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Thanks for Stopping By
I’m glad you’re visiting my website. I’m Carl — and here’s a little bit about me. I am a writer, blogger, podcaster, spiritual director,...
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Books by Carl McColman
What Richard Foster and Dallas Willard were to my generation – prime tour guides to the spiritual life – I hope and believe Carl McColman will be fo...
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How to Support this Blog
Readers like you make this blog possible. When you make a pledge to support this blog, you not only have the satisfaction of knowing you are partnering with me ...
Explore the Mystical Life — with a Christian Mysticism “Unknowledge Base”!
Friends, I’m excited to announce a major new initiative on this website. Coming on February 1, 2021, I’m launching a Christian Mysticism (Un)Knowled...
How My Surrogate Grandmother Introduced Me to Silence
When I was a small boy, there was a lady named Mrs. Frazier who lived across the street from my home. Mrs. Frazier and her husband were a bit older than my pare...
A Mystical Catechism
One of my dreams is to create a Christian Mysticism Knowledge Base (or, perhaps better described as a Christian Mysticism Un-knowledge Base!). I wrote the follo...
A Julian of Norwich Meditation
Here’s a meditation I developed a few months ago for a retreat I led for an Episcopal Church. It’s based on Julian of Norwich’s vision of th...
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 ...
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Carl Perkins, and a Song About Love Between Old Friends
Today is the fortieth anniversary of the senseless, stupid murder of former Beatle John Lennon. I was a sophomore in college when it happened, and I remember it...
2020 Vision: How the Challenges of This Year Can Help Us to See More Clearly
Last month I was invited to participate in a panel discussion with several contemplative leaders here in the Atlanta area, under the topic “2020 Vision.&#...
Heart to Heart, Simple Awareness of Love
Recently I received this message from a new reader of this blog… Hi Carl, I found your site yesterday. I am a beginner and the Lord has been telling me to...
The Prayer of Recollection: A Classic Mystical Practice as Taught by Evelyn Underhill
Contemplative spirituality has its own jargon, and this “language of prayer” evolves over time. Nowadays you’ll find students of the mystical ...
Why Practice Centering Prayer?
Recently, I facilitated an online day of reflection and a participant asked me, “Why do you practice Centering Prayer?” I rarely get asked a questio...
Seven Ways to Think About Christian Mysticism
Here is the third episode of my “Schola Mystica” podcast. The transcript of the episode appears below. Mysticism is a notoriously difficult word to ...
Finding Your Perfect Prayer Posture
A question that sometimes comes up when people are first learning a practice like Centering Prayer is, “How do I sit?” In other words, what is the b...
Video: Mysticism and the Bible — Three Contemplative Verses
“Is mysticism in the Bible?” It’s a question I get asked from time to time. And while the word mysticism itself is not found in scripture, the...
What Contemplatives Think of Their Prayer Practice (and What We Can Do To Grow in Prayer)
Over the years I’ve had the privilege to speak to many people who practice, or are interested in practicing, Christian forms of silent prayer. Since I mys...
In Silent Prayer, We Let Thoughts Go… Even Holy Thoughts?
A reader writes, Hi Carl. I have a question that I can never find a clear answer to. In Zen meditation, one is to sit silently, and if thoughts come into your h...