In September and October 2013 I wrote a series of blog posts called “Why Contemplation is Revolutionary” that explores the spiritual wisdom of two contemporary spiritual authors, Kenneth Leech and Rowan Williams. I hope to release this series as an ebook in the near future. Please visit my web site to sign up for my email list, and I’ll let you know when the ebook is available. I’ve posted both of the following quotes in this blog before, but they... Read more
In September and October 2013 I wrote a series of blog posts called “Why Contemplation is Revolutionary” that explores the spiritual wisdom of two contemporary spiritual authors, Kenneth Leech and Rowan Williams. I hope to release this series as an ebook in the near future. Please visit my web site to sign up for my email list, and I’ll let you know when the ebook is available. I’ve posted both of the following quotes in this blog before, but they... Read more
I’ve posted both of the following quotes in this blog before, but they are such wonderful quotes that I find myself going back to them again and again. Last night I taught a class on contemplative spirituality at an Episcopal Church in Gainesville, GA, and I used the first of these two quotes. It’s from the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, on the occasion of his addressing the Catholic Synod of Bishops in Rome: the first time an Anglican... Read more
Autumn in Georgia is a mild and lovely season, marked by golden sunlight, cool mornings and temperate days. And even if we can’t boast the shock of gorgeous color that grace the trees in states like Vermont or Minnesota, we have enough yellow poplars and white oaks and other trees to remind the Georgia Pines that winter is coming. The first year of my formation as a Lay Cistercian, the colors at the monastery were particularly vivid — not... Read more
Once again, Alison Leigh Lilly wows me with the elegance, beauty and insight of her writing. The fact that her most recent blog post begins with something I tweeted yesterday is not only a delight in itself for me, but her reflections in that post are so rich and relevant to concerns that I am wrestling with in my own current writing that it seems, well, serendipitous. The piece is called Why I Cannot Tell You About My Gods. And... Read more
The motto of Benedictine spirituality is ora et labora — a deceptively simple Latin phrase that means “to pray and to work.” A variation of it, ora est labora, means “to pray is to work” — a sentiment handily embodied in the Latin words, where ora is actually part of labora. Prayer and work: the heart of Benedictine spirituality, and by extension, the heart of all spiritual traditions based on the Rule of St. Benedict, including the Trappist/Cistercian tradition. Plenty of books can be found... Read more
“Are you a monk?” I get asked that question a lot, especially when I’m at the monastery where I work and pray and lead retreats. Perhaps it’s because of my greying hair and scruffy beard. Whatever the reason, I always see it as a compliment, but of course, I’m not a monk. So I say, “No, I’m not; I’m what is called a Lay Cistercian.” “What’s that?” is the inevitable follow-up question. “I’m a layperson, like any other — I... Read more
Here are three brief excerpts from a talk I gave in Portland, OR, in October 2010 on the topic of Christian mysticism. They were filmed and produced by Cathy Zheutlin of Holy Rascals — a media company that produces videos and webinars for the spiritually adventurous. In the first one, I tell an amusing story of one of my monastic mentors, Father Anthony, who gave me some grief about the difficulty of defining the word “mysticism”… So in this next... Read more
First, the obituary… Retired Major John D McColman, USAF, 89, passed from this life in High Shoals, Georgia, on January 15, 2013. A lifelong sportsman and devoted family man, John touched many lives through his quiet but warm personality, dry sense of humor, and compassionate character. John D McColman (his birth certificate simply reads the initial “D” for his middle name, which was intended to be the name of his uncle, Dee) was born on June 15, 1923 in Avoca,... Read more
My father passed away yesterday. He was 89 years old. This was the end of a long journey of illness which began with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease almost 20 years ago; congestive heart failure and finally dementia also took their toll. Of course, these are all diseases of attrition, so it truly was a long, slow goodbye. But he maintained a positive, optimistic spirit pretty much through it all, and was truly loved by the nurses and CNAs who... Read more
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