St. Patrick's Day...man I love this holiday...one of the best holidays of the year in my opinion. As the Irish say, "slainte". Slainte is a Gaelic term... kind of like "cheers"... but it literally means, "to your health". It seems appropriate, not only as a toast, but also in reference to St. Patrick's Day. For those who don't know, St. Patrick's Day celebrates a lot more than a pint of Guinness at your local pub. There is more to the story, much more. Now it's not only my favorite holiday because I am Irish, but also because my parents were raised in Ireland, and yes most of my relatives live there. In fact my family and I went a few summers ago for the very first time. Wow, what a great experience! Seeing where my parents grew up, tracing family roots, visiting extended family (many I've never met before, face to face). But also gaining a greater understanding of my Irish history and a great appreciation of the most famous of Irishmen...St. Patrick! I know most of us in America see March 17th as a holiday full of drunk folks pretending to be Irish as they drink green beer, eat corned beef and cabbage, and wear a variety of embarrassing green accessories. But you see, St. Patrick's Day is much more significant when you know the true story. First, St. Patrick wasn't even Irish. He was captured and enslaved by Irish men and forced to work for them in Ireland. After years of slave labor he received a vision/dream from God. God directed him to take a certain escape route that would lead to a harbor where a man in a boat would be waiting for him, and that man would take him safely back to his family. Sure enough, Patrick did as directed and there was a man with a boat waiting. Shortly after, he was indeed a free man reunited with his loved ones. Patrick soon came to know God personally and became very devote, even training for the priesthood. After seminary, he was serving as a priest with the usual "churchy duties", when he received another vision/dream from God. This time the vision was a picture of the Irish men who had enslaved him begging him to return to Ireland to tell them about Jesus. Patrick humbly said "yes" and returned to the very people who had hurt him, used him, abused him & cruelly took him from those he loved. Patrick was used by God to bring the truth of Jesus to the barbaric Celtic tribes warring throughout Ireland. Due to his willingness and God's grace, St. Patrick's legacy is responsible for Christianizing the nation of Ireland! That is why the Irish celebrate St. Patrick. He is the patron saint of a nation, that is responsible for millions of people sharing in the blessings of the Kingdom of God for generations. I don't know about you, but that story motivates me. To think a humble man, simply being willing to do as God directed, could be part of such a miracle! Wow, I want to be like that dude! Were the Irish just "lucky"? Right place, right time? Coincidence? Heck no, they were blessed by God intentionally through a man that said, "yes, I hear their cry, and I'll go do something about it...personally!" You see, Patrick probably was real uncomfortable going back to Ireland. He probably hated the Irish for what they did to him. He probably feared for his safety, feared for his life even. Yet he trusted God, and went anyway...to a people most of the church establishment in his day thought was a lost cause. I love that...God does miracles in the midst of lost causes! God loves to transform lost causes! Our prayer is that ECHO would be a church that is willing to go to people that the "church establishment" may see as lost causes. Our prayer is that we can be a part of "lost cause miracles!" Our prayer is that we would be willing to be uncomfortable... hang with those we usually don't...reach out to those we may even fear...or don't understand...or maybe don't even "like"... and learn to love them as Jesus does. Because somehow in the midst of that, God's love grows inside us and spills out on those people around us, as we learn to "love others as we love ourselves". As we serve people, with tangible expressions of God's love, grace & compassion, God shows up in us and through us! Because no one should be left out. I love that! It's God's heart, His desire...that no one should be left out! I see that in the life story of St. Patrick...and I feel its a great example to us of what a church can be...an ECHO of God's love from generation to generation! Because God's heart is that no one should be left out...can you hear the ECHO...Slainte!be God's!
Brian O
Lead Pastor dude, ECHO
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