A sermon preached at First Christian Church of Decatur, Decatur GA, on September 4, 2011 Scripture: Matthew 18:20 “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” What an…
Author: Carl McColman
Soul Friend and Storyteller. Lay Cistercian, Centering Prayer Presenter, Author, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, Teacher, Retreat Leader.
Thoughts about Mysticism from 1953… and now
Here’s something interesting I stumbled across online the other day: an article from Time Magazine’s February 2, 1953 issue: Religion: Benedictine v. Trappist It’s basically an article about a Benedictine…
Silence: Doorway to Contemplation and Interfaith Friendship
I’ve just had a new article published on the website of Atlanta’s Interfaith Community Institute. It’s called “Silence: Doorway to Contemplation and Interfaith Friendship.” In Psalm 46, God is quoted…
Everything Has Being By the Love of God
In this same time our Lord showed me a spiritual sight of His homely loving. I saw that He is to us everything that is good and comfortable for us:…
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…
“He Climbed a Tree to See Him”
So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. (Luke 19:4) When I was a boy I loved to…
What Mystics Do (and You Can, Too)
What do mystics do? The following list can be a way to begin answering this question. I’m not suggesting that every mystic does everything on this list (for starters, this…
How is she doing?
I had the occasion to speak with a friend yesterday with whom I haven’t spoken in over a year. We did the obligatory “how’s it going?” conversation, and of course,…
The Hidden Tradition of Christian Mysticism
Not only can Christianity be a mystical faith, but in fact a mystical element of Christianity has existed since the time of Jesus. But for a variety of historical, social and political reasons, Christian mysticism has always existed on the margins of the church.
Kale Salad
Sunday the lay associates had a potluck lunch at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, to celebrate the birthday of our monastic advisor, Father Anthony, as well as the eldest…
Flawed Love
Part of what has surprised me about the loss of China has been how much my sense of grieving has been shaped by feeling guilty. Of course there’s the what-if’s…
China (1989-2010)
Loving God, our beloved pet and companion, China, is on her final journey. We will miss China dearly because of the joy and affection she has given us. Bless China…