Celtic Poems: A'Chaingis

 

A' Chaingis

 

Like wild geese reflocking

From their winter wilderness,

Following a sacred solar cycle

Determined by additional daylight,

Flying freely above verdant pastures

Then landing longingly

To feast and nestle

In the expanding greenery

While cackling jokingly with a jubilant joy

On finding fresh fields

Filled with food and seeds

To replenish their migrating bodies,

So, the Spirit comes among us

Sent by Heaven’s High Command

To fulfill the Anointed One’s promise

Bringing comfort and counsel,

Fire and water,

With bread and wine,

To the faithful community

Who are hoping for holiness

And expectantly awaiting:

A’Chaingis.

 

John Stuart 2026

 

 

 

 

 

Midweek Message: From a Distance

Psalm 10:1 Why, Lord, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (NIV)

              I love the absolute honesty in the Book of Psalms. Whoever wrote those ancient poems certainly wore his heart on his sleeve. Psalm 10 is a good example of someone who finds it difficult to deal with the greed and injustice in his society. His complaint to God is that the rich get richer, the wicked become more powerful, and the proud are brazen about their vanity. If ever a psalm was written for our times, this one is very fitting, meaningful, and relevant.

              The psalmist’s complaint, however, is directed at God for what appears to be God’s absence in the midst of so much injustice. The ancient poet finds it difficult to see what is happening around him and that the God of his heart is doing nothing to change things. God appears to be impotent, unmoved, and distant. Evil triumphs when God is silent; good is cast aside when God does not respond. The author states that he has personally put a lot of time, commitment, and devotion into his religious belief. He is perplexed when God is inactive; he is deeply disappointed when God does not challenge or remove the evildoers.

              Sometimes I deal with the same frustration. I want things to be fair and just for everyone. I want the world to be a place that is free from fear or cruelty. I want the oppressed to be delivered and the marginalized to be accepted. I want all sorts of real godliness to be apparent in our leaders. But when these things don’t happen, I want God to come bursting into our world to set things right, to make things smooth, to restore hope, peace, and love for everyone.

              And then I remember that God has already done these things on the Cross at Calvary. Every mistake has been pinned to that tree of shame. Every sin has been nailed to Christ’s broken body. Every injustice has been impaled on Jesus. Instead of being at a distance, God has come beside us; instead of being far off, God through Christ has penetrated our unjust society and is present in our painful times.

Point to ponder

What things would I like God to change in my community, society, and the world? What am I personally doing to accomplish those changes?

Prayer: Lord God, it’s very easy for us to complain and shift the responsibility for our broken and divided world onto someone else. We forget our sinful part and ignore our unjust ways. None of us are perfect; not one of us is innocent. Challenge us to be changemakers; teach us to lovingly transform our community; encourage us to get involved. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

Short devotion: Abide with Me

Ezekiel 37: 27 My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.

 There's an old hymn that we used to sing frequently at funerals in Scotland. It's called "Abide with Me." It was written by a Scottish Anglican cleric, Henry Francis Lyte, who was suffering from tuberculosis which he knew would soon end his life. The song is all about a person who faces sorrow, trouble, and even death, yet in the midst of all these things, God's presence is still there. The songwriter prays that God will be present in his darkest moments and lead him beyond death into everlasting life. The hymn was first sung at Lyte’s own funeral and has been a favorite choice for the funerals of many people in Scotland and other places since then.

 In today’s highlighted Bible verse, the old Hebrew word that Ezekiel uses here for 'dwelling place' also means to abide. The prophet is telling his people, as well as us, that God is always there for us, wherever we are and whatever we are doing. It's a reassuring thought and a sacred gift. It's something that should comfort us. The God who created everything - the moon, the stars, and planets - is always with us; is always concerned about who we are.

 One of the biblical names for Jesus is "Emmanuel" which can be translated "God with us." God is so close to us, there is no room in the word to add "is." This is what it means when God abides with us and makes His dwelling place amongst us. This is also what it means when God calls us His people. In God's reassuring way, He is saying there is no room for anyone or anything else, it’s just Him and all His people. Just you and me and God.

 Point to ponder: How close is God to me right now? How close am I to God?

 Prayer: Lord God, thank You for dwelling where we are. Thank You for being so concerned about our lives that You are willing to make Your dwelling place with us. In all that we seek to do today, abide with us. In Jesus' Name, we pray. Amen.