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…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
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…
Online Event: Wisdom for Spiritual Living (October 21-22, 2022)
Note: This is an online event. Join me online for a Friday evening and Saturday min-retreat sponsored by the Rock Hill Oratory! Our theme is “The Universal Call to Holiness:…
How to Deal with Catholics Who Disapprove of Centering Prayer
A reader of this blog named Pawel writes: Hi Carl, What would be your advice for someone returning to Catholic faith through a practice like Centering Prayer (having been immersed…
Twelve Mystical Anthologies That Belong in Every Contemplative Library
There are literally hundreds of mystics in the Christian tradition alone — or, should I say, hundreds of mystics who were writers (no one knows how many great mystics were…
Happy Birthday, Dawn Treader!
The year 1952 in England has gotten a lot of attention lately, with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. Her seventy-year reign, the longest ever for a British monarch, began…