Last night I had dinner with my friend Cliff who is coordinating an adult education program at his church. Currently they’re studying theophanies (encounters with God) in the Bible. Cliff wants to follow this up with a series on the mystics; hence his picking my brain over chips and salsa at a noisy Mexican restaurant.
We talked about the mystics who have had their own particular theophanies: Augustine in the garden; Julian of Norwich during her life-threatening illness; Thomas Merton on the corner of Fourth and Walnut in Lousiville, KY; Teresa of Avila and her vision of the cherub with the arrow. Cliff wants to give his students a brief introduction to each mystic, and then an opportunity to read one or two selections from the mystic’s writings in the style of lectio divina, followed by time for prayer and reflection.
“So why do you want to do this?” I asked him. “What’s the point of this class?”
“I want to challenge the modernist assumption that God has fallen silent,” he replied. “I believe the mystics witness to the fact that God is still speaking.” (more…)
You have reached a point where your further growth in perfection demands that you do not feed your mind with meditations on the multiple aspects of your being. In the past, these pious meditations helped you to understand something of God. They fed your interior affection with a sweet and delightful attraction for him and spiritual things, and filled your mind with a certain spiritual wisdom. But now it is important that you seriously concentrate on the effort to abide continually in the deep center of your spirit, offering to God that naked blind awareness of your being which I call your first fruits. If you do this, as you may with the help of God’s grace, be confident that Solomon’s charge to feed the poor with your first fruits will be fully accomplished also, just as he promises; and all without your interior faculties having to seek or search carefully among the attributes of your being or of God’s… And how spontaneously, joyously, and effortlessly shall all this happen through the working of grace. Busy toil of yours is no longer necessary, for in the power of this gentle, blind contemplative work, angels will bring you wisdom. Indeed, the angels’ knowledge is specially directed to this service as a handmaid to her lady.
February 4, 2012: Introduction to Monastic Spirituality at the Spirituality Immersion Experience, Columbia Theological Seminary's Certificate in Spiritual Formation Program.
February 5 and 12, 2012: Adult Education at Holy Cross Catholic Church, Atlanta, GA. Topic: "Teresa of Avila."
March 17, 2012: Introduction to Christian Mysticism for the Foundations in Christian Education Course sponsored by the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta's Institute for Ministry & Theological Education; location (metro Atlanta) TBD.
July 13-15, 2012: "Writing & Journaling as a Spiritual Practice" Retreat at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.
August 10-12, 2012: "Of Gods and Men: Spiritual Lessons of the Algerian Martyrs" Retreat at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.
September 14-16, 2012: "Spirituality of the English Mystics" Retreat at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.
November 9-11, 2012: "Wisdom of the Christian Mystics" Retreat at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Conyers, GA.
Recurring Events
Every Wednesday evening join Carl McColman and the Rev. Phil Foster for a contemplative gathering at First Christian Church of Atlanta. The first Wednesday of each month features a conversation on mysticism, hosted by the Atlanta Christian Mysticism Meetup Group. The second Wednesday of the month includes instruction on contemplative (silent) prayer, sponsored by the Atlanta Christian Meditation Meetup Group. Third, fourth and fifth Wednesdays also feature time for silent prayer, meditation and contemplation, along with group lectio divina. All are welcome. For more information or directions, please visit one or both of these Meetup Groups.
