The Cloud of Unknowing over the Monastery « Anamchara • The Website of Unknowing

The Cloud of Unknowing over the Monastery

When I was leaving the grounds of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit this past Thursday evening, I was thrilled by this celestial phenomena. Is this an image of the Cloud of Unknowing, or what? So I stopped my car and used my trusty cell phone to take this snapshot.

This entry was posted on August 17, 2008 at 7:08 pm and is filed under Christian mysticism. Tagged: Monastery of the Holy Spirit, photography, The Cloud of Unknowing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

5 Responses to “The Cloud of Unknowing over the Monastery”

zoecarnate Says:
August 18, 2008 at 2:32 pm
What an awesome pic. That should be turned into a poster for the gift shop…
Carl McColman Says:
August 18, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Unfortunately, it’s a typical cell phone snapshot, which means it works great as a web graphic but wouldn’t survive the transition to print. So I’m afraid people will have to come visit my blog to enjoy it!
knittabhavana Says:
August 19, 2008 at 4:15 am
How pleasing that the Cloud of Unknowing is silvered, faceted, finite and standing in a clear blue sky, rather than the unending, dirty, grey sludge of weather currently pressing down on London… and there was me thinking it was a metaphor! Thank you, Carl - it’s beautiful.
Greg Says:
August 19, 2008 at 3:07 pm
Nice picture Carl. I just completed a retreat at the Monastery this past weekend and took lots of pictures of the light inside the Abbey Church and around the grounds. I wish we had such beautiful skies on Saturday as you had last week. I will definitely be back again.
Darrell Grizzle Says:
August 21, 2008 at 11:12 am
Wow, that really is a great picture! I just got a new phone that has a camera in it - I’ve never had a cell phone camera before, and now I’ve gone “all out” with a Samsung Blackjack II. (Although to a Mac user I guess “all out” would be an iPhone…)

What others say...

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"Thanks, Carl, for your fine and much needed work."

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"Recommended website"

— Steven Sadler, author of Looking for God: A Seeker's Guide to Religious and Spiritual Groups of the World

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Upcoming Class: February 2009

A Brief History of Everything through Emory University's "Evening at Emory" Program. Online registration begins November 19!

American philosopher Ken Wilber’s writings combine eastern and western spirituality, psychology, biology, cultural theory, and other strands of contemporary thought to create what the author calls “integral psychology.” Wilber bridges science and religion, explains the dynamics of human consciousness and moral development, and speculates on future evolution of our species. Despite the complexity of his thought, many of Wilber’s books are surprisingly accessible, including the textbook for this class, A Brief History of Everything. In this class we’ll read the book, discuss its merits, and consider how Wilber’s ideas can impact the scientific and spiritual communities. Tuition includes textbook.
Instructor: Carl McColman
February 18-March 18, 2009
7:00-9:00 pm

Upcoming Retreats in 2009

Carl McColman will be co-leading the following retreats at the guesthouse of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. For more information or to register, click here.

June 5-7, 2009:
Writing & Journal Keeping
(with Fr. James Behrens)
Explore your personal connection between the inner life and the written word. This weekend includes time for silence, for journaling, and for reflections on the relationship between writing and the spiritual life. Suitable for professional and amateur writers at all skill levels, this weekend does not include personal criticism or feedback. Instead, it simply creates a space where you can write, you can pray, and perhaps even combine the two into a unified spiritual practice.

July 17-19, 2009:
Wisdom of the Christian Mystics
(with Fr. James Behrens and Fr. Tom Francis)
From the Desert Fathers to Julian of Norwich to Thomas Merton, Christian history is filled with stories of men and women who experienced a profound sense of God's presence in their lives. Can the teachings of the mystics still speak to us today? The mystics themselves would say “yes” – and furthermore, that their message is not just for priests or monks or nuns, but is indeed meant for the entire people of God. With this in mind, during this weekend we will look at several ways in which the wisdom of the Christian mystics can provide insight and inspiration for our age. This will include the universal call to holiness – St. Paul 's directive to “pray without ceasing,” and the promise from the Psalms to “be still and know God.”

Anamchara • The Website of Unknowing