Practical Christian Mysticism

In light of the upcoming holidays, (Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day), I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the nature of death and how it applies to Christian mysticism.  The dead and departed has been one of the areas in my thinking which has undergone the most change since entering the Catholic Church.   It has not changed much from a doctrinal or theological perspective, but rather from the perspective of awareness.  Where I once divided my world view into the world of the living and the afterlife, I now realize the present life and the afterlife are intertwined within the Body of Christ. Continue Reading »

“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” - 1 Thes. 5:16-18

When Paul wrote the words “Pray without ceasing”, he opened up a Pandora’s box of misunderstanding for the overzealous and obsessive-compulsive types that endures to this very day. Indeed this passage seems to fall into two opposite pendulum swings of interpretation. On the one-hand, there are a few who actually attempt some sort of incessant repetition throughout their day, and then the greater majority who just chalk it up to hyperbole and just give up all together. The truth is that prayer without cessation is truly blessed discipline that enriches our lives, and is surprisingly not so difficult to carry out. Continue Reading »

As a mystic, I try to practice caution around areas of private revelation. I usually avoid talking about things I learn solely through personal experience. However, I have been so blessed by my more recent discoveries concerning Grace, that I felt compelled to write about it. My Dad says, “For those who truly believe in God, the evidence of His presence is everywhere. For those who don’t believe, they live in a world with no God.” The subtlety of God’s providence is such that we can easily turn a blind eye. To those to take the time to pay (pray) attention, God’s Grace is so abundant in our everyday lives it is humiliating to think what we would do without Him.

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In pop-culture spirituality, the fear of God is not a popular topic.  Some people go as far to say that fear of God is an outdated concept, others just ignore it all together.  I have read a couple articles as of late talking about how Scripture’s command to fear God is misunderstood.  I really don’t think the fear of God is a complicated concept at all, nor do I think it needs much explanation.  If there is a God, why wouldn’t we be fearful of Him?  It just seems like common sense. More so, it is a necessary step toward enlightenment and true spiritual freedom. Continue Reading »

I was listening to the American Catholic Radio podcast (episode #08-18), when they had an interview with Bill Schoessling who is the executive director for Love, Inc., a ministry helping people and families get back on their feet. It isn’t just a charity but a full fledged “teach them to fish” ministry to help people learn to make their own living. I have always thought a good charity does not just feed people, but teach them to feed themselves. However, I am not mentioning Bill because of his ministry, but because of his heart. He challenged me to rethink the HEART of charity. Continue Reading »

Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ,

I have been troubled as of late…. well, actually, I have just about always been troubled. Something has always kept me discontent about my faith. I have always been searching and questioning. No matter where I am, I have never been content. This bothers me, mainly, because so many of those around me seem content. My family, my friends, those in whatever church I attend seem to feel pretty confident they have found all they answers they need in life concerning religion or spirituality. If those around me can life comfortably in their respective faith, why can’t I? Continue Reading »

The most common abuse of religion is the lost mysticism of the weekday. Until we reach spiritual awakening, and learn to walk with God, we tend to confine all our spiritual life to just one day a week. I know what your thinking, “yeah yeah, I know I need to learn to live a good life the whole week”, but I want to speak of something more. The truth is that the average weekday can become a continual religious experience for those who open their eyes.

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I loved the article “Freedom from the Fear of Death” on theocentric.com so much I just had to link to it here

click here to read “Freadom from the Fear of Death”

Rich Vincent is a fellow Christian Mystic (or as he says “wannabe mystic”) who writes some of the best articles on modern Christian culture, practical theology, and Christian Mysticism I have ever seen. His latest article I have linked to talks about how Western Christian thinking is often backward in God’s relationship to death. Where we often attribute death as a punishment or curse from God, the truth is that death is the antithesis and enemy of God.

While Vikings don’t have the cleanest of history, they do star in one of my all-time favorite movies: The 13th Warrior. While the movie didn’t get the best reviews, or much enduring attention, it is frequently revisited by my wife and I. I spend some time thinking about why this movie appeals to me so much, then it finally became clear… It is a movie about real masculinity. Modern day media is full of feminized male roles, it is refreshing to see a movie about men at their best.

In The 13th Warrior, the heroes are a group of rough battle-ready warriors. The viewer of the movie is shown a culture where men live, not for comfort, but for a new challenge. A culture where luxury is rejected in favor of struggle and adventure. They value teamwork and camaraderie and rely on each other for their very lives. Even the physical depiction of the characters as large, strong, hairy, lumbering men is a huge contrast to the popular skinny, weak, and gender-ambiguous male leads we know today (More and more I keep finding myself asking “Is that a man or a woman?”). At the end of the movie, I always feel like I just watched a pretty accurate depiction of male utopia. Continue Reading »

“Why does God let bad things happen to good people?” , “Why do the innocent suffer?”, “How can a loving God let this happen?”…. These questions bother many, both religious and non-religious alike. Many who fall away from their faith quote these ancient ever-present questions. A new book out called “God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question - Why We Suffer” by Bart Ehrman is about the thought process of one such person who struggles against those questions. I believe the source of these questions has very little to do with Scriptural inadequacies, and much more to do with fundamental problems in our perception of who God is. Continue Reading »