Carl McColman's Blog, page 34

The Break-Up of the Beatles — and the Fragmented Spirituality of Our Age

Fifty years ago today on April 10, 1970 the Beatles announced that they were breaking up. We now know that this had been brewing for at least two years, as the members of the band grew apart both creatively and personally. But just like there is a difference between a troubled marriage and a marriage where the couple has decided to get a divorce, so too it seemed that everything changed on that spring day half a century ago.

I remember well when I discovered that the Beatles were splitting...

“Don’t Call Yourself a Mystic” — How Kenneth Leech’s Challenge Helped Me To Embrace Contemplative Practice

In my book Unteachable Lessons I talk about Kenneth Leech, the Anglican priest who wrote a variety of books on topics related to both contemplative spirituality and the struggle for social justice (if youre not familiar with Ken Leech, check out Prayer and Prophecy, an anthology of his most essential writings).

I only met Ken on a handful of occasions. When I ran the bookstore in Sewanee (the site of an Episcopal seminary), he came in to the store while he was on campus and we chatted for a...

Spiritual Lessons from a Pilgrimage to Ireland

I wrote the following article in 2002, when I was exploring Celtic paganism. I found it recently while looking for something in my archives and I thought it was worth sharing. Its a reflection on my first trip to Ireland, when I was doing research for The Complete Idiots Guide to Celtic Wisdom . I wrote from the perspective of a student of pagan and Goddess-centered spirituality. I hope you enjoy it. If you wonder how a Christian like me once identified as a pagan (or how someone exploring...

A Lesson on Creativity and Risk-Taking from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Publisher

Today I had a conversation with a friend who is working on a manuscript for a book to be published in the next year or so. We were chatting about the joys and challenges of writing.

I told her a story about Stanley and Rayner Unwin, who were the British publishers of J.R.R. Tolkien, among many other authors. Stanley founded the publishing house George Allen and Unwin in the early 20th century; in 1936 he was approached by J.R.R. Tolkien to publish The Hobbit. 

The elder Unwin enlisted the...

The Sheer Sound of a Still Small Voice

God speaks to us in a whisper, or so said an Episcopal priest I once knew. It was one of his trademark sayings, and the idea was obvious enough: if we want to discern the voice (will) of God in our lives, we had better listen carefully, because it wont come with any amplification.

While I cant say so for sure, my hunch is that all this came from a reading of 1 Kings 19. In this passage, Elijah, alone on Mount Horeb after fleeing for his life from the rage of Queen Jezebel, encounters a...

Your Home is Your Abbey; Your Heart is Your Cloister

I met a woman once, many years ago, who taught writing in a prison. She had the inmates read The Rule of Saint Benedict. She encouraged them to use the spirituality and culture of Benedictine monasticism as a way to reflect on their experience of incarceration.

She certainly wasnt the first or the last person to see a correlation between the cloister and correctional facilities. In her fascinating book Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements of Our Lives,  author...

Advice for Surviving a Pandemic from Julian of Norwich

Anyone who spends time on this blog knows that I love Julian of Norwich; just as John Ruysbroeck was Evelyn Underhills favorite mystic, Julian is far and away my favorite. You can read a few of my previous posts about Julian here, here and here.

Today I was prepared to write something about St. Patrick, given that tomorrow is his feast day, but since we are now dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic, the first global pandemic in a decade (since the H1N1 Swine Flu pandemic of 2009-2010) I...

Called to the Prayer of Listening to Christ

God saved us and called us to a holy life, not according to our works but according to his own design and the grace bestowed on us in Christ Jesus before time began. (II Timothy 1:9, NABRE)

God has called us to a holy life!

These words from the New Testament were written almost two thousand years ago, and yet they could have been written today to you, to me, to every person who has ever been baptized into the body of Christ. In the second Vatican Council the Bishops of the Catholic Church...

Contemplation and Vocal Prayer: For a Balanced Spiritual “Diet,” Cultivate Both

A reader of the blog wrote to me with this question:

We had an opportunity last night to attend a presentation on prayer & spiritual warfare. I’m now contemplating the presenter’s heavy use of the prayers of the church in his life of prayer. I am much more comfortable with personal, silent, & contemplative prayer. I’d like your thoughts on the value of the use of the prayers of our church, the saints, church fathers, etc. thanks!

Many people who are drawn to contemplative prayer often find...

Celtic Spirituality, Celtic Prayer, and the Promises of the Heart: Three Contemplative Online Courses

It’s March, and that means St. Patrick’s Day is just a few days away!

This year, instead of (or, in addition to) enjoying a pint of green beer, why don’t you observe St. Patrick’s Day by enrolling in a Celtic spirituality e-course throughSpirituality and Practice?

These courses are available “on demand” — which means you can sign up, and receive the course materials via e-mail at your convenience. Each course includes a dozen “lessons” that cover informative material about Celtic...