Series on Celtic spirituality, held at United Methodist Church, offers unique perspectives
“Celtic Spirituality,” a four-week, adult-education class held at Haddonfield United Methodist Church, invites attendees to plunge into the ancient world of the Irish, Welsh and Scots, sampling their music, poetry, art, food and distinctly Celtic religious practices.
Its first session, which took place on Feb. 10, featured the animated movie, “The Secret of Kells,” which tells a fictionalized, family-friendly version of the creation of the famous Book of Kells.
The series, which held its second session and first official class three days later, is co-led by Lee Price and Erica Rose Smith. Its Feb. 13 session was attended by more than three dozen people. The two-hour class offered history and geography of the British Isles, musical interludes as well as a healthy dose of traditional and modern spirituality titled “Recovering the Spirit of Celtic Christianity.”
“I’m overwhelmed by the turnout. I enjoyed the feel in the room very much. This is the fifth or sixth class I’ve led and it’s feeling like it could be the very best,” Price said.
Price has served as director of development at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts in Philadelphia since 2001. He and his family have been members of UMC since 1995. Approximately every two years, he leads a Wednesday night adult-education series at the house of worship, usually picking a topic he is interested in learning more about.
He’s previously led courses in the Bible in art, Tolkien, ancient Christian spiritual practices, and Paul’s Letter to the Galatians. This time around, he mentioned to Associate Pastor Christina Lelache he wanted to do something on medieval illuminated manuscripts like The Book of Kells.
“It’s a huge subject that I wasn’t previously knowledgeable about, so I’m on a fast learning curve. I do have some Celtic ancestry: my last name Price is Welsh, meaning son (P) of Rhys,” Price related.
Smith was called upon twice to lend her vocal talents, on “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” a song of divine protection dating from the 5th Century A.D., then “God to enfold you,” first published in 1997.
“I enjoy Celtic things and … my background with this is reading children’s books, years ago. Like ‘A Wrinkle in Time,’ and the other books in the series, which have the poem in the beginning of it, that’s a version of ‘St. Patrick’s Breastplate’ which I sang,” she explained.
Under his guidance, Price ensured that the class’ examination of spirituality included a passage written by his son as well as a heartwarming update on his wife’s recent mission work.
“Lisa left for a church mission trip to build houses in the Dominican Republic, but she will be involved in the tail end of the class when she returns. She’ll be contributing period food and information about the culinary world of early medieval Ireland,” Price said.
Price also floated the idea he might open up his home, which is equipped with a fireplace large enough to cook in ancient style, at some point next month as an unofficial fifth part of the class. However, he would not commit at the time of the conversation.
“Hospitality is a huge part of Celtic spirituality. So it is a natural to invite people to your home,” he related. “It would just be so much more exciting to have the fire going and seeing the material cooking in the hearth with people sharing on the spot.”
In any case, the next two classes will take place at the church and offer information about everyday life in 8th Century British Isles, as well as monastic life in the region and the creation of the Book of Kells. Price says although the class was designed to be a four-part series, members of the public won’t feel out of place if they show up for the final two classes.
“Celtic Spirituality” is scheduled to meet twice more, on Feb. 20 and 27, at 7:15 p.m. in Room 305 of Haddonfield United Methodist Church, located at 29 Warwick Road. For more information, contact Price at leeaprice@comcast.net.
