Deification (or theosis) is the process by which a mortal soul is made into a child of God. That's something I've discussed more when talking about Eriugena's homily The Voice of the Eagle. Right now I'm going to talk about how that same process plays out on the universal scale. I believe that the purpose … Continue reading The Deification of All Creation →

We believe that there is a healing power in the forest. The trees can speak to our condition and touch our hearts. This was certainly our experience while creating the visio divina aspect of our virtual retreat, Sacred Spaces: Contemplation and the Celtic Spirit. We would find a beautiful place, set up the tripod and camera, and open our hearts to the divine presence all around us. All of our footage (with the exception of the wolves, owl, and eagle which were filmed in a nature reserve) is filmed on Manitoulin Island.

The idea of virtual community is a new one in the history of the world. Never before have people been able to form the type of daily and personal friendships we see happening all around the world with people they have never met face to face. To all the generations who came before us the … Continue reading How We Do Virtual Community →

Easter is an important time of year for Christians, yet for many it is also a time of conflicting emotions. Why are we celebrating a bloody execution? Why did God require his own son to die in order to forgive humanity? What does it even mean that Jesus died for our sins? I have struggled … Continue reading A Brief History of Easter: What Does the Crucifixion Mean For Us Today? →

Yesterday we talked about the crucifixion and how people in our community wrestle to find meaning in it in our modern world. You can find that article here. Tomorrow I will share an article with you about the history of how that story has been interpreted and some of my own views on it. Today … Continue reading The Angel of Death and the Bloody Doorway →

Today being Good Friday, I would like to discuss the crucifixion. I wanted to write something which spoke to the condition of the many people who find the traditional idea of Jesus dying for our sins to be difficult to accept. So, I made a post in The Virtual Chapel asking one simple, yet difficult … Continue reading Why Did Jesus Need to be Crucified? →

O, You who are ever giving life to all life, moving all creatures, root of all things, washing them clean, wiping out their mistakes, healing their wounds, You are our true life, luminous, wonderful, awakening the heart from its ancient sleep. Hildegard von Bingen Today is the first Sunday of the month when we share … Continue reading Hildegard and the Transcendent Power of Music →

Today we would like to share a guest post with you written by David Cole. We hope this article inspires you to dive a little deeper into what it means to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors while looking forward to what kind of world we will leave for our grandchildren. David is a … Continue reading LGBTQ and the Ancient Celtic Church →

Fire is beautiful and sacred. It has inspired many poets. It has been the image of spirit for many prophets and mystics. My most profound religious experiences have been in the wilderness sitting by a fire late at night. I bet you've experienced something similar while sitting around a camp fire. You can't help but gaze mystically into the coals and dancing flames. It's like the fire calls to you.

Sometimes the Bible is telling us about a real life event, like the exile to Babylon; and sometimes the stories of the Bible are metaphors, like Adam and Eve. But that doesn't mean we should throw out the story. It isn't wrong just because it's a metaphor. We need to find out what that metaphor is saying to us, because that is where the truth resides.