Woodhaven Baptist Church

17 March 2003

Dear Friend,

On Monday, we celebrated St. Patrick's Day. Everyone was Irish and wearing green and shamrocks. The bars served green beer and Irish brands of drinks. There were Irish parades in major cities and small people dressed up like Leprechauns. But who was St. Patrick and what does he have to do with green beer?

He was born in Wales in 385 AD with the name Maewyn. He was a pagan until the age of 16. At that time, Irish marauders raided his village, kidnapped him, and sold him into slavery. It was this experience that led him to the cross. After six years, he escaped from slavery and went to Gaul (modern day France) where he studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years.

He expressed a wish to return to Ireland to convert the pagans. His superiors felt he lacked the scholarship and instead appointed St. Palladius as the first bishop to Ireland. But two years later Palladius transferred to Scotland. Patrick, the name he adopted at the monastery, became the second bishop to Ireland.

He was very successful in wining converts to Christ. The Celtic Druids were furious and had him arrested several times, but he escaped each time. He established many monasteries, churches and schools in Ireland in a period of thirty years. He retired to County Down and lived there until he died on March 17, 461.

Many legends surround him. One mythic symbol about St. Patrick's day actually is based on truth. Patrick used the shamrock in many of his sermons to explain the Trinity. The Father, Son and the Holy Spirit could all be separate elements of the same entity. The followers would wear the shamrock on St. Patrick's feast day.

Jesus used elements familiar to the common man to explain heavenly truths also. The parables that Jesus is famous for were such stories. After all God is the creator of heaven and earth, and He uses creation to reveal Himself to us. "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them He hath set a tabernacle for the sun." Psalm 19:1-4.

We can see God's handiwork in creation. The trees, sunset, the rain all shout of a creator. But their revelation is incomplete. Even in the above passage the Psalmist says "their line" which literally means murmur "has gone out." We hear creation talking but cannot truly understand what it is saying. Psalm 19 goes on to say, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the eyes." Psalm 19:7-8.

We only get a more complete revelation of who God is and His plan through His word. When was the last time you picked up your Bible to see what He has to tell you. Not to read for Sunday School lesson or trivia, but just to read. Our Lord loved us so much that He rather die than to live without us. This is the type of revelation that we can only receive through His word.

With love,

Pastor Scott Patz

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Last updated: 16 June 2005