Characteristics

There is little doubt that the life and times of the Celtic Church have been hopelessly romanticised in modern times, but it is still possible to piece together a picture of their beliefs, practices and priorities.

 

The picture that emerges is of a vibrant, outward-looking church, with much to teach us today.

 

It was a Charismatic church.  The Holy Spirit was present and active in believers’ lives.  Stories of miraculous happenings, perhaps embellished by over-enthusiastic writers in later times, bear ample witness to this.  Healing, prophecy, hospitality and mercy seem to have been foremost among the spiritual gifts in operation.

 

It was a Bible-based church.  The Celtic Church had a great love for the scriptures, especially the writings of John, and the Psalms.  Much time was spent in copying, studying, memorising and teaching scripture.  The Bible was their “memory book”, full of stories about God’s dealings with his people and his mighty acts.

 

It was a Mobile church.  As a response to an awareness of life’s natural rhythms, Celtic Christianity had a sense of movement and flow.  Times in the quietness of the monastery were times of preparation for times in the busy-ness of the market place.  Go-with the-flow evangelism, pilgrimage and a sacrificial commitment to mission were qualities of its spirituality.

 

It was a Caring church.  The Celtic Church encompassed a great care for all of creation.  There was a particular concern for the poor, the sick and the oppressed.  Gifts of hospitality and mercy were very much in evidence.  They set about building communities of hope in a hostile world.

 

It was a Praying church.  Much time was devoted to contemplative prayer and the development of personal holiness.  Because Jesus was incarnate in the whole of life, no task, no situation was too small or unimportant for prayer.  The hostile environment in which the church existed made the people aware of the reality of spiritual evil, and spiritual warfare was part of their prayer life.