Tag-Archive for » spirituality «

05
May
Is God Confused?

Sometimes I think God gets confused. Take a look at King David. The Lord called this king a man after his own heart, yet David committed adultery, lied to his people, murdered one of his men, and didn’t score too high for the Parent of the Year award.

According to God, Abraham stands as a man of unwavering faith, although Abraham looks pretty wavering to me—he fathered a son born of doubt, lied about his wife, and played the master deceiver when it suited his purposes.

Why on earth did Jesus leave the family business to twelve guys who fought among themselves, struggled with pride, and abandoned him when he needed their support the most?

If these guys were around today they would be discounted and disqualified by the rest of us—definitely not “spiritual” people. Yet in God’s book, they rank pretty high.

So what is it about our “people lens” that differs from God’s? Why do we tend to judge and devalue people when God doesn’t do that? Why do we focus on the negative in people rather than the positive? What does God see in people that we don’t? What does God see in us that we don’t?

I think it has a lot to do with love and grace. We value and appreciate these qualities, but we don’t understand them. Not only does God understand grace and love, but he is love and grace. Therefore, his “people lens” reflects who he is.

None of us likes to be on the receiving end of a person’s judgment, yet we do not hesitate to state our negative opinion of others—as if we understand their life and struggles! In the Backward Kingdom, people are viewed through the lens of love and grace, not the lens of how they are measuring up according to our expectations.

What are you missing in people by viewing them through the lens of expectations? What are you missing by viewing yourself this way? What might you see by looking through God’s lens of grace and love?

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

Be Sociable, Share!
One Comment
Category: Personal growth, Relationships, The Backward Kingdom  Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
15
Jan
Final Interview Segment With Liz Babbs, Author of Celtic Treasure

Today is the final segment of my interview with Liz Babbs, author of Celtic Treasure and fellow pilgrim on the path of Celtic spirituality. Liz is the author of ten books and four CDs. Many of her books have been translated into other languages.

Liz, the Celtic Christians were known for their love of the Creator and his creation. This was reflected in their art and worship. Can you tell us how this has influenced your relationship with the Lord?

Creativity is a gift given to us by our Creator Father and so is a part of our spiritual health and well being. Taking time alone with God as Jesus did, fuels my passion, directs my creativity and deepens my relationship with God. I’m so fortunate that being single means that I have the freedom to travel. I love visiting places for great natural beauty or of religious significance, because this allows my spirit to soar into God’s presence, without the baggage of everyday life.

I have written poems in Wordsworth’s garden in the Lake District, whilst sailing round the Scottish Isles and many of the prayers in Celtic Treasure were written on Lindisfarne. The prayer “Lord make me an island,” in the last post was written on St Cuthbert’s—the tidal island alongside Lindsifarne, where St Cuthbert had his prayer cell.

You have written other books on Celtic Christianity. Can you share with us a little bit about them?

My first Celtic gift book was The Celtic Heart (Lion 2003) and remains my best-seller to date. This color gift book is slimmer than Celtic Treasure but has a free CD of original Celtic music in the back. I’m amazed by how popular this book and CD have been. Churches have used the material in outreach for healing services, sacred spaces etc. Even my local gym uses the music and reads out sections from it during relaxation classes!

You’ll see several Liz Babbs videos on YouTube that have used material from my book and CD together with visuals and these have been used in alternative services, Cafe church, for the Alpha course etc. The Celtic Heart has even been translated into German where it is called Oase des Friedens. In the next few months I plan to work on a music and spoken word down-loadable album to accompany Celtic Treasure.

To find out more visit:
www.lizbabbs.com
www.celtictreasure.blogspot.com

Thank you, Liz, for giving us a window into a part of Christianity that is little known or explored. We’ve appreciated your guided tour. Keep up with Liz at her website and her Unearthing the Riches of Celtic Spirituality blog.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

Be Sociable, Share!
One Comment
Category: Celtic Christianity, Interview  Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
13
Jan
Part 2 of an Interview With Liz Babbs, Author of Celtic Treasure

This week I am interviewing Liz Babbs, author of Celtic Treasure and an authority on Celtic spirituality. Thank you, Liz, for joining us again today and sharing your insights with us.

The Celts believed that whatever the task or time of day, there was a special prayer to be said. How can Christians today practice this same devotion? Can you share with us one of the prayers you have written? 

I’ve described prayer as “heart to heart communication with God” and relationships are all about communication. So I love the way the Celtic Christians naturally weaved prayer into the fabric of their daily lives, thanking God and remembering Him throughout their day.

The Celts believed that God was with them in every aspect of their lives. So whatever the task or time of day, there was a special prayer to be said. They didn’t just pray at meal times as we might today, but they had prayers for everyday tasks like baking bread, milking the cow or kindling the fire. As a housewife cut a cross in the dough she would bless it in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Christians can practice that same devotion today by becoming prayerfully aware of the presence of God in the ordinariness of everyday life. By being thankful for the simple things we normally take for granted like our health, warmth, light, water, shelter etc. As well as thanking God for the advances in technology and using computers and cell phones in appropriate ways that serve God rather than exclude him. There are computer programs and phone applications that help you connect with God and study the Bible.

The Isle of Mull
The Isle of Mull
Lord, make me an island
set apart for you.
Where the rock of ages
rings out with praise.
Where the waters of your spirit
saturate my soul
And the fire of your presence
burns deep within.
Liz Babbs
(p.40 Celtic Treasure)

 

Community and hospitality were key elements in how the Celts practiced their faith. Can you elaborate on this for us? How might we embrace this spirit of hospitality in our everyday lives?

Invite people round for meals to your house, especially people who live on their own. It means such a lot to be welcomed into someone’s house. It’s a precious gift we can give each other and it helps create community and a sense of belonging. Having a meal together and the sharing of food and drink was central to Jesus’ ministry. The monastic tradition continues to practice hospitality even today, welcoming strangers and guests as though they were Christ. Now there’s a challenge!

Join me on Friday for the last segment of my interview with Liz.

To find out more visit:

www.lizbabbs.com

www.celtictreasure.blogspot.com

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

Be Sociable, Share!
9 Comments
Category: Celtic Christianity, Interview, Prayer  Tags: , , , , , ,
08
Jan
Digging for Celtic Treasure

CopyFRONT_COV_Celtic_Treasure“In the busyness and confusion of our twenty-first century world, Celtic Christianity, with its holistic approach to finding God in all of life and its inclusive attitude to both men and women, offers a spirituality for our time.” So says Liz Babbs in her new book, Celtic Treasure, Unearthing the Riches of Celtic Spirituality.

This little gift book packs a lot of information into eight chapters without losing the sense of simplicity that is a hallmark of Celtic Christianity. In 79 beautifully illustrated pages Liz covers:

Unearthing Celtic Treasures—Liz shares her story of pilgrimage to some of the ancient sites where Christianity was birthed in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

Celtic Saints—This chapter offers an overview of various Celtic saints who helped change the course of history in Europe.

Prayer and Solitude—Liz explains the Celtic way of incorporating prayer into all aspects of life and includes some of her own prayers as examples along with some of the ancient Celtic prayers.

God and Creation—Celtic Christians were not pagans, but because their way of life was so tied to the earth and the elements, they emphasized worship of the God of Creation, requested his power for their protection, and honored his eternal Word reflected in nature.

Celebrating Creativity—Liz highlights the types of stories, art, poetry, music, dance, and songs of the era of Celtic spirituality and how this love of creativity has  influenced our era.

Valuing Community—This is one of my favorite chapters because the Celtic Christians understood that relationships were the heart of the Gospel and carried over into eternity future. Community balanced with solitude brought maturity for these Christians.

Generous Hospitality—Liz shares how in the Celtic tradition, strangers are to be received as Christ.

Celebrating Life—The concluding chapter of Celtic Treasure reminds us that life is a celebration of the God who brings us joy.

Quotes, prayers, and pictures enliven Celtic Treasure and left me longing for my own pilgrimage to Britain and Ireland. For now, I will be content to be a Pilgrim of the Heart by learning to practice what this little book teaches.

Liz Babbs is an award winning author and speaker living in Nottingham, England. I invite you to join me next week in a three part interview with her on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

In Him together, Susan Gaddis

Related Posts with Thumbnails
Be Sociable, Share!
One Comment
Category: Book Review, Celtic Christianity  Tags: , , , , , ,