Carl McColman's Blog, page 43
April 1, 2019
Two Contemplative Events in Asheville, NC (April 26 and 27)
Asheville, NC is one of my favorite places in the world. Beautiful mountains, a thriving city with a vibrant arts scene (not to mention craft breweries and great restaurants), and home to some wonderful Christian communities, from the Wild Goose Festival which takes place every summer, to Haw Creek Commons — a young intentional community that is […] … Continue Reading on Patheos
March 28, 2019
Martin Laird: Silent Land, Luminous Ocean (Part Three)
Our conversation with contemplative author Martin Laird concludes with this episode. To hear part one, click here. To hear part two, click here. “In a spiritual path there are no ‘outcomes assessments’.” — Martin Laird After recording an interview with just Carl and Kevin, Fr. Martin graciously agreed to an additional recording session with all … Continue reading Martin Laird: Silent Land, Luminous Ocean (Part Three) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
March 26, 2019
Is Centering Prayer “Old” or “New”?
Last week on this blog I posted a detailed email I received from a reader which included several wonderful questions. You can read the full email here. I’m going to take on the questions from that email one at a time. This week, we’re considering “is centering prayer something old or something new.” Here’s the […] … Continue Reading on Patheos
March 22, 2019
Four Questions about Centering Prayer and Other Forms of Contemplative Practice
I received the following email from a reader. I’m editing it slightly for the purpose of clarity, but otherwise posting it in its entirety. My question hovers around how centering prayer and Cynthia Bourgeault’s expression of it sits in tension with Orthodox traditions of the Jesus Prayer. Bourgeault figures centering prayer as a unique and […] … Continue Reading on Patheos
Requiem for a Not-Quite-Friend
On the day before my 58th birthday, a man who was just a few weeks older than me died. I’ll just call him “H.” I met H. when we were in the seventh grade. We went to the same church — my family and I were newcomers, joining the small Lutheran congregation after years of […] … Continue Reading on Patheos
March 19, 2019
Martin Laird: Silent Land, Luminous Ocean (Part Two)
Our conversation with contemplative author Martin Laird continues with this episode. To hear part one, click here. “What I mean by ‘Contemplative’ is ultimately overcoming the illusion of separation of God, and that illusion is sustained and maintained by inner noise in our head. And everything about our culture keeps our attention riveted there.” — … Continue reading Martin Laird: Silent Land, Luminous Ocean (Part Two) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
March 14, 2019
Martin Laird: Silent Land, Luminous Ocean (Part One)
Martin Laird is the author of three highly-regarded books on Christian contemplative spirituality: Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation, A Sunlit Absence: Silence, Awareness and Contemplation, and An Ocean of Light: Contemplation, Transformation and Liberation. He is an Augustinian friar, and Professor of Early Christian Studies at Villanova University. He is also … Continue reading Martin Laird: Silent Land, Luminous Ocean (Part One) → … Read more at Enco...
March 8, 2019
Five Ways to Think About Christian Mysticism
Mysticism is a notoriously squirrelly word to try to define. In The Big Book of Christian Mysticism I devote an entire chapter to defining mysticism, and even then I admit that defining this word is like trying to put love into a bottle. Not long after the book was published in 2010, I was asked to […]
March 6, 2019
Jane Brox: The Social History of Silence
If silence could tell us a story about itself, what would it say? This could be the question that Jane Brox answers in her most recent book, Silence: A Social History of One of the Least Understood Elements in Our Lives (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019). Brox is the award-winning author of several acclaimed works of … Continue reading Jane Brox: The Social History of Silence → … Read more at Encountering Silence
March 2, 2019
When to Let the Sacred Word Fall Away (and When to Keep On Praying It)
A reader of this blog wrote to ask me this question: How does Centering Prayer differ from Christian Meditation as taught by John Main? In Centering Prayer you allow the prayer word to “fall away” on it’s own. And though, in Christian Meditation, you are meant to keep repeating the Prayer Word (Maranatha) throughout the […]
