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…
Two Online Retreat Options for October: Celtic Wisdom and the Spirituality of Tolkien and Lewis!
Hi friends, just want to make sure everyone is aware of two upcoming retreats I am doing online. If one or both of these topics appeal to you, I hope…
Online Course: Wisdom of the Desert (September 27-October 22, 2021)
Explore the wisdom, wit, and spiritual insight of the Desert Mothers and Fathers in this four-week online course, sponsored by Columbia Theological Seminary’s Center for Lifelong Learning. The course counts…
Celebrate Your Eternal Heart with these Podcasts (and Video)!
I haven’t created any new videos or podcasts of my own for a while — something I hope to change this fall. One of the reasons why I have been…
In-Person Event: Spirituality of the Eternal Heart, an Evening with the Atlanta Spiritual Formation Collective (September 18, 2021).
The Atlanta Spiritual Formation Collective has invited me for an evening event on Saturday, September 18. We’ll be talking about the blessings of contemplative spirituality, as well as exploring some…
Online Course: Christian Mystics and Spiritual Companionship (September 9-30)
I’m so pleased to be partnering with Spiritual Directors International to offer this four-part series on spiritual direction/accompaniment and the Christian mystical tradition. Watch this video to get a taste,…
Mysticism and Faith: How Do They Relate?
Mysticism is important because it implies an experimental spirituality — it’s not something you learn from a book, but it’s a reality that we live, in our own heart and minds and bodies. But does this mean that there is no room for doctrine and faith in the mystical life?
The Wisdom of the Heart (the Eternal Heart Book Launch Celebration!)
Friends, in case you missed it, here is a recording of the Eternal Heart book launch celebration! We gathered on the evening of June 29 — if you missed it,…
Online Class: Introduction to Christian Mysticism (August 21, 2021)
This online program is sponsored by Zeitgeist Atlanta. For more information or to register, click here. Zeitgeist — Atlanta’s Home for the Spiritually Independent and their friends — is offering…
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…
Howard Thurman
When we consider also the rich mystical sensibility that characterizes Howard Thurman’s sermons and writings, it is clear that he is one of the great twentieth-century Christian contemplatives.
Catholic Spirituality versus the Institutional Church: Navigating the Choppy Waters
A friend on Instagram wrote this to me recently: Hello, Carl! I have become so drawn to the Catholic Church and I don’t know what to do. I am an…