COMING IN NOVEMBER 2018: An Invitation to Celtic Wisdom draws on myth, folklore, poetry, and the tales of Celtic saints and heroes, to explore the spiritual tradition of the Celtic peoples — a tradition rooted in hospitality, love of nature, and a mystical sense of the presence of God. The Celtic way is more important […]
In response to my post Can Christians Use a (Non-Christian) Mantra?, a reader posted this comment on social media: As opposed to being an instrument of thought, when I use a mantra, which now being a Centering Prayer practitioner is rare, what it creates for me is a vibrational, harmonic integration…… Read more at Patheos
“God loves us whether we remain Christian or not.” That’s a statement I made in a previous post, How Should a Christian Respond When a Friend Becomes Interested in Witchcraft and Magic? In response to this, a reader wrote this to me: This is why I love your writing. That said,…… Read more at Patheos
In this episode we conclude our interview with poet and essayist Kathleen Norris. In part one of the interview, Kathleen and Cassidy explored topics such as poetry, creativity, silence (of course) and acedia — a spiritual malady that she wrote about movingly in her memoir Acedia and Me. This is part two of a two part … Continue reading Kathleen Norris, Part Two: SIlence, Poetry, and Acedia (Episode 36) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
Join me this winter at the Ignatius House Jesuit Retreat Center in Atlanta for a special three-night contemplative retreat called “Two Paths to Contemplative Prayer: Spiritual Wisdom from St. Ignatius and Thomas Merton .” This silent retreat will include ample time for personal prayer, conferences each day to invite us deeper into our prayer through the wisdom of St. Ignatius and Merton, and the beautiful facility and grounds of Ignatius House — gorgeous even in the winter!
| Date: | January 31, 2019—February 2, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Event: | Two Paths to Contemplation: A 3 Night Retreat at Ignatius House |
| Topic: | Contemplative Prayer |
| Sponsor: | Ignatius House |
| Venue: |
Ignatius House (404) 255-0503 |
| Location: | 6700 Riverside Drive NW Atlanta, GA 30328 |
| Public: | Public |
| Registration: | Click here to register. |
| More Info: | Click here for more information. |
To invite me to speak to your community, click here.
One of the highlights of my year is the “Wisdom of the Christian Mystics” retreat that I co-facilitate each year with my dear friend, the Trappist monk Br. Elias Marechal (author of Tears of An Innocent God).
This year, Brother Elias and I will be leading this retreat at Holy Spirit Monastery in Conyers, GA, November 16-18.
If you want to go, call now — it usually fills up weeks in advance — and put your name on the waiting list if it’s already full. Sometimes people cancel at the last minute.
| Date: | November 16, 2018—November 18, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Event: | Wisdom of the Christian Mystics Retreat |
| Topic: | Wisdom of the Christian Mystics |
| Sponsor: |
Monastery of the Holy Spirit (770) 760-0959 |
| Venue: |
Monastery of the Holy Spirit Retreat House (770) 760-0959 |
| Location: | 2625 Highway 212 SW Conyers, GA 30094 |
| Registration: | Click here to register. |
| More Info: | Click here for more information. |
To invite me to speak to your community, click here.
This is turning out to be “James Ishmael Ford” week at my blog. Earlier this week I posted a review of his new book, Introduction to Zen Koans. Check it out if you haven’t done so already. One of the reasons I like his writing so much is that he is…… Read more at Patheos
Introduction to Zen Koans: Learning the Language of Dragons is the latest book by James Ishmael Ford who is one of my favorite Patheos bloggers (if you don’t know his blog, Monkey Mind, do yourself a favor and check it out). James is a Unitarian-Universalist minister, but also a Soto Zen priest…… Read more at Patheos
A self-described “evangelist for poetry,” Kathleen Norris explores the spiritual life in both intimate and historical ways, through her award-winning poetry and luminous works of literary nonfiction, including Dakota: A Spiritual Geography, The Cloister Walk, and Acedia and Me. In addition to her distinguished literary career, she is a Presbyterian layperson and a Benedictine Oblate. “There’s natural noise, … Continue reading Kathleen Norris, Part One: Silence, Poetry, and Acedia (Episode 35) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
This evening I’ve been asked to speak to a small house church in my neighborhood on the spirituality of silence. This particular community is evangelical, and silence is not something that they have traditionally placed a lot of emphasis on. But their pastor (who lives across the street from me)…… Read more at Patheos
A reader, who identifies as a contemplative/mystical Christian, posted this question to me on Facebook: Carl….when I meditate/contemplative prayer…can I use a mantra such as-OM or Hare Krishna or something similar? It’s a great question, and the short answer is, it depends. Some Christians are allergic to the very idea…… Read more at Patheos
Recently I posted this on Facebook: In response, a reader made this comment: Carl, it took time, but about 10 years ago I finally fell In love with silence and the heart of God I find there. This past week though, as so many people on the national stage are…… Read more at Patheos
This week our conversation with Quaker activist, author, and educator Parker J. Palmer continues. Please listen to Part One (Episode 33) if you haven’t already done so. In this week’s episode, we explore the question of how sometimes silence can be toxic (a “silencing” rather than the silence that frees), and how Quaker spirituality has … Continue reading Parker J. Palmer, Part 2: On the Brink of Silence (Episode 34) → … Read more at Encountering Silence
A reader of this blog wrote to me about the practice of silent prayer. He alluded to a comment I made in an interview where I talked about allowing my breath to be my “prayer word” — in other words, instead of focussing my attention by silently repeating a single…… Read more at Patheos
This year at the Oratory in Rock Hill, SC, I’m leading a Friday/Saturday retreat called Praying in the Thin Places: the Wisdom of the Celtic Saints. You can register for just Friday evening, for just Saturday, or for both days. Registration is delightfully “old school” — you can call the Oratory at 803-327-2097 or download this PDF, fill it out and mail it in with your registration fee! Click here to download the registration form.
| Date: | October 19, 2018—October 20, 2018 |
|---|---|
| Event: | Celtic Retreat at the Oratory in Rock Hill, SC |
| Topic: | Celtic Spirituality |
| Sponsor: |
The Oratory Center for Spirituality 803-327-2097 |
| Venue: |
The Oratory at Rock Hill 803-327-2097 |
| Location: | 434 Charlotte Avenue Rock Hill, SC 29731 USA |
| Public: | Public |
| Registration: | Click here to register. |
To invite me to speak to your community, click here.
