|
We Celebrating People |
|
|
Life Enriching Rituals in the Celtic Spirit |
 |
|
by John Hunt |
|
|
I find to my surprise that I have been
in John Hunt's congregation at St Giles for nearly a quarter of a
century. John's services and sermons (some of which are on this
website) are as fresh and insightful as ever.
John is a modest man and I recall how diffident he was whenhe requested study leave to follow up his growing interest in Celtic spirituality. It was a delight to see him return invigorated from the spiritual storehouse of Iona, "seeing the world with fresh, bright eyes." His refreshed spirit is reflected in the three marvellous books of reflections and spiritual guidance that he has written since. We Spirited People (1998), We Well People (2003), and now, We Celebrating People.
|
| John has a talent for using simple
words and rituals to mark and celebrate important moments in our lives -
not just in church but also in family situations. Like his
other books, We Celebrating People is an affirmation and
celebration of the place of God inour lives. Not only does he show
what can be done to make the lives of our families richer but he also
provides suggestions for creating our own rituals. Reading this
book, I could hear John's quite, humorous and sincere voice on every page.
Trevor Agnew - reviewer for The Press |
 |
We Celebrating PeopleReviewed
by Winston Marshall
Giving
thanks at the meal table is a familiar ritual in many homes. Welcoming a
new baby into the family or a child beginning its first day at school are
occasions for celebration. Wishing friends a safe journey and giving them
a hug or a kiss is a frequent departing gesture. The use of ritual can
ease you through a difficult time. Daily
events and daily routines hold an opportunity of engagement with the
spirit. We Celebrating People is about celebrating the journey through
life. John offers stories, ideas and prayers that might alert you to the
presence of God in the ordinary and the special moments of your day.
Written as a resource of ideas and encouragement, this book leads you to
affirm and celebrate the place of God in our lives. We
Celebrating People is the 3rd book in John’s trilogy; We Spirited People, We Well People and now We Celebrating People. Each
page breaths John’s characteristic manner of writing and story telling;
short sentences, everyday images, written from the heart. The prayers are
brief, warm and engaging. The stories evocative and laced with John’s
delightful sense of humour. These are encouraging words inviting you to
deepen your thinking about the ordinary but special moments on your
life’s journey. You are invited to know wonder and mystery in the common
events of daily life, in those occasions we so often take for granted. The
idea of ritual John suggests is, ‘an action that engages with the
Holy’. Recalling a family routine from his childhood, John tells of his
father ‘bedding the fire’ for the night and invites us to consider
that a memory we might be carrying from our past, even a daily routine of
the family can become an engaging time with the holy. ‘To
‘bed’ the fire expresses confidence and the wellbeing of the family
through the night and the anticipation of kindling the fire in the morning
carrying the promise of the new day beginning’. There
are 4 sections in the book,Celebations through the day, Celebrations
through our life journey,Celebrations in good and bad times, concluding
with A Spirituality of Celebration. Writing within the Celtic spirit, John
suggests Celtic spirituality stands in contrast to a stream of
Christianity which is preoccupied with sinfulness and evil – the
doctrine of original sin. The physical and the spiritual are one. Creation
is good. Jesus saw the best in people and wanted people to enjoy life. Take
your time, ponder the themes, images and
stories that John offers. Let the spirit work its mystery within
you. You will find, as I have, that taken for granted or unexpected
moments are waiting to gift you a spirit of pleasure and delight.
|
||
|
We Celebrating People may be purchased at $20 from the author, John Hunt Email: john.burton.hunt@xtra.co.nz |