May I introduce myself – my name is Rob Penrith – and I have been asked to put together a web site which can act as a resource page for all those here in South Africa who have shown an interest in Christianity, as lived by the Celts, of the 4th – 9th centuries.Over the past number of years I have had the privilege of being part of an annual retreat together with Eric and Joyce Pike, on the wonderfully simple and deep spirituality of the Celtic Christians of the early centuries. I use the term “simple” as opposed to “simplistic” as their faith expression and experience was anything but simplistic. They lived in very dangerous times in an era where one’s faith was tested day by day. Spiritual warfare was the order of the day and God’s protection against the powers and principalities of the heavenly realms was their constant prayer and blessing.
Over these years I have begun to appreciate the incredible depth of commitment that these early Christians had to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the Father who created them and their beautiful heritage of creation. They expected the power of the Holy Spirit to pervade their travels and encounters with friend and foe. A journey with the saints of old will leave you astounded by the simple trust and faithfulness that these men and women had in their Lord and God.
It has been said that “We, today, are the first post-modern generation. We could be described as having no sense of heritage or history and little hope for a better future. We are trapped in the perpetual present where all that counts is the here and now. This leads to shallow living without reflection or stability. ‘If it feels good, do it!’ is the motto of this age.”
We search for a touchy-feely superficial expression of Christianity, out of touch with history and heritage.
Yet we have so much to learn from, and to be inspired by, the Celtic Christians who knew how to worship spontaneously as they traveled through the country as missionaries to their own culture. They were charismatic in their expression of faith, thoroughly grounded in the Scriptures, yet rooted in the creation around them while worshipping the Creator of all things.
This site also tracked the journey of Bishop Eric and Joyce as they walked the Camino de Santiago (approx 1000kms) from Friday, April 2nd till about the 20th May 2010. Their reflections on this journey are fascinating and we commend the three newsletters to you to read.
