Celtic Odyssey

Today marks the 6th anniversary of my ordination. And this weekend, my friends and family were gathered at Casowasco for our annual retreat. There were great sessions and meals and times of prayer. And Saturday, there were others who were noviced and ordained into the ministry. The community has been in my thoughts and prayers all week. And with that in mind, I wanted to answer what seems to be a simple and often asked question— “Are you a priest or a monk? Is it ‘Father’ Jack or ‘Brother’ Jack?” The shorter answer is, “Yes.” The longer answer is a little more complicated. I’m a professed member of the Lindisfarne Community , an international, independent, ecumenical religious community with professed members in Indonesia, the UK, and the US. We’re a new (or “secular”) monastic community in the Anglo-Celtic tradition. A friend of the community described us as, “A religious order with apostolic succession.” And that apostolic succession is the part that trips u...

Acts 2:1-21 (CEB; adapted): When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages. They were surprised and amazed, saying, “Look, aren’t all the people who are speaking Galileans, every one of them? How then can each of us hear them speaking in our native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; as well as residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the regions of Libya bordering Cyrene; and visitors from R...

1 Peter 4.12-14 [15-5.5] 5.6-11 (CEB; adapted): Dear friends, don’t be surprised about the fiery trials that have come among you to test you. These aren’t strange happenings. Instead, rejoice as you share Christ’s suffering. You share his suffering now so that you may also have overwhelming joy when his glory is revealed. If you’re mocked because of Christ’s name, you’re blessed, for the Spirit of glory—indeed, the Spirit of God—rests on you. [Now none of you should suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer or rebel. But don’t be ashamed if you suffer as one who belongs to Christ. Rather, honor God as you bear Christ’s name. Give honor to God, because it’s time for judgment to begin with God’s own household. But if judgment starts with us, what will happen to those who refuse to believe God’s good news? If the righteous are barely rescued, what will happen to the godless and sinful? So then, those who suffer because they follow God’s will should commit their lives to a trustwort...