“Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’”

   - Acts 17.28

May Christ be with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ to my right, Christ to my left,
Christ where I lie down, Christ where I sit, Christ where I stand,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye which looks on me,
Christ in every ear which hears me.

  - Anonymous, “Patrick’s Breastplate,” Irish, 8th century

Even the unbelieving philosophers of ancient Greece, careful observers of the world in all its parts, could not escape the conclusion that they were surrounded and sustained by God – Whoever He may have been.

The ancient loricaor breastplate prayer, falsely ascribed to Patrick (although certainly reflective of his own outlook), expresses the deep sense of Celtic Christian spirituality which longs for a close and continuous walk with Jesus, to be immersed and ensconced in His presence and love, and safe in His care.

Jesus has promised to be with us always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28.20). Do we really appreciate the intimacy and certainty of that great promise?

Moreover, while Jesus is with us where we are, are we not also with Him where He is (Eph. 2.1-6)? But do we experience His presence with us – or rather, our presence with Him – as a real and true aspect of our everyday lives?

We can, and the place to begin seeking that closer and more constant experience of the Lord is in meditation and prayer.

Do we dare to call upon Jesus to come into the moments and spaces and relationships of our everyday lives? And can we really trust Him to lift us up to the heavenly places to sit with Him at the Father’s right hand?

Scripture indicates we can, and should, and the practice of our forebears shows us the power that comes from such a constant immersion in the Lord.

But it doesn’t just happen; we have to work out this aspect of salvation as much as all the others. We must learn to practice meditation and to pray in ways that lead us into the presence of Jesus so that we experience His all-surrounding, all-upholding presence, and bend and flourish under the weight of His transforming glory.

You can put on Jesus today; you can know Him with you every moment, and delight to be with Him – in Him – where He is.

Yes, you can.

Will you?

Psalm 42.6-8 (Nettleton: “Come Thou Fount”)
Oh my God, my soul is weary, therefore I remember You.
Let Your grace and goodness near be, and Your promise, firm and true.
Lord, when trials and fears surround me, Your commands will be my song;
When distresses sore confound me, Your great love will keep me strong.

Lift me up, O Lord, and seat me with You; show me the grandeur of Your glorious presence, and be with me where I am.

The Week at The Fellowship
New columns and topics are up at the website this week. Our column on the Law of God, In the Gates, begins a new series of questions and answers on the Law, beginning with "What does Paul mean when he says we're under grace, not Law?" In The Scriptorium column we have begun a new series on poetry as a vehicle for theological truth, looking, in this part of the series, at Colum's "Altus Prosator." In The Week ou’ll find reports to stimulate your thinking about the place of the arts and language in the life of faith. Two books from our online store are especially prepared to help you learn to meditate on Christ and know more of His presence daily. These would make good resources for your learning to meditate and pray this way, and they’d be great Christmas gifts for a friend. Order copies of The Hidden Life and Be Thou My Vision today, and we’ll get them out to you right away. Why not make an end-of-the-year gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe? If our ministry is a help to you, help us keep it growing by using the donate button here or at the website, or by sending your contribution to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 19 Tyler Dr., Essex Junction, VT 05452. Thanks in advance for making us part of your year-end giving.

T. M. Moore, Principal
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