03/11/2026
St. Patricks Day: To Party or Not to Party?
St Patrick’s Day is fast approaching (next Tuesday the 17th). It’s a day associated with wearing green, drinking beer, Irish people, three-leafed clovers, and supposedly has something to do with St. Patrick. The day we celebrate (March 17th) is known in church history as the day of St. Patrick’s death. But should we care about this day? Isn’t it just an excuse for people to drink beer, pinch other people, and have parties?
Though few historical documents survive from the 5th century (when Patrick lived), we do have records of some of Patrick’s own writings, specifically in the form of a letter he wrote and his own life story and account of his conversion (known historically as Patrick’s Confession). And what these brief records tell us is worthy of both emulation and celebration. Hence, I think there is definitely room for the parties.
Patrick records that he was a young, rebellious British teenager who was captured by Irish raiders, and enslaved for many years in Ireland. Yet in slavery he not only eventually escaped, but also experienced escape from slavery to Sin, Satan, and Death. Patrick recalls his own conversion and experience of God’s love in Christ, and the warmth and love of the Triune God took over his whole being. Upon his escape, he made his way back to Briton, but he soon desired to return to the land of his captors to bring them the reconciling message of the gospel. He decided to return to his very Irish captors and bring them the truths of Jesus.
Patrick never claimed to be a brilliant theologian or the smartest person in the room, and actually he regularly claimed to be the opposite. But God had awakened the love of Christ in Patrick, which not only fueled his own love for his captors but gave him incredible courage and resilience throughout his life. He spent the rest of his life sharing about Christ, planting churches, and is known as the first missionary to Ireland and thus is the Patron Saint of Ireland. His burial place is unknown, but many say his memory and life are scattered throughout all of Ireland.
As I think about Patrick’s life, it is clear that God not only uses the unlikely people but he also uses unlikely means, such as Irish raiders, slavery, and illiterate pastors and people. All the things we count as useless or even counter to God’s ways are often the very things God uses to shame our own contrived wisdom in order that the worship of Himself would be exclusive and dominant in our own lives.
And so if you want to join in the celebration of Patrick, I invite you to do two things. First off, ask the Spirit to stir up his life and giftings in you, so you can step into His work in the world. And secondly, join the party and music taking place at Sojourn Fermentory from 2pm-6pm this coming Saturday (March 14th). And when you are there, ask people if you can buy them a drink, ask them if they know about Patrick, and ask them to share their own life story!
RC Family, let’s keep living as witnesses in Hampton Roads, because we come from a long line of unlikely people that the Spirit has used in massive ways to draw people to Himself.
See you at Sojourn Fermentory!
PS: To learn more about Patrick, check out this article from The Gospel Coalition:
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/patrick-ireland-hero-history/
Pastor Nate
