A reader of this blog wrote to me last week and asked: I am writing to ask if you have any good recommendations for spiritual reading during Advent. There are…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
Encountering Silence: A Conversation with Dr. Joy Schroeder, co-author of “Voices Long Silenced”
It’s time for another episode from the Encountering Silence podcast! In this episode, Dr. Joy A. Schroeder, a Lutheran pastor, joins Cassidy, Kevin and me to explore the shadow side…
Patreon Membership Rewards for 2024
Read to join? Click here to get started with your Patreon membership today! Hi friends, just wanted to give readers of this blog a look at what your membership in…
A “Video Retreat” Courtesy of Contemplative Outreach Chicago
On October 29, 2022 I led an online retreat day for my friends at Contemplative Outreach of Chicago. We had a wonderful day of reflection, which was called Centering Prayer and…
The Mystical Imagination: Quotations for Reflection and Meditation
One of my favorite topics to explore when leading a retreat is “The Mystical Imagination.” I often pair it with Centering Prayer, exploring how the silence of Centering Prayer naturally…
Videos of Rhiannon and Fran
If you’ve read chapter one of Unteachable Lessons you know all about my wife Fran and my late daughter Rhiannon (who passed away in 2014). Thankfully, we have a number of…
Plowshare Prayer — and General Intercessions
Yesterday I was leading a class for Zeitgeist Atlanta and one of the participants shared an amazing song by a musician named Spencer Lajoye, called the “Plowshare Prayer.” It is…
Centering Prayer and the Mystical Imagination: Complementary Approaches to Intimacy with God
On Saturday, October 29, 2022, I will be leading an online day of reflection on Centering Prayer and the Mystical Imagination. If you’d like to explore how to integrate silent prayer…
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Wisdom — But Love Casts Out Fear
N.B. This homily was written for the Community of Hope International at their annual retreat, during the Saturday evening Taizé service, October 8, 2022 at Camp Allen, Navasota, Texas. The…
Prayer and the Contemplative Imagination • In Person Retreat in Atlanta, January 28
PRAYER & THE CONTEMPLATIVE IMAGINATION A MINI-RETREAT WITH CARL MCCOLMAN Click here for more information or to register “Be still and know that I am God” is a promise from…
Gnosis and Mysticism
A reader of this blog named Brian writes: Carl, How would you compare and contrast mysticism with gnosticism? Thanks! I suppose there are three ways to answer this question. First…
Online Course: Thomas Merton, Spiritual Guide (February 24-March 27, 2023)
Through Columbia Theological Seminary’s Center for Lifelong Learning, I’m teaching a course on the wisdom of Thomas Merton as a spiritual guide. We will explore selected readings from Merton, and…