I reread the sections in Cahill regarding Patrick and the mission to the Irish. Wow - I was enamored all over again by that story. These guys figured out how to bring the message of the kingdom and the historic church into the Irish context. They created Irish Catholics - this way before there was any such thing as the Roman catholic church (which really did not exist as such until the 16th century as a result of the Council of Trent).

I long to understand how to bring the gospel into the lives of real people in this current mileau we live in. They say half the USA is completely unchurched. I wonder how many cultural subgroups this represents? Are there any groups that are like the ancient Irish - your basic pagan?

Cahill says that Patrick learned how to communicate to the deepest concerns of the Irish heart. What are the deepest concerns of the heart of people I know? Of postmodern pagans? Hmmm....This is worth some reflection.