So instead of the heart of contemplation being thought or cogitation, in a spiritual sense, contemplation is wordless prayer.
It’s not about thought — in fact, contemplation takes us to a place beyond thought.
Category: Contemplation
Centering Prayer: Embracing Every Moment of Silence and the Presence
Like many people who are blessed with material abundance, I have more books than I have time to read them. I was so gratified when I recently learned of the Japanese…
Finding a Mystical or Contemplative-Friendly Neighborhood Church
A reader named Connie wrote to me and asked the following question: Is there a mystic/al church? What would it look like? Does such a thing exist in your experience?…
Persevering Through the Dry Times of Prayer
In response to a post I wrote last year — “What to Do When Prayer Gets Dull” — a reader recently left this comment on Facebook: Carl, I think it would be useful to guide folks about what to do if the dryness period persists….I find comfort in reading mystic…… Read more at Patheos
If Contemplative Prayer is For Resting in God, What Role Does Repentance Play?
Over the past month I have written several posts about Centering Prayer and contemplation, all in response to an email I received from an Episcopal priest with some thought-provoking questions about the theory and practice of contemplative spirituality. You can read the original email here. Here are the posts I’ve…… Read more at Patheos
Intention, Attention, and the Practice of Contemplative Prayer
This is the third of a series of blog posts in response to a lengthy email I received a few weeks ago from an Episcopal priest who is a veteran centering prayer practitioner. You can read the email in its entirety here, and then the first post and the second…… Read more at Patheos
Is Centering Prayer “Old” or “New”?
Last week on this blog I posted a detailed email I received from a reader which included several wonderful questions. You can read the full email here. I’m going to take on the questions from that email one at a time. This week, we’re considering “is centering prayer something old…… Read more at Patheos
Four Questions about Centering Prayer and Other Forms of Contemplative Practice
I received the following email from a reader. I’m editing it slightly for the purpose of clarity, but otherwise posting it in its entirety. My question hovers around how centering prayer and Cynthia Bourgeault’s expression of it sits in tension with Orthodox traditions of the Jesus Prayer. Bourgeault figures centering…… Read more at Patheos
When to Let the Sacred Word Fall Away (and When to Keep On Praying It)
A reader of this blog wrote to ask me this question: How does Centering Prayer differ from Christian Meditation as taught by John Main? In Centering Prayer you allow the prayer word to “fall away” on it’s own. And though, in Christian Meditation, you are meant to keep repeating the…… Read more at Patheos
How to Find God in Your Dreams
One night in a dream I found myself near the Ballston Metro station in Arlington, Virginia (I lived close by there at the time). But as is so often in dreamscapes, the neighborhood in my dreams was radically different than in real life. For one thing, there was a large…… Read more at Patheos
Seven Contemplative New Year’s Resolutions (That Are Worth Adopting Any Time of the Year)
I know, I know — a blog post about new years’ resolutions several weeks after the year has begun?!?! What kind of craziness is that? Sure — the first week of January is our culturally-sanctioned time for making promises to make the new year “better” — whether that means losing…… Read more at Patheos
Mysticism and Contemplation: What’s the Difference?
Since mysticism cannot be put into words, and contemplation likewise involves a wordless gaze of love, silence is the essential nutrient for anyone seeking to walk the path of mystical or contemplative prayer.