A Sneak Peek at our New Family Photos
Last night Rhiannon, Fran and I had family photos taken, our first formal photography since 2001. My, how things have changed! Back then you still had to go back to the studio at a later date to view proofs — but this time, as soon as the shoot was done, the photographer parked us in front of a computer where we could crop, zoom, and enhance our digital images to our heart’s content.
The photographer, Montoya Williams, was wonderful — she was patient with not only Rhiannon, but mom and dad as well. So if you live in the Atlanta area and want to do a family portrait, go to the JC Penny’s at Northlake Mall and ask for Montoya.
In about two weeks I’ll have a CD of all the images and I’ll post the best ones on my and/or Fran’s Facebook pages. But for now, here’s a sneak peek of one of the proofs. Even though this is a posed image, it really does capture a lot of the energy (read: love) in our family.
Rhiannon, Carl and Fran. Photo by Montoya Williams.
This Saturday in Gainesville, GA: Contemplative Quiet Day
This Saturday, April 2, I’ll be leading a Contemplative Quiet Day at the Cedar Hill Enrichment Center in Gainesville, GA. We’ll gather from 10 AM to 3 PM. As we make the transition from winter to spring, during this time of year liturgical Christians observe as Lent, this is an opportunity for you to tend to the silence within your own soul.
If you live within shouting distance (or, better yet, driving distance), I hope I’ll see you there.
This will be a time for people to gather in the spirit of Psalm 46:10. I hope that people of any faith (or even no faith) will feel welcome to join us, for this is not about one particular faith tradition. Rather, my hope is that by sharing my own journey into the silence of Christian contemplation, I can inspire and encourage everyone who attends to cultivate a deeper spirituality according to the wisdom of your own tradition. We won’ t solve all the world’ s problems, but perhaps by attending to the silence in each of our own hearts, we can find a way to, as Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh puts it, “ be peace” in today’ s troubled world.
If you’re planning on attending, please pre-register by Thursday, March 31. To do so, call: 770-887-0051. Thank you!
- www.discovercedarhill.org
Fran and Rhiannon singing
Here’s a video of Fran and Rhiannon singing at a Methodist Church earlier this month. This was filmed at St. Paul’s UMC in Grant Park, Atlanta, where Fran and Rhiannon provided music as part of the church’s disability awareness Sunday on March 6, 2011. Thanks to Laura and Talley Wells of Friends of L’Arche Atlanta for inviting Fran and Rhiannon to participate in this wonderful service (and for posting this video on Youtube).
Looking for #33 (and beyond)…
I’ve recently received donations for the thirty-first and thirty-second copies of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism to be sent free of charge to monastery and convent libraries. These books went to Santa Rita Abbey in Sonoita, AZ, and Assumption Abbey in Ava, MO.
I’ve received a number of wonderful thank you notes from the monks and nuns who have received copies of the book for their libraries. Even though this book, written by a layperson, probably doesn’t tell monastics anything they don’t already know, the recipients have expressed gratitude for the gift.
If there is a community of monks or nuns who are important to you, would you consider donating a copy of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism to their library? You can have me send a copy for $16 (this is a special price, only for books donated to monastery libraries, please!) This price includes shipping to any monastery or convent in the United States (if you want to donate a book to a site outside the US, contact me for the cost). I can indicate to the receiving community who donated the book, or I can send it on behalf of you anonymously, whichever you prefer.
For more information (including a list of the monasteries and convents that have already received donated books), please visit this page: Would You Please Donate a Book to a Monastery Library?
Of Gods and Men: Of Martyrs for Life
"Of Gods and Men" — the monks of Tibhirine walk in the snow after being kidnapped by insurgents.
Of Gods and Men, the award-winning French film about Cistercian monks who lived at the Monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria and who were killed in 1996 during the Algerian civil war, will begin showing in Atlanta next Friday, April 1. I had the privilege to attend an advance screening sponsored by Sony Pictures today. The film has already been screening in New York, Los Angeles, and other major cities, so you can fairly easily find reviews of it online. And for the most part, it’s getting plenty of praise. Metacritic rates the film at 86% and Rotten Tomatoes scores it at 92%. Not bad for a film dealing with questions of faith! Meanwhile, over at the Huffington Post, Jesuit author James Martin calls Of Gods and Men “the best movie on faith I’ve ever seen.” That may seem hyperbolic, but I have to admit, I’m not having any luck thinking of a better one. (more…)
Wilber & World Mysticism through Evening at Emory
Happy first day of spring, happy feast day of St. Benedict, and happy birthday to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit — today is the 67th anniversary of the monastery’s founding!
A reminder to everyone who lives in the Atlanta area — I have two classes coming up through the Emory University Center for Lifelong Learning (“Evening at Emory”), and registration is open for both of them. I hope I’ll see you at one or both
Introduction to Ken Wilber |
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Evening at Emory – Humanities and Cultural Studies
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 thoughts, 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.
Textbook: A Brief History of Everything
Instructor: Carl McColman, MA in Professional Writing and Editing, author of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
5 session(s): Thu: Jul 21-Aug 18 / 7:00-9:00 pm
Registration fee: $150 CEUs: 1 
And…
Introduction to World Mysticism |
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Evening at Emory – Humanities and Cultural Studies
Madonna is studying the Kabbalah. The Shack is a runaway bestseller. Centuries after he died, everyone’s reading Rumi. Yoga, Buddhism and other eastern practices are more popular than ever. So what gives? Central to these cultural trends is mysticism, a vague word that can be translated as “the spiritual principle at the heart of religion.” Many people believe mysticism is the golden thread that unites all the world’s religions, while others scoff at the idea. Decide for yourself in this class as we explore major themes and writings from the world’s great mystical traditions. Using Andrew Harvey’s The Essential Mystics as our textbook, we’ll examine the world’s great wisdom traditions — Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as well as pagan and philosophical forms of mysticism — acknowledging both the common ground and the distinctive qualities of each mystical path. Class is taught from an academic/nonsectarian perspective. Textbook is not included. Textbook: The Essential Mystics : Selections from the World’s Great Wisdom Traditions
Textbook: The Essential Mystics : Selections from the World’s Great Wisdom Traditions
Instructor: Carl McColman, MA in Professional Writing and Editing, author of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
4 session(s): Wed: Apr 13-May 4 / 7:00-9:00 pm
Registration fee: $150 CEUs: 0.8
Thanks for the prayers, and please keep them coming!
Hello, friends: Rhiannon is home from the hospital tonight. She’s on antibiotics and of course they’ll be monitoring her blood counts (both hemoglobin and neutrophils), but we can live with those conditions. She’s just glad to be out of there! Thank you all for your prayers, and please keep them coming!
Update on Rhiannon
Here are excerpts from an email my wife sent out to family and friends this morning. I know a number of folks who read this blog have been praying for my stepdaughter, Rhiannon; so this will bring you up to date on what’s happening in her life.
I am sending out this email to many of our loved ones to ask for your prayers for Rhiannon. She came down with a fever (+102) and chills on Tuesday evening. We saw the doctor on Wednesday morning. After doing lab work we discovered that her blood counts had dropped and we were sent to The hospital at Emory. After spending several hours waiting in ER we were finally moved into a room by midnight.
The tests confirm that Rhiannon has a urinary tract infection and that the infection has spread into her bloodstream. She is receiving the strongest antibiotics available and her fever is finally dropping down closer to normal. Due to the fever she also became partially dehydrated and this caused her blood counts to appear to be higher than they actually were. However due to her chronic kidney and liver disease her blood counts stay lower all the time. As she has received IV fluids over night a truer picture of her blood counts has emerged and her counts are lower than I ever remember them being. Her hemoglobin fell to 4.8 (normal is 12, her normal best score is usually around 8-9) and her hematocrit dropped to around 12-13. Her white blood count fell so low that she is currently on a neutropenia warning which means hand washing and masks are important for people around her and she is not allowed to have fresh fruit or flowers in her room until her blood counts are a bit higher.
The doctors are saying that she will be here in the hospital for a couple of days at least. She is receiving a blood transfusion now so her counts should begin to rise soon.
We appreciate your love and prayers.
I just am now home from spending most of the day at the hospital. Rhiannon is resting, calm and bored (which is probably a good thing). She is totally over the incessant number of needles she has had to endure over the last 30 hours. Basically, the docs want to keep an eye on her to make sure the fever is knocked out and her blood counts get back to more acceptable levels before they’ll let her go home.
So, to echo Fran — thank you so much for your love and prayers.
Mass for 40 Parts
If you love early music, or sacred music, check out this video. I’ve already pre-ordered my copy of this CD — a recording of a sixteenth century “Mass for 40 Parts” that, quite possibly, was the inspiration for Thomas Tallis’s transcendent 40-part motet, “Spem in Alium.”
Wild Goose Festival Trailer!
Here’s a little video to watch (and share with your friends) about the Wild Goose Festival.
A Few Thoughts on Psalm 46:10 (Cedar Hill Blog)
Hello friends. I’ve recently written a post for the Cedar Hill Blog. Cedar Hill is a wonderful retreat center located in Gainesville, GA; I will be leading a day of reflection and renewal centered on contemplation and interfaith spirituality on Saturday, April 2. If you live within shouting distance (or, better yet, driving distance), I hope I’ll see you there.
Here’s the link to the blog post: The Essential and Necessary Link Between Contemplation and Peacemaking.
And here’s a bit more about the upcoming event:
On April 2 I’ ll be at the Cedar Hill Enrichment Center for a day of reflection and respite.This will be a time for people to gather in the spirit of Psalm 46:10. I hope that people of any faith (or even no faith) will feel welcome to join us, for this is not about one particular faith tradition. Rather, my hope is that by sharing my own journey into the silence of Christian contemplation, I can inspire and encourage everyone who attends to cultivate a deeper spirituality according to the wisdom of your own tradition. We won’ t solve all the world’ s problems, but perhaps by attending to the silence in each of our own hearts, we can find a way to, as Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh puts it, “ be peace” in today’ s troubled world.
To Register for The Day of Reflection and Respite, call: 770-887-0051
www.discovercedarhill.org
Evening at Emory: Introduction to World Mysticism!
INTRODUCTION TO WORLD MYSTICISM
This spring through Evening at Emory!
Madonna is studying the Kabbalah. The Shack is a runaway bestseller. Seven hundred years after he died, everyone’s reading Rumi. Yoga, Buddhism and other eastern practices are more popular among Americans than ever. So what gives? At the heart of all these cultural trends is mysticism, a vague word that can be translated as “the spiritual principle at the heart of religion.” Many people believe mysticism is the golden thread that unites all the world’s religions. Others scoff at the idea. Come decide for yourself in this class as we explore major themes and writings from the world’s great mystical traditions. Using Andrew Harvey’s The Essential Mystics as our textbook, we’ll examine the world’s great wisdom traditions — Taoism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as well as pagan and philosophical forms of mysticism — acknowledging both the common ground and the distinctive qualities of each mystical path. This class explores its topic from an academic/nonsectarian perspective.
Textbook: The Essential Mystics : Selections from the World’s Great Wisdom Traditions
Instructor: Carl McColman, MA in Professional Writing and Editing, author of The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
4 session(s): Wednesdays: April 13-May 4, 2011 / 7:00-9:00 pm
Registration fee: $150 Register now!
What will be covered
- Session 1: Defining our terms, posing the question: Is there such a thing as a “world
mysticism”? Pro and con arguments - Session 2: Indigenous, Taoist, and Hindu mysticism
- Session 3: Jewish (Kabbalah), Christian, and Islam (Sufi) mysticism
- Session 4: Buddhist and pagan/philosophical mysticism; summary/revisiting our
question.
A Flock of CDs (for the Wild Goose Festival)
Following up on last Sunday’s post of books by folks appearing at the Wild Goose Festival, here’s a gallery of selected CDs by some of the musicians who likewise are expected to show up at the first Wild Goose Festival, to be held in North Carolina this coming June 23-26. What excites me about this list is how eclectic it is — quite a variety of folks, and not just the usual suspects that you would expect at a “Christian” festival. With the likes of T-Bone Burnett, Beth Nielsen Chapman, and Michelle Shocked due to perform, I might even be able to coax my agnostic brother and sister-in-law to come! I’m particularly excited about Steve Lawson and Ric Hordinski, both of whom do truly wonderful ambient style music, on bass and guitar, respectively.
Imagine the opportunity to hear — and interact with — these music-makers, along with a few thousand other creative, visionary, and justice-oriented people of faith. Throw in some great conversations, opportunities for artistic expression, and creative worship experiences, and you have the Wild Goose Festival. I hope I’ll see you there. To learn more, visit the website or just go ahead and buy your tickets already! (more…)
“Five Faiths Explore the Sacred Path” Conference, April 8-10!
I’m excited to announce that I will be participating in a very special interfaith contemplative event in Atlanta, April 8-10!
Print this flyer and share it with all your friends...
Five Faiths Explore the Sacred Path
An Interfaith Contemplative Gathering
April 8-10, 2011
First Christian Church of Atlanta’s Annual Spirituality Conference
4532 LaVista Road
Tucker, GA 30084
770-939-4358
This conference will offer insights from five of the world’s major religions regarding the sacred path to God. Contemplation is an essential component of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism. Leaders from these five faith communities in Atlanta will share their insights and experiences that have occurred on their contemplative journeys.
In this conference you will hear presentations, singing, and storytelling. You will participate in small groups, periods of silence, sharing meals, and worship. The presenters are committed practitioners of their respective faith traditions; most are laypeople. The conference provides the opportunity to explore together our commonalities and differences while building interfaith relationships in the larger community we all share.
Conference Schedule
Friday Evening, April 8
The sacred path in Judaism — Rabbi Scott Saulson and Audrey Galex
Saturday Morning and Afternoon, April 9
The sacred path in Islam — Kemal Korucu and Mirkena Ozer
The sacred path in Buddhism — Gareth Young
The sacred path in Hinduisim — Gillian Renault and Brother Shankara
Sunday Morning, April 10
The sacred path in Christianity — Carl McColman
Interfaith Worship and Weekend Panelists — Pastors Rick and Kris Branaman
Sunday Noon
All are invited to sit together at a vegetarian luncheon; your admission is a salad, a fruit, a vegetable, bread or a dessert (if you cannot bring one of these, bring an appetite).
Fee: $25 Includes light fare on Friday evening and a fruit lunch on Saturday; Students $10 (please be prepared to show student ID). No one will be excluded for lack of funds.
To register: Call First Christian Church of Atlanta 770-939-4358. Specify that you are registering for the Spirituality Conference. We look forward to seeing you there.
Nearby hotels:
Doubletree Hotel, 4156 LaVista Road, Tucker, GA. 770-938-1026
Country Inn & Suites, 2081 Northlake Parkway, Tucker, GA, 770-270-9009
Hampton Inn Atlanta/Northlake, 3400 Northlake Parkway NE, Atlanta, GA, 770-493-1966
Quote for the Day
The basic definition of meditation is “having a steady mind.” In meditation, when your thoughts go up, you don’t go up, and you don’t go down when your thoughts go down. Whether your thoughts are good or bad, exciting or boring, blissful or miserable, you let them be. You don’t accept some and reject others. You have a sense of greater space that encompasses any thought that may arise.
— Chögyam Trungpa, Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior
