Carl McColman's Blog, page 64
July 30, 2014
The Hidden Tradition of Christian Mysticism
The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa of Avila
Karl Rahner, one of the most renowned Christian theologians of the twentieth century, once famously remarked that “the Christian of the future will be a mystic or will not exist at all.” For people whose experience of Christianity is, often, little more than a religion invested in obedience and in patriarchal morality, this seems to be a bold statement. After all,mysticismimplies not legalistic religion, but living spirituality — heart-felt intimacywith God...
Lectio Divina Every Day
Van Gogh, Still Life with Bible, 1885.
“Love for Jesus is fed by constant meditation on the Gospels.” — Michael Casey, OCSO
A prominent pastor who hosts an Internet podcast once interviewed me for his show, and at the close of our conversation asked me, “What is the one bookyou would recommend to readers as the most essential title to read, for the purpose of understanding Christian mysticism?”
Without batting an eye I said, “The Bible, of course.” I don’t think that was the answer he was expect...
July 27, 2014
Interfaith-Friendly Christianity?
Thomas Merton and the Dalai Lama, 1968. Copyright of the Merton Legacy Trust and the Thomas Merton Center at Bellarmine University. Used with permission.
Jesus, following thelaw of his people, instructed his followers to “love your neighbor as yourself.”But then he upped the ante by telling the story of the good Samaritan — in his society, the Samaritans were the social outcasts. Yet here was a parable in which the social outcast was a better neighbor to a man in need than the community and re...
December 20, 2013
My Advent Meditations
Caryll Houselander
I’m not sure if the subscription function on Patheos is working yet or not (please let me know if you subscribed to this blog — and getting updates both from www.carlmccolman.com and from www.patheos.com/blogs/carlmccolman ~ thanks).
Anyway, in case you haven’t seen them, here are three Advent meditations I posted at Patheos this week, based on The Reed of Godby Caryll Houselander:
Preparing for the Silent Night: Part One
Preparing for the Silent Night: Part Two
Preparing for th...
December 16, 2013
A Quick Note for Subscribers to this Blog…
Friends, if you are a subscriber to my blog, please remember that it has moved to Patheos.
If you are anemail subscriber to this blog, your email address will be imported to Patheos this week and you will start getting blog updates from my Patheos blog.
If you are a subscriber to this blog through WordPress, you will need to go to Patheos and sign up to receive email updates. Sorry about that, but that’s the way it works.
I hope I’ll see you at the new blog (please go read today’s post: first of...
December 10, 2013
Three book reviews (on my new blog)
The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation
To launch my blog’s new home at Patheos.com, I’ve posted three book reviews. Please click on the links below to check them out.
The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation by Mirabai Starr: as the title suggests, a new edition of the great medieval mystical classic, rendered into fresh and accessible prose by one of the most interesting contemporary interpreters of the Christian mystics.
December 3, 2013
Come See My New (Blog) Home!
Patheos: Hosting the Conversation on Faith
My friends, I’m honored to announce that my blog will now be hosted by Patheos.
If you’re not familiar with Patheos, please take some time to visit. It’s tagline is “Hosting the Conversation on Faith” and when you look at the many voices on the site, representing atheism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox, Evangelical, Hindu, Jewish, Mormon, Muslim, Pagan, Progressive Christian, and other faith perspectives, it really lives up to that claim. Some...
November 27, 2013
Happy Thanksgiving and a Few Brief Words
If the only prayer you say in your life is ‘Thank You,’ that would be enough.
— Meister Eckhart
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And to those of you who don’t live in the USA, may you find your own way to express gratitude during this season.
Gratitude on the Gulf Coast. Photo by Fran McColman.
Someone emailed me the other day and asked if she had been removed from my subscription list. I replied to let her know that A) no, she hadn’t, and B) my silence was my doing. And then I realized it has been o...
October 22, 2013
The Fullness of Our Destiny
The Laughter of God
I picked up a copy of an old book calledThe Laughter of God: At Ease With Prayer by Trappistine nun Miriam Pollard from the used book tent at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit’s Fall Festival earlier this month. It’s an insightful book which seeks to foster a sense of prayer as a means of entering into intimacy with God — the God who laughs and loves, a healthy corrective to the frightening God of judgment and wrath that so often seems to be the stock in trade of old-style r...
October 18, 2013
Deep Listening
Gerald G. May
The other day when several folks gathered at a church in Atlanta to participate in the Shalem Institute’s 40th Anniversary “Circle the World in Prayer” vigil, one participant talked about a wonderful teaching she once received from Jerry May, who was a senior fellow at Shalem and the author of such classic books as Will & Spirit and Addiction & Grace. My friend shared an idea that May spoke of, called “deep listening.” As we enter into silence, we consciously choose to let go of...
