battle in 632 was followed by a severe pagan reaction. A year later, Edwin's exiled nephew Oswald gained the kingdom and proceeded at once to restore the Christian mission.
During his exile, Oswald had lived at Columba's monastery of Iona, where he had been converted and baptized. Hence he sent to Iona, rather than to Canterbury, for missionaries. The head of the new mission was a gentle monk named Aidan (d. 651), who centered his work, not at York, but in imitation of his home monastery, on Lindisfarne, an island off the northeast coast of England. With his fellow monks and the twelve English boys he trained to be future ecclesiastical leaders, Aidan restored Christianity in Northumbria and extended the mission through the midlands.
Bede gave this account: "...the highest recommendation of his teaching to all was that he and his followers lived as they taught... all who walked with him, whether monks or lay-folk, were required to meditate, that is, either to read the scriptures or to learn the Psalms. This was their daily occupation wherever they went..."
Our Anglican Roots: St. Columba
I frequently encounter people who claim to be investigating "Celtic spirituality". By this they typically mean reconstructions of Druidry filtered through romantic legend.
I always give them a litany of the Celtic saints in reply: Christian, orthodox, and a light to the world in a dark time.
I have a personal devotion to St. Aidan and St. Columcille (Columba).
"I frequently encounter people who claim to be investigating "Celtic spirituality". By this they typically mean reconstructions of Druidry filtered through romantic legend."
Indeed there are. I have a cousin who is doing just that, though she's a bit of a loon! There are also "Celtic Orthodox" groups who claim to be Orthodox, but they are only a bit less loony than the Druid inspired crew!
It is good that you mentioned light in a dark world. That has always been my image of Iona and Lindisfarne and these two great saint/monks who approached God there.
Well, I always ask the neo-Druid loons when they're going to start up the human sacrifices again.
LOL!
And...?
State governor. Shenanigans in the election recount tilted it to the Dem. Shenanigans such as blue-county Seattle suddenly "discovering" formerly uncounted ballots whenever the Dem was evidently losing; 9 instances of same. Not one, not two, but nine!
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