Johnny and Hannah

St. Patrick’s Day has become a cultural phenomenon well almost everywhere, forever associated with Irish pride, copious amounts of alcohol consumption and those weird green milkshakes from some McDonald’s. But, how much do you really know about where it all came from? Here are 10 facts you may not have known about St. Patrick’s Day.

1. You Already Missed It. Though St. Patrick’s Day generally takes place on March 17, the date is moved when it coincides with Holy Week. Because Easter falls early this year, Pope Benedict moved the date of St. Patrick’s Day to March 15!!

2. St. Patrick Wasn’t Irish. The archetypical symbol of all things Irish was actually a Brit. Patrick, whose real name was Maewyn Succat, was born around 378 in Roman-controlled Britain to an affluent family.

3. St. Patrick Was a Slave. When he was 16, Irish marauders attacked Patrick’s family’s estate and kidnapped Patrick along with several of his father’s vassals. Patrick was sold into slavery, and for six years worked as a shepherd before escaping to France.

4. St. Patrick Was Responsible for One of the Greatest Missionary Movement’s of All Time! After escaping from slavery, Patrick devoted himself to studying theology and doctrine. He had a passion to return to the very people who had enslaved him. In spite of the objections of his diocese, who felt he was wasting his education, Patrick returned to Ireland after being ordained as a bishop at the age of 43. As he evangelized the people, Christianity took hold quickly. Within a few short years, Ireland became one of the foremost launching points for missionaries in the world. The Irish were responsible for evangelizing most of Western Europe.

5. St. Patrick Didn’t Drive the Snakes Out of Ireland!! Legend likes to see St. Patrick as a forerunner to modern-day hero Samuel L. Jackson, driving snakes off the metaphorical plane that was Ireland. However, snakes are not even indigenous to Ireland. The legend probably arose because the serpent was one of the symbols of the Celtic pagan religions.

6. St. Patrick Used the Shamrock to Explain the Trinity. The shamrock was considered a sacred plant by the Celtic religions, because it symbolized the rebirth of Spring. Patrick used the three-leafed plant to describe the unity of the Godhead to the people he was evangelizing. McDonald’s uses it to dye a vanilla milkshake green and Guinness use it to sell an entirely different product!

7. Green Was Not the Original Colour of St. Patrick’s Day. The original colour associated with St. Patrick was blue. Green was actually considered unlucky, because it was associated with mischevious spirits.

,…. so there you know!!

(ok a bonus few sayings…!) from the brillance of NT Wright at Worship Central ……

* Don’t calude with the shrunken story of the gospel.

* Heaven and earth overlap and interlock and worship has us trembling at the edge of this.

* Jesus is the reality, of which Caesar is a parody.

* Reading scripture publically is a kingdom-bringing activity.

* Explain to the people the Jesus that they don’t already know they know!

Psalm 118 v 26 & 27

Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the LORD.
From the house of the LORD we bless you.
The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand,
join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.

Philippians 2 v 14-16

Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life…”

By living differently we stand out. We live amongst a generation that feel they no longer need God, and if our lives make an impact on others, shining like stars because we don’t conform to the status quo, people will observe us.

Our response to those who are searching for answers - sharing the words of Jesus, the word of life, a gift we have been given to pass on. There’s no point being a star if you’re not going to shine! God longs for us to be the best and brightest we can, for His glory.

God has not chosen to answer every question we ask. It all revolves around trust. But trust is not easy. Perhaps one of the greatest evidences of our ability to trust is our willingness to walk on in the darkness.

Can we trust God? Most of the Christian life and ministry is an answer to this question. One measure of trust is how deeply we relate to God and are prepared to live without answers. In the places-of-our-not-knowing, who and what will you trust?

1 Peter 2 v 9
‘But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.’

We are chosen and chosen for a purpose. We are called to ‘a life less ordinary’ - one in which we have been called for a purpose beyond ourselves. We live to declare God’s praises and acknowledge to the world how he has transformed our lives.

1 Corinthians 13 v 4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

I’m reading 1 Corinthians at the moment in my personal Bible study times and it was good to be taken back to that well-known passage, ch 13, often read at weddings and full of heavenly wisdom. Patience, alongside kindness and humility, is a great thing to strive for in our day to day relationships, and especially when relating to those we love the most.

I’m definitely learning patience in the the food department at the moment as I try to subdue my cravings for coffee and chocolate! It’s been a good discipline for lent, but I shall very much enjoy a steaming cup of Starbucks on March 22nd!!

So will I run again?

Of course!

My exact time for any who are interested in these things was 1 hour 54.02 minutes! I came 159th out of 686 female runners, so perhaps I can aim to be in the top 100 next time (hmmm….!)

It was a great experience, and I have ordered some new trainers so I can take to the streets again in the not too distant future. Does the marathon appeal? Absolutely not; I like this distance and it suits me fine for now.

Congrats to all those who ran so well on Sunday - all 3,500 of us - and to quote today’s local gazette - ‘Strain, pain and miles of smiles’!

An odd title for a book, but then the main character feels her life is in extricably entwined with that of the figure in Great Expectations bearing that name. An unusual book, horrific in places but ultimately quite poignant, and certainly a novel that got me thinking.

The author Lloyd Jones gives no impression he is a Christian and yet there are those he writes about who stand up for what they believe in and do pay the ultimate price.

Favourite quote from the book:
“A house without God is an empty house waiting for the devil to move in.”

Colossians 4 v 3 & 4

“And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the message of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly as I should.”

We have been entrusted with a message to share, and we need to communicate truth in a way those around us will understand. Paul was in prison when he spoke these words, and he wanted to make best use of any opportunities afforded him. May God open a door for our message and give us clarity to speak truth here in Brentwood.