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January 2023

January 05, 2023

Discover the Three Forms of Contemplation, according to Evelyn Underhill! (Free Online Event: Sign Up Now)

Hi friends! Join me on Thursday, January 19 for a special Zoom call in which...

August 2020

August 28, 2020

Living in the Spirit of Contemplative Prayer

What does it mean to live a contemplative life? Especially for those of us who...

March 2019

March 22, 2019

Four Questions about Centering Prayer and Other Forms of Contemplative Practice

I received the following email from a reader. I'm editing it slightly for the purpose...

August 2018

August 14, 2018

Four Keys to a Contemplative Life (Courtesy of Psalm 37)

For years now I have loved Psalm 37, for it includes one of my favorite...

February 2018

February 12, 2018

A First Look at My Christian Mysticism Trilogy

This photo appeared on Twitter a few days ago: I got the goodie package @CarlMcColman...

October 2017

October 16, 2017

Five Elements of a Daily Contemplative Practice — and Four Principles for Cultivating Your Practice

Recently a reader of this blog posted this question: Just curious Carl — what does your typical schedule...

August 2017

August 24, 2017

What to Do When Contemplative Prayer Leads to Sadness

A reader, who has asked to remain anonymous, writes: I have been practicing centering prayer...

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 22, 2017

Ten Books for Learning the Basics of Christian Contemplation

A reader of this blog sent me an email recently that said in part: I...

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...

November 2016

November 23, 2016

Thoughts are to contemplative silence like a monstrance is to the Host

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines contemplation like this: A form of wordless prayer...

October 2016

October 03, 2016

Instructions on Prayer from a Trappist Monk

"I'm speechless," remarked Brother Elias Marechal, OCSO, after a congregation of several hundred young evangelicals vigorously applauded...

February 2016

February 24, 2016

Five Essential Dimensions of Christian Prayer

I talk a lot about silent prayer in this blog, which is understandable considering that...

February 17, 2016

Seven Blessings of Silent Prayer

Silent prayer — contemplative prayer, what the Catholic Catechism calls "wordless prayer in which mind...

January 2016

January 22, 2016

Preliminary Practices for Christian Contemplatives

Tibetan Buddhists have a series of spiritual exercises that are seen as foundational to their spiritual...

December 2015

December 18, 2015

Catholic Meditation and Contemplative Prayer: What’s the Difference?

A reader of my blog wrote to me and asked this question: What do you...

September 2015

September 23, 2015

Nine Ways to Foster a Contemplative Church

If you are the pastor of a church or parish, this post is for you....

September 11, 2015

Five Things Christian Contemplatives can learn from Buddhists

Last night I attended a Beginner's Meditation Class at the Dharma Jewel Monastery in Atlanta....

July 2015

July 15, 2015

Mindfulness and Contemplation

Recently a reader left the following comment on this blog: I have been reading and...

July 06, 2015

Do You Need a Spiritual Teacher?

A reader of my blog wrote the following message to me: I have been meditating...

July 01, 2015

Principles for Contemplative Spirituality (Part One)

A couple of years ago Rob Bell wrote a book with the title What We...

April 2015

April 15, 2015

Contemplation and Grieving

A reader named Monika wrote the following comment and left it on one of my...

April 08, 2015

Contemplation and Conflict, or, How the Prayer of Silence Changes the Way We Think About Possessions, Theft, and Just About Everything Else

I simply love this story of two desert fathers, which Thomas Merton recounts in his...

February 2015

February 19, 2015

The Dazzling Darkness

"There is in God (some say) A deep, but dazzling darkness" — Henry Vaughan “Truly,...

February 18, 2014

Concerning Contemplative Prayer and Spiritual Xenophobia

Contemplative spirituality is a spirituality in which, in the words of Richard Rohr, "everything belongs."...

February 03, 2014

Sometimes When I Sit in Silence…

Contemplative prayer — the prayer of sitting in silence, waiting in faith and trust on...

September 2013

September 27, 2013

Why Contemplation is Revolutionary

In September and October 2013 I wrote a series of blog posts called "Why Contemplation...

March 2010

March 05, 2010

Intercessory Contemplation

This thought came to me yesterday. We Christians understand spirituality and mysticism in communal ways:...

September 2009

September 22, 2009

On Learning a Musical Instrument as a Metaphor for Contemplative Practice

I'm a beginner with the bass guitar. I bought an inexpensive Ibanez bass the January...