The contemplative life is for the most ordinary people

This is a continuation of the preceding post . . . Contemplation first flourished among those who lived the simple life—a life lived near the earth, aware of the cycle of the days and seasons, and who looked to God in all things (Celtic Christianity is an example of this in the West).

But these poor and relatively uneducated have not enjoyed the luxury of writing books---which is one reason it may appear that contemplation is a luxury of the affluent. These hidden "saints" have practiced the contemplative life, centering their hearts in Christ while they pull the plow, and calling upon the Holy Spirit to bless the hearth, the field, the womb, yielding their lives to the Father-Mother of All when their bodies fail and their loved ones die too young from war or disease.

That said, there are monks who have written, and some laypersons as well. And we have their testimony, though it’s not always easy to find. One of the chief purposes of this site is to help contemporary seekers to drink from the sacred fountain of Christian spiritual history.

As for the resources I promised to Miltali, here are a few:

1. The Way of the Pilgrim/The Pilgrim Continues His Way. A nineteen century exploration of the Jesus Prayer by an anonymous layperson who seeks to inspire the contemplative practice among Russian peasants.

2. The Wisdom of the Desert. A collection of wisdom sayings from the poor saints of early Egypt. Edited by Thomas Merton.

3. And for a non-Western, Indian exploration of the contemplative life, see Yoga and the Jesus Prayer Tradition: An Experiment of Faith, by Thomas Matus (out of print but available through this bookstore).

4. There’s also the little travelogue by the 6th century monk, John Moschos, whose collection of stories and anecdotes from his travels in Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and Asia Minor reveal a world seldom seen by modern people. Here's a people (largely poor, non-Western, and relatively uneducated) who signal an astonishing awareness of the presence of God, and they're made so because of their spiritual practices. It’s called, The Spiritual Meadow.

5. Add to this list my free little ebook download, "Returning to the Center: Living Prayer in a Distracting World." It's a memoir of my awakening and a personal ancd contemporary introduction to the treasures of the Christian past.

These are the ones that come immediately to mind. They’re mainly old. But that means they’re classics and have nourished saints throughout the ages. If you’re interested in carving out or enhancing a spiritual life for yourself these ought to give you a good start.

Into the Silent Land--the Human Heart

Here's an outstanding introduction to the richness of Christian spirituality, interior prayer, stillness, and inner transformation.  A handy little book by Martin Laird: Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation

"This book is different. There are plenty of books on contemplation that feel rather tired--either wordy and labored or unhelpfully smooth and idealistic. But this is sharp, deep, with no cliches, no psychobabble and no short cuts. Its honesty is bracing, its vision utterly clear; it is a rare treasure."

--Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury

"Often they say 'you learn how to swim by swimming' but a good coach or swimming manual is essential. Equally, we could say 'you learn how to be contemplative by contemplating' and a good guide or mentor is necessary. Into the Silent Land is just that. I tried it and it works. Try it."

--Archbishop Desmond Tutu, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

Fostering the spiritual awakening

People all around us are waking up to the pursuit of a life marked by interior integrity and intention, expressing itself in authentic happiness and compassion toward others.  If you're reading this, I count you among them. Unfortunately, many who wake up to a long-dormant and neglected spirituality often turn to the church only to find many churches either caught up in turmoil or given over to materialism.  Christians fight among themselves, with other congregations or denominations, and with the world. One awakened soul recently told me about her visits to local congregations: "The churches I visited seem angry, even hateful toward those who don't agree with them."

Those that aren't fighting seem caught up in peddling their goods and services like sophisticated religious Wall Marts or like a proliferating retail franchise. I man told me that visiting one such congregation he felt more like a resource to be exploited for the sake of the cause or institution rather than a human being simply seeking God and needing direction in the life of prayer and interior transformation.

Too often those awakening to the spiritual life turn elsewhere.  Christianity seems largely irrelevant, and its practices and doctrines feel more like barriers to their pursuit of God than aids for the journey.

And yet the Christian tradition is rich with resources to guide the awakening. Too long hidden, these resources are making a comeback.  Kept for centuries by faithful monks and mystics, they are now entering the mainstream, supporting urban people with the grace needed to cultivate a holiness and humanness on this ragged edge of the modern world.

My goal on this site is to help mainstream the hidden gifts of the saints who've found in Jesus and Christian spirituality a door into their hearts and guide to the vast, uncharted eternal realm within.

To do this, I need your help.

1. What is stirring within you?

2. What questions rumble around in your head?

3. What do you long for, hunger for?

4. What are you afraid of?

It's All About God

Ryan Bell's posted an introduction to the new and important book.  Samir Selmanovic's "It's All About God." The conviction that undergirds this site is that the life of prayer, spirituality, is all about God.  Prayer, as our essential relationship with God, transcends religion.  It must if it is to contact God.  I wonder if Samir is one of the emerging voices at this crucial hinge in history who can help us past the apparent impasse of religion and into the Mystery known as God.  So, I also wonder if  Samir's vision might help us foster a fuller spirituality. From the dust jacket: “Samir has written a book that reads like an extended poem; an ode to life. Where others see only the darkness and destructiveness of religion, Samir sees beauty and hope. Where others see only competition and violence, Samir sees synergy and life. And his vision is no simple syncretism; a blending of all religions into one inoffensive ‘smoothie’ of goodness and light. This book is a celebration of postmodern ‘otherness’ of the first order."

I also wonder about the relationship between religion and spirituality.  On the one hand, without the way religions render God to us--the language, ritual, order--what do we really have of God?  And yet, doesn't religion too often box God up too tightly?  Don't the defenders of a particular religion's God too often exclude the other, make the other into an object, a target, and tragically a victim of religious zeal?

Watch Samir talk about his new book, his remarkable journey among the religions, and his vision for our future as religious people seeking God.  Does it hint at the way forward for us?