I was listening to a message by Dr. Paul Alexander of Trinity Bible College in Ellendale, ND and he shared a great story from history. It was about early Celtics and a call that they would make on their lives. It was a call to the cell and coracle.
The call to the cell was a call to prayer and time with God. Ministry was to start there. In their case it would be a commitment to the monastery.
Then is the call to the coracle. I was not sure what the coracle was so I was glad that Dr. Alexander went on to explain. These people would come to a point where they would go to the abbot for his blessing. The abbot would pray over them and send them to the kitchen for a few days of food. After getting their food, they would head down to the beach and get into the coracle.
The coracle was a small lightweight boat. The Coracle Society of the United Kingdom describe them as, “Coracles are small, keel-less boats, traditionally made as a basketwork frame, covered with an animal hide.” (http://www.coraclesociety.org.uk/history) These people would get into these small boats and head out to sea. Wherever they ended up would be there assignment for missionary work.
Dr. Alexander reminded us of the importance of adventure in our walk with God. We are called to prayer and then walking out in prayer to a life that God is calling us. I have written elsewhere about the importance of not sitting back and the need to engage in all that God has for us. It is the rhythm of spending time with God and then coming out of that time and walking with Him in adventure that makes like full.
So as the Celtic’s would say, “To the Cell and Coracle!!”
