It feels assuring to know the answers to the most important questions in life. It takes more humility to admit we might not know where we’re going, and at a deeper level, who we even are. Thomas reflects in this episode on the vulnerability of not knowing and shares a poem from Thomas Merton that shows this special kind of faith in action. And now that Thomas is all done with graduate studies, he’ll be dedicating more time to his teaching practice and the broader community. Learn more about two of his upcoming offerings: 7-day meditation retreat (September 30th - October 7th) 9-month deep dive in the contemplative life (still accepting applications)
--------
32:43
Episode 11: The Unknowable God
It’s common in Christian life to focus on the aspects of God that we can know and understand—we say God is merciful, patient, loving like a parent…It is less common for most of us to attend to the aspect of God that is too subtle to perceive, too deep to fathom. In this school, to say anything of God is to say too much. This is classically known as the via negativa, leading to the unknowable God. And yet walking this path of unknowing, we come to know things, we come to a new intimacy with God that we couldn’t have previously imagined.
--------
36:08
Episode 10: Do Not Cling to Me
Happy Easter, friends. In this special episode, Thomas explores Jesus’s words to marry when she recognizes Him risen from the tomb: “Do not cling to me.” From a contemplative perspective, what could this mean? What happens when we stop clinging to our wrong ideas, our limiting beliefs? With open mind and open heart, we can come to know the Living Presence that is already in our midst. Christ is risen, indeed! Enjoy this Easter meditation.
--------
27:05
Episode 9: Pass Away
We delve into the Gospel of Thomas this week, a treasure trove of contemplative inspiration. Have you ever gone through an experience where you simply weren’t the same person on the other side? What part of you passed away, and what new quality came into being? Give yourself some space to settle in for this one, and, as Jesus invites, “Come into being as you pass away.” Logion 42, tr. Lynn Bauman Yeshua says, Come into being As you pass away. Upcoming workshop: Thomas will be in Salt Lake City May 15-17 to guide students in embodied practice, meditation and all sorts of surprises! Scholarships and financial aid always available.
--------
27:02
Episode 8: The Intention to Consent
Contemplation asks us to let go of everything and simply rest in the Divine presence. But how, exactly, do we do that? In this episode, Thomas introduces more formally the method of Centering Prayer, developed by the spiritual giant, Father Thomas Keating. What we find in Centering Prayer is that attention follows intention. Each time our attention wanders, we gently renew “our intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.” Upcoming workshop: Thomas will be in Salt Lake City May 15-17 to guide students in embodied practice, meditation and all sorts of surprises! Scholarships and financial aid always available.
What gifts can contemplative spirituality offer to a world that is crying out for a greater Love and Freedom? Animated by a vision of interspiritual dialogue, meditation teacher Thomas McConkie searches Christianity and the world’s Wisdom traditions for gems and insights into awakening, transformation, and the soul’s journey Home. One Heart One Mind is both a podcast and sacred space where you can come to rest, deepen your connection with the Divine, and let your heart be as big as it actually is.
One Heart One Mind is a proud member of the Faith Matters Podcast Network. Learn more at faithmatters.org.
UK