These days the term 'Celtic' is used to legitimise and sell almost anything
from T-shirts to shamanism and new age philosophy! For this reason it is important that we should
be historically accurate and to emphasise that, when they gave their allegiance to Christ, the
Celts were noted for their firm commitment to the spirit and teaching of the Bible.
The
Celtic churches were sacramental, biblical and open to the prompting and power of the Holy Spirit.
By drawing our inspiration from them we embrace their wholehearted commitment to the Christian
faith. But it is also important to remember that our Celtic forebears were quite happy to draw
inspiration from Eastern (Desert), Gallican and Roman sources. As their successors we also use
insights from a wide variety of sources both ancient and contemporary. They were flexible in their
approaches to others but kept the fire of the Trinity always at the centre of their lives.
Many in the Community find themselves moved by the example and experience of a
particular saint. For some it may be the boldness and magnetism of Columba, for others the wisdom
and humility of David. Aidan and Hilda were chosen as our principle patrons because they were soul
friends and together they emphasise the respect between men and women that the Celts found natural
in their experience of Christian life and leadership. Aidan is often called the Apostle to the
English speaking people, and English is now the most used language in the world. He was an Irish
monk from Iona who founded the mission base on Lindisfarne, a man who could correct kings but whose
gentleness unlocked the hearts of those he encountered. He introduced Christianity through love not
force, set slaves free and started the first recorded school in Post-Roman Britain.
Hilda
was a British noble woman who, at Aidan's request, founded the community of both men and women at
Whitby. Her wisdom and care for people were so great that people far beyond her own kingdom called
her 'Mother', and she motivated both learned and uneducated people to do great things for God.
There is some overlap, but each Community has a distinctive origin, calling, and style, so it is important to carefully study and reflect upon their respective Rules of life, until you feel clear and peaceful about the one which most deeply reflects what you are called to. We in particular seek to reflect the qualities of Aidan and Hilda as we live out our Way of life. Some distinctive features of the Community of Aidan and Hilda are:
In many traditional religious communities the three vows of Poverty, Chastity
and Obedience stand at the heart of the heroic willingness to abandon self interest and live for
God within that community.
Many who live in families, or who, even if single, are in secular
employment, feel called to share in the spirit of this self giving but, because of their
circumstances are unable to take the vows as they apply to traditional communities.
If
these vows are understood as principles, not regulations, they can become the key to true
freedom. Many have the impression that the traditional vows are denying the world. We see these
principles as freeing us to be fully human and to affirm all that is good in the world. These
principles are a distilled version of the 'Beautiful Attitudes' that Jesus called all people to
adopt, see Matthew Chapters 5 to 7, and they are life giving.
In traditional communities Poverty usually means having no property, capital or other possessions. In our Community, in order to be single minded for God, we renounce any property, capital or possessions that are surplus to our calling. We follow simplicity so that, by becoming free of what is second rate, we can focus on what is most worthwhile. Each person's calling will be different. Whether we are called to manage wealth or to live without a regular salary, we are willing to talk through this openly with a Soul Friend.
In traditional communities Chastity usually means being celibate and abstaining from sexual intercourse. In our Community, in order that our deepest parts may be always available to God and to the world, we commit ourselves to abstinence from sex outside marriage, and to purity within marriage. We follow purity in order that every relationship may be the very best quality.
Obedience to God is fundamental; without that everything else is just froth. It is easy to deceive ourselves, however, that following our bright ideas is the same thing as obedience to God. In Celtic Christian communities there was such a mutual trust and sharing that accountability to the Rule and to the Soul Friend was a joy. So we interpret obedience as accountability to our Way ; the building up of a relationship of trust which recognises the role of the Soul Friend and respects the role of each person as we respect each organ in a body; stewarding all we have, in partnership with others to make a better world.
Yes! Our members come from various streams within Christianity, and we seek advice from leaders of all the main Christian denominations.
In the early Celtic church there were those who lived within the
monastic boundary as part of the physical community but there were also ascetics and
missionaries who lived outside the Community but who were still regarded as part of it. Our
modern situation is similar but in reverse. Only a few of us are able to live in physical
community, for example on Lindisfarne. The rest of us live as pilgrims, pastors or
missionaries in the places to which God has called us but we still belong together because
we are rooted in the Community and share the Way of life.
Communal bonds include the
Annual Gathering, the quarterly magazine and prayer diary, the regional groups, the
Guardian, the Caim Council, the Houses of Prayer, members who can welcome overnight guests
.
There are members in four continents with regional groups developing in Africa and Australia.In the USA there is our sister community, The Order of St. Aidan. Several other countries have their own branches of the community, but these sometimes operate under different names that have particular meaning in those countries, e.g. the "Anamcara Community" in Norway.
Christianity began as a complete way of life and the first
Christians were nicknamed 'followers of the way'. It is only in recent centuries that
Christianity has been reduced to just a private faith or a religious observance. So we are
trying restoring something essential.
In Christianity repentance is
understood to be vital for every person's health. In order to repent (as a faith),
Christians need to look back and become aware of what we have fallen away from, the roots in
God from which we have become disconnected. The point of looking back is that we can then
move forward, having learned the lessons of the past.