They may be coated in layers of myth and pious anecdote but dig deep enough and the pioneering leaders of Celtic Christianity are revealed as reassuringly human individuals, responding to their faith by deliberately living on the edges of society. From the goddess-nun Brigid and absent-minded Cainnech to severe ascetics such as Columbanus and Baldred, together they demonstrate a close connection with the natural world, an astonishing self-discipline and, above all, a rigorous commitment to what it meant to be 'pilgrims for Christ'. Establishing a network of influential monastic communities, they travelled from the territories of the Atlantic seaboard - Ireland, Wales and Cornwall - across Scotland, the north of England and deep into continental Europe, transforming the religious experience of all they encountered.

Writing well over a thousand years ago, the Celtic saints and their followers who penned them reflected not just the cares and concerns of their own times, but also gave voice to the universal human experience - the hopes, fears, joys and anxieties that are as much part of modern existence as they were in the Dark Ages. Meditations on birth, death and everything else that comes in between, as well as comments on the rhythms of everyday life, are mixed with musings on the natural world, the divine and, of course, the eternal questions that everyone asks.

What does it mean to be a Church Elder? How do Elders fulfil their role? How does being an Elder fit with the other pressures of life? How should Elders deal with some of the greatest challenges facing the Church? Eldership is a serious commitment to a lifelong role of responsibility. In this unique collection of personal reflections on key issues for Elders by Elders across Scotland, we have one of the most revealing and absorbing insights ever into what it really means to play an active role in the daily national and local life of the Church of Scotland. Elders have much to tell each other and others in the Church about their challenges, how they've grown and developed along the way; new ways of doing things; of 'being Church'. Such a conversation may raise as many questions as it answers -but it also delivers a sense that no member of this 'silent army' is alone in the work that they do and the vision they are trying to make real. Above all, this unique book offers affirmation, insight and an exciting starting point for further discussion and debate.