Spiritual Perspectives
Why a Celtic Festival of the Arts & Spirituality?

By Elizabeth Windisch
Special to The Independent

Eight years ago I was introduced to Celtic Christianity and spirituality at a workshop at Santa Maria de la Paz in Santa Fe. The leaders spoke of the importance of family and home (the image of hearth) and God's presence in all things. Because God is present in all of His creation then we, as stewards of that creation, should be mindful of how we treat it. The discussion of Celtic spirituality also noted parallels with Native American spirituality in their understanding of creation, the creator, and a oneness with the earth.

All of this made sense to me as I was immersing myself in ecological concerns the loss of clean air, water; wilderness and the reduction of federal monies to care for our parks and clean up of toxic dumps. Shouldn't we as Christians, as people of faith, be concerned?

As I learned more about Celtic Christianity and shared these ideas with others I wanted to take this knowledge to a broader audience. Thus the First United Methodist Church held the inaugural Celtic Festival of the Arts & Spirituality seven years ago. The evening, devoted to music, song, storytelling, and good fellowship, was shared with many whose ancestors came from the historic Celtic countries of Ireland, Scotland, Wales (predominantly) but also England and France. Historically, the base populations of these countries are Celtic. The workshop and evening celebrations proved good for the soul. The consensus of the ecumenical planners (Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, United Methodists) was that the spirit and hospitality of that weekend should be continued.

Gallup's Celtic Festival has always had a strong spiritual and educational component. The themes reflect different aspects of history, religion, and the arts, such as the labyrinth (from ancient times a tool to help center on God and reflective prayer like the one on the floor of the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Chartres) and Celtic saints and heroes. Other themes focused on the music of the Spirit and Celts in America. This year's theme, Hearth and Home, brings us full circle.

This is our seventh year, a number of Biblical significance suggesting completeness and perfection. Perfect, no; complete in our mission, never. However, this event marks seven years of raising people's awareness of the diversity in our community and, despite our differences, acknowledging we are all one in the Creator's eyes.

What happened to Celtic Christianity? What made it so different and threatening to the Roman Church that a decisive church synod was held in 664 A.D. in Whitby, Northumbria? The Celts' love of scripture and learning made them the cultural center of Europe in the post Roman world. Their communal lifestyle based on their tribal structure and their commitment to simplicity offered nurture and a sense of belonging for all. In the Celtic lands the "friendly villages of God" fit into their social patterns. Their monastic churches fostered a spirituality of prayer rhythms, soul friendship, pilgrimage, creativity and hospitality that from the 5th century turned Ireland and England into a land of saints and scholars. Their worship was informed by their love of nature. These attitudes of the "provincial and remote" English and Irish churches were considered troublesome, and the more powerful, wealthy, and structured Church of Rome was judged superior.

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, working in the parishes and homesteads of England understood the need to value the poor and disenfranchised, an underlying value of Celtic spirituality. These "attitudes" of the community churches were part of Wesley's Anglican birthright. Through his work, Methodism brought about a social revival in England that took hold in that country and elsewhere. Now a revival of Celtic Christian Spirituality is happening in churches throughout the world. What more can we and the church of the 21st Century learn from these first millennium Celtic Christians?

The greatest gift of the Celtic Church is the emphasis on the presence of God at all times and in all things (animals, forests, rocks, water). There is no separation of the sacred and secular all are one in God. There is nothing outside of God and His love. It is only our blindness that prevents us from seeing the glory that is in all things. (St. Ninian, 5th Century).

We need to explore what it might mean to have a hearth God's hearth a focus on prayer and service at the heart of a person, a church, a community. (Ray Simpson, Guardian of the Aidan and Hilda Community, Berwick Upon Tweed, UK)

Come celebrate the Divine in the human spirit with us on March 11-12!

For more information, contact the author at 722-9257. Information about the festival is available at these websites: www.wnmu.org/mcf/celticregistration.html and www.wnmu.org/mcf Festival programs and workshop registration forms are available also at Angela's Cafe con Leche, the El Rancho Hotel, the First United Methodist Church, KGLP, and The Coffee House.

This column is the result of a desire by community members, representing different faith communities, wishing to share their ideas about bringing a spiritual perspective into our daily lives and community issues.

For information about contributing a guest column, contact Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola at the Independent: (505) 863-8611, ext. 218 or lizreligion01@yahoo.com.