Contemplation begins with Wonder.
What Are you Wondering About Today?
Latest Posts
Three Dimensions of the Contemplative Life
The “idea” that I’m referring to is the notion that Christian spirituality can be understood as involving three stages. To give this notion a bit of gravitas, Origen appealed to the Hebrew Scriptures.
Martin Laird: An Ocean of Light
This book, like Martin Laird’s previous two, is not a dry academic treatment of contemplation. Rather, it is warmly written, practical and down-to-earth, and filled with insight and instruction to help anyone who embraces contemplative prayer to pray deeply and well.
Contemplation and Celtic Spirituality
Celtic spirituality is the spirituality of the edge of the world. It acknowledges that “edge” place in our hearts where time meets eternity, where words fade off into silence, and where heaven silently gazes into the turmoil of earthly life.
Dimensions of Christian Prayer
As important as silence is to contemplative and mystical forms of prayer, it’s only one of five essential dimensions of Christian prayer. In this post I look at all of these dimensions of prayer: what they are, why they matter, and how to cultivate all the essential ways of praying in your daily spiritual practice.
How to Foster a Contemplative Church
If Christians (especially young ones) only knew about the contemplative dimension of Christian spirituality, they would not be abandoning the church as rapidly as they are. And it’s the local congregation’s job to teach the Christian contemplative tradition.
The Fruit of the Spirit… and the Fraught Words that Divide Us
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things… if we live by the Spirit,…
Upcoming Events: In New York, Maryland, and Online
Friends, just want to make sure everyone is aware of a few upcoming events I have on the calendar. Join me for a retreat and a book signing in New…
The Relationship Between Meditation, Mysticism and Contemplation
A long-term reader and patron of this blog recently wrote to me this message: Just what is a contemplative person or for that matter tradition? Is a Christian mystic by…
The Pilgrim as Interspiritual Archetype
A little while back I wrote a blog post called “Five Approaches to Interspirituality.” In this post, I compare interspiritual practice to having a relationship with more than one country…
Where to Rest Your Awareness in Centering Prayer
A reader of this blog recently wrote this question to me: I’ve read and listened to Fr. Thomas Keating quite a bit but am still a little confused regarding where…