Jesus often withdrew to
lonely places (Matt.14:13; Luke 5:16; Mark 1:45). Maintaining the all so important relationship with
the Father, He did not let the demands of ministry overtake His intimacy and
union with His heavenly Father which needed to be kept first.
So, while out in
Ucluelet, Canada—basically the ends of the earth—just like it sounds, out in the
middle of nowhere at the end of Canada’s only paved road to the open Pacific
Ocean, we are doing a little reflection on Patrick of Ireland:
Patrick of Ireland’s
call to his mission field has always been a fascinating thing. I even wrote a song about it, which you
can see below.
Reminiscent of Paul’s
Macedonian call, Patrick’s call stands out in history as one of those Spirit-led moments that we only later understand the importance of. Important in that he
began the process of evangelizing Ireland and establishing the Celtic Church
there (it was not Catholic, mind you—those guys invaded the scene much later.)
He describes how he
heard the voice of the Irish calling him, “Come, oh holy youth and walk amongst
us once more.”
Stepping out in faith
and obedience is often a challenge, no matter the stories of glory told later,
as those initial steps can always feel a bit daunting.
For Patrick it was a
step back into the land of his former servitude where he was once a pig-herding
slave. He would now, however, go
as an evangelist. It is central to
the Gospel to reach out to the lost, and signs and wonders would be essential
in that task.
For Patrick it was a
step of faith into the unknown, into a world filled with hostile evil
forces. The spiritual warfare was
daunting! The Druids were very
opposed to the Christian faith and would often let him know while on the
Emerald Isle in menacing word and deed.
In spite of all the
opposition he faced, Patrick obeyed the call of God and went. He faced many trials and tribulations
but stayed on. That is a key
thing: he persevered, and in the end, after many a battle of faith, he saw
signs and wonders, conversions, healings, miracles and the like: those are
things we get excited about, but we often forget about the trials and
tribulations that always accompany them.
As we are willing to
take up the cross and follow the leading of Christ’s Spirit and accept the
sufferings as part of the package, we will surely see more of the things that
those of old experienced, from Paul to Patrick, and on and on. Jesus said though, that we must be
willing to take up the cross!
Celtic Cry Lyrics
Oh Stormy skies
And Green valleys
I hear an ancient cry
Calling out to me.
Lashing seas
Skerries and bogs
I hear a Celtic cry
Calling out to me.
Rugged paths
Lined with clover and moss
I see the ancient steps
And a burning cross.
It lights the sky up bright
With fluorescent light
I hear them crying out
Come and bear the cross.
Walk amongst us once more
Come and bear the cross
Walk amongst us once more
Come and reach the lost
Other
important videos to check out:
