Friends, as you can see from this photo, I have a new bookmark and I’d love to send a couple of them to you. While one side of the bookmark…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
Online Retreat: Praying with Julian of Norwich (May 14-15, 2021)
Julian of Norwich was a 14th century mystic and author who, even in her own lifetime, was renowned as a visionary and spiritual director. She was the first woman to…
James Martin: Learning to Pray
“Everyone can pray” is the hopeful and helpful opening message of Learning to Pray, the new book from bestselling Jesuit author James Martin. But he knows that many people don’t…
A Dream About A High School Library and Standing Up For What’s Right
Last night, I had the following dream. I woke up and wrote the dream down, and here is the unedited transcript of what I wrote: Dream 1/31/21-2/1/21 I was back…
An Interview With the Georgia Writers’ Association
Earlier today I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Terri Dudenhoeffer of the Georgia Writers’ Association for their “Q&A Sessions with Georgia Authors.” I’ve had the good fortune to…
Do We Lose Our Identity When We Become One with God?
So much of the language of the New Testament, and of so many of the mystics (at least in the Christian tradition), is language of love. God is love (or as I like to say, “Love-with-a-capital-L”). We love because God first loved us. God’s love is poured into our hearts.
Contemplation
So contemplation, mystically speaking, is one type of prayer. And the Catechism definition gives us a pretty good way of understanding this unique dimension of communication with God.
Mysticism
Mysticism is the dimension of spirituality that goes deeper than belief, doctrine or dogma. It recognizes that spiritual reality cannot ever be fully comprehended by the limitations of human thought, language or logic.
Contemplative Outreach
If you want to learn the Centering Prayer method of silently consenting to God’s presence and action in your life, explore the psychology and theology of such prayer, learn about related practices such as lectio divina, and find a community of like-minded persons who can support you in establishing and maintaining a daily silent prayer practice, then Contemplative Outreach is for you.
Online Day of Reflection: Thomas Merton (April 24, 2021)
Thomas Merton is one of the towering figures of contemplative spirituality over the last century. This Trappist monk was a gifted writer and a brilliant interpreter of the Christian spiritual…
Online Course: Christian Mysticism (April 19-May 10, 2021)
Karl Rahner said that Christians of the future will be mystics. But what is a mystic? What do mystics do, and how is their faith and spirituality unique? This course…
Explore the Mystical Life — with a Christian Mysticism “Unknowledge Base”!
Friends, I’m excited to announce a major new initiative on this website. Coming on February 1, 2021, I’m launching a Christian Mysticism (Un)Knowledge Base. (Update: it’s been launched! Visit the…