Prayer Walking

Prayer Walking

“Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.” (1 Peter 1:17 (The Message). The early Christian Celts journeyed in response to devotion and love for God. They set out, often at peril of their lives, on journeys that would take them across treacherous waters or dangerous lands. Fear never daunted their travels for they placed their hope and faith in their God. These pilgrims were called “peregrini” but, unlike other pilgrims who set out with a known destination in mind, the Celtic peregrini would undertake their journey and follow, as God would lead.

 The modern statement, “it’s the journey, not the destination” is not really modern at all, because the early Celts knew only too well the importance of the journey.  They also knew that it was throughout the journey that God drew them to Himself, and brought them closer to Christ. Journeying was central to Celtic Culture and still is. Tracy Balzar, writing in Thin Places: An Evangelical Journey into Celtic Christianity, records several of the journey prayers found in Carmina Gadelica. The following prayer highlights the Celtic reality of their God truly as Emmanuel.

God be with thee in every pass,

Jesus be with thee on every hill,

Spirit be with thee on every stream,

Headland and ridge and lawn;

Each sea and land, each moor and meadow,

Each lying down, each rising up,

In the trough of the waves, on the crest of the billows,

Each step of the journey thou goest.

Life for the early Celtic Christians was not easy. They knew pain and sorrow, hardship and tears, but they also knew they had a Savior who empathized with them because he, too, had experienced the journey as one beset by trials. They also knew their final destination would be worth every minute of their pilgrimage on earth. Like us, all of the Celts were on a journey. Some would travel far and others would live in familiar surroundings. No matter the ‘road’ the pattern was the same – faith and trust in God, the knowledge that He was with them, and the ability to talk to Him, and encounter Him as they traveled.

We all are on the journey of life. The road has many twists and turns, seasons of joy and seasons of mourning. The good news is that like the Celts we too can encounter the living God each step of the way. We too have the opportunity to prayer walk every minute of every day with Emmanuel whether we use words or not.

It is our intention, at 316, to lead our people into a deep relationship with Jesus Christ and help them experience a transforming prayer life. This is one of Jean’s passions and the focus of her Doctor of Ministry project thesis.

Our vision for the musical side of worship is to build a Worship Team whose music and instruments will be clearly Celtic.  Music has a powerful way of penetrating the heart. Our belief is that as hymns and songs, old and new, are sung, accompanied by the haunting sounds of Celtic instruments, those who come will desire to know the One whom we worship.

 

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