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Contemplative

Contemplation

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March 2018

March 23, 2018

On the Contemplative Role of the Ear… and the Tongue (Lectio Divina Diligens for Palm Sunday)

Here is the final installment of my Lenten series on Lectio Divina I'm calling Lectio Divina...

March 06, 2018

Periodicals That Contemplatives Will Enjoy

Yesterday I received this message: Hi, Mr. McColman, Quick question. Are there any periodicals, journals,...

January 2018

January 18, 2018

How to Pray Every Day — Without Confusing Prayer with God

In response to my recent post about Contemplative Prayer and the Holy Trinity, a reader...

January 02, 2018

Expanding our Minds: Recovering Contemplation In Pursuit of Wisdom

Today’s guest post is by Kevin M. Johnson, one of the co-hosts of the Encountering Silence...

December 2017

December 28, 2017

Holding Spiritual Experience Gently

The other day I received this message from a reader who contacted me via Facebook......

December 20, 2017

Contemplation and the Bible

A reader of my blog writes: "Christian Contemplative prayer gets a lot of bad press,...

October 2017

October 19, 2017

Some thoughts on Non-Dualism (East and West) and Single-Mindedness

A reader on Facebook recently asked me: How do Eastern and Western non dualism differ?...

September 2017

September 13, 2017

After the Storm

Humility it what reminds us just how tiny and puny we are when faced with...

September 10, 2017

Waiting for the Storm

“There’s a storm coming, and it’s not a storm of our making.” — Neil Gaiman,...

September 07, 2017

What is the Relationship Between Contemplation and Privilege?

We live in a moment in history when, finally, our global human family seems to be starting...

August 2017

August 23, 2017

What I learned from the Solar Eclipse

I don't remember much about the spring of 1970, when I was in the third...

August 16, 2017

Charlottesville

As someone whose ministry is focused on Christian contemplation, I do not like to write...

August 08, 2017

Can We Measure the Scientific Benefits of Christian Contemplation?

A recent article on the UK-based website Christian Today (not to be confused with Christianity Today) poses the...

July 2017

July 26, 2017

The Politics of Silence

The other day, I posted this tweet: And a friend of mine posted this...

June 2017

June 09, 2017

At the Edge of Waiting — A Celtic Approach to Contemplation

The Irish word for contemplation — or contemplative prayer — is rinnfheitheamh. Yes, that’s a...

May 2017

May 08, 2017

How Julian of Norwich Changed My Life

Julian of Norwich, the author of Revelations of Divine Love, had a series of visions...

April 2017

April 14, 2017

Richard Rohr on the Spirituality of Unknowing (Video)

Here's a treat for all you Richard Rohr fans (and if you're not a Rohr...

March 2017

March 29, 2017

Is it possible to “fail” at contemplative prayer?

Anyone who has ever trained with weights knows that form is important. If you lift...

March 27, 2017

Building Contemplative Community Online: An Interview with Jeff Genung

A common complaint I hear from contemplatives — especially people new to contemplative practice —...

March 10, 2017

What is Contemplation? (Video)

So what is contemplation? In this video I talk about contemplation, beginning with the definition...

February 2017

February 20, 2017

Five Ideas that Shape Contemplative Prayer

I recently listened to the audiobook version of Chris Anderson's TED Talks: The Official TED Guide...

December 2016

December 22, 2016

St. Teresa’s Advice for Dealing With People Who Cannot or Will Not Engage in Christian Contemplation

Some things never change. Here's a little quote from Teresa of Ávila's classic book about...

December 06, 2016

Why I Still Recommend Verbum Software for Catholics… and for all Contemplatives

Two years ago this week, I wrote a glowing review of a Bible Software program...

August 2016

August 24, 2016

Know Who You Are: When God Gazes At You, Who Does God See?

In Delphi, in ancient Greece, at a famous pagan temple these words were carved above...

August 16, 2016

Books for Beginning the Spiritual Journey

Here is a list of several books I recommend for spiritual seekers — especially those...

August 10, 2016

The Mystical Body

How do we embody the contemplative life? And how does the contemplative life make a...

August 04, 2016

Remembering the Three Dimensions of Prayer at Every Mass

Do you know why Catholics make three small crosses with their thumb — on their...

June 2016

June 08, 2016

What is Contemplation?

What is contemplation? Unfortunately, answering this question is tricky — for contemplation is like some other...

June 01, 2016

Charismatic Mysticism

"Do Gifts of the Spirit, especially those like tongues, have any connection with mysticism? Historically, theologically,...

March 2016

March 16, 2016

Do Contemplatives Need the Church?

A post on this blog received the following comment yesterday: Having been with the Catholic...