Hello friends, here’s a little video for you to watch… I recently did some training with the folks who operate Patreon, the membership website that provides a way for individuals…
Category: Contemplation
Two Essential Questions for the Mystical Journey
I was speaking with a few friends of mine who are spiritual directors recently, and we were talking about the work they do accompanying people who seek to draw closer…
Putting the “Christian” into “Christian Mysticism”
Mysticism crosses all religious and spiritual boundaries. In other words, mysticism — like prayer or meditation or worship or sacrifice — is a universal spiritual/religious concept, not something that is…
All the Episodes of Encountering Silence in One Audio Player
The Encountering Silence podcast, which I co-host, is available through all the normal podcast channels, from Apple (iTunes) to Google to Spotify to Amazon. So please listen to it using…
Between Thomas Keating and Teilhard de Chardin: On Finding Your Own Personal Spiritual Style
Have you ever heard of the Enneagram or the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator? These are psychological tools that we can use to discover the unique characteristics of our personalities. Are you…
Questions About Different Methods of Contemplation
Recently I had an email exchange with a long-standing reader of this blog. With that person’s permission, I am sharing the conversation here, edited to protect the reader’s privacy. The…
How Do Contemplatives Make a Difference?
Consider these teachings from Jesus, all taken from just one Gospel (Matthew): “Whatever you do to the least of these, you do to me.” “Sell your possessions, and give (the…
Even Your Breath Can Be Your “Sacred Word”
A reader of this blog submitted this question: How explicitly Christian does the prayer word need to be in contemplative prayer (e.g., Centering Prayer)? My quiet-time practice is a hybrid…
Can Contemplatives Have Fun?
Two words I often don’t hear together: “contemplation” and “fun” — or, for that matter, “mysticism” and “fun.” Recently I have been thinking about this, and I decided it was…
My Latest Initiative, or, What is a “Contemplative in Residence”?
Friends, I am honored to announce that I have embraced a special relationship with one of Atlanta’s most progressive and visionary spiritual communities. I have been named the “Contemplative in…
Take This One-Question Survey: Your Favorite Way(s) to Explore Contemplative Spirituality
Friends, could you take a half a minute and fill out this 1-question survey? I’m planning my calendar for the rest of the year, and I’m trying to gauge how…
When You Pre-order a Book, It Makes a Difference (Here’s Why)
Please click on the button of your preferred retailer to pre-order Eternal Heart: If you have already pre-ordered Eternal Heart, I thank you. If you haven’t, please do so. I’m not…