I am happy (and honored/humbled) to announce that I’ve recently appeared as a guest on the new podcast from Contemplative Outreach! Opening Minds, Opening Hearts is a new initiative from Contemplative Outreach International, hosted by Colleen Thomas and Mark Dannenfelser. Other episodes of the podcast feature wonderful folks like Lerita Coleman Brown and Adam Bucko. Definitely check it out...
Online Event: Centering Prayer and the Mystical Imagination (October 29, 2022)
To register for this online event, click here. Friends, I’m excited to join my friends of Contemplative Outreach Chicago, who are sponsoring an online program I’m leading in person on October 29. Hope to see you there! The program will take place from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM ( US/Canada Eastern). For more information or to register, please follow the link above, or read more information below. Here’s...
Some Christians Attack Centering Prayer and Contemplation. They are Motivated by Bad Theology.
A reader of this blog sent me the following question today. Hi Carl, I see from conservative Christian circles that WCCM and Centering prayer is labelled new age and dangerous. Are these practices Christian really? Or are we trying to incorporate eastern meditation into Christianity ? First, the short answer. Contemplative practices like Centering Prayer and Christian meditation are rooted in...
How do I choose a contemplative lay order? And do I have to be Catholic to do so?
A reader recently wrote to me: Dear Carl, I grew up as a Protestant, but as I’ve journeyed into Contemplative Christianity over the last while I’ve become more amenable to Roman Catholicism. I have been wondering about lay orders and how to connect with the contemplative tradition through a lay order. I was wondering if you could shed some light on which lay orders there are (main ones) and what...
Can You Combine Different Methods of Silent Prayer?
Do you think it's possible to legitimately combine Christian Meditation (WCCM), The Jesus Prayer, and Centering Prayer into a single practice? I've been experimenting with this and wondering what your thoughts are.
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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