Why "St. Cuthbert's Island"?

Saint Cuthbert was a Celtic monk who lived in the 7th century.
He received visitors at his monastery in Northumbria and was even appointed a bishop, but he yearned for the life of an ascetic. While living at the monastery on the island of Lindisfarne, he sought to spend time with the Lord whenever possible. Early on, he practiced solitude on a small island that was linked to Lindisfarne by a land bridge when the tide was low. This tiny island, known as Saint Cuthbert’s Island, was a training ground of sorts—a place to grow in faith and in love for God.

I chose to name my blog after this island for two reasons:
1) I hope that it will be a place where I can spend time alone with God, growing in my love for Him.
2) Perhaps, when the tide is low, others may find their way to this tiny island
and, by God’s grace, be blessed by what they find there.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Caim Prayer

In my last blog entry, I examined Psalm 125. In this psalm, God's encircling protection is compared to the mountains encircling Jerusalem. It's a beautiful visual reminder of God's presence and concern.

Well, that's all well and good for the people in Jerusalem, but I live in the flattest place in the entire world! What possible visual reminder of God's encircling love could there be for me?

Well, it just so happens that the Celtic saints had a prayer that they called an "encircling" prayer. Their word for it is caim. When saying a caim prayer, you draw a circle around yourself with your finger. "This symbolizes the encircling love of God....See yourself and others encircled and be aware that the living God surrounds and encloses with His love, care and protection." -- Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings of the Northumbria Community, p. 297.

An example of a caim prayer is:
Circle me, Lord.
Keep protection near and danger afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep hope within and despair without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep light near and darkness afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep peace within and anxiety without.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep comfort near and discouragement afar.
Circle me, Lord.
Keep holiness within and sin without.
The eternal Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
shield me on every side.
Amen.

Of course, the "me" above could be replaced with us, him, her, them, or someone's name or names as needed. (This example is again taken from the Celtic Daily Prayer book.)

Naturally, there is nothing magical about making a circle with your hand. But as physical beings, engaging our bodies in prayer and in worship can be very helpful. I have found the encircling motion to be a very powerful reminder of the reality of God's presence and power when I pray.

So if you're a flatlander like me, try the caim prayer. The Lord surrounds us all in His unfailing love.