Everyday Mysticism & the Wisdom of Brother Lawrence

In this special episode, I am joined by Carmen Butcher and Mike Morrell to have a convo about everyday mysticism. They are the hosts for The Mystics Summit and just finished interviewing more than 30 scholars, teachers, and contemporary mystics — including Heiwa No Bushi, Mirabai Starr, Banafsheh Sayyad, Father Greg Boyle, Alexander John Shaia, Taya Mâ, Kabir Helminski, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, Dr. Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, Hillary Raining, Matthew Fox , Micky ScottBey Jones, Sophie Strand, Juliet Rania, Jay Michaelson, Gareth Higgins, Therese Taylor-Stinson, Tada Hozumi, Simona Chitescu Weik, Rebekah Berndt, Carl McColman, and many others…including me:) I was excited to hear what their takeaways were after having such a wide collection of powerful conversations. This didn’t disappoint! While Mike and I are long-time friends, I was blown away getting to meet Carmen and hear about her recent work translating Brother Lawrence. If you enjoy this episode half as much as I did, then you will definitely want to sign up for The Mystics Summit. The Summit airs on August 15-19. Catching the live dialogues is FREE, but you need to RSVP here.

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD, is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, educator, poet, and translator of spiritual texts. Her dynamic work around the evolution of language and the necessity of just and inclusive language has garnered interest from various media, including the BBC and NPR’s Morning Edition. From a young age, she was drawn to Brother Lawrence’s “practicing the presence” prayer, and with degrees in medieval studies and a linguistics background, Carmen brings history to life and makes its wisdom widely accessible and useful for healing, growth, and peace. She is the award-winning translator of classics such as Practice of the Presence by Brother Lawrence… The Cloud of Unknowing, an anonymous work of Christian mysticism… Hildegard of Bingen: A Spiritual Reader… and A Little Daily Wisdom: Christian Women Mystics. Her teaching reinvigorates the timeless insights of the humble French friar Brother Lawrence, The Cloud’s engaging contemplative teacher Anonymous, the creative genius Hildegard, and the deeply loving Julian of Norwich, among others. A Carnegie Foundation Professor of the Year and Fulbright Senior Lecturer, Carmen currently teaches at the University of California, Berkeley in the College Writing Programs.

Mike Morrell is the collaborating author, with Father Richard Rohr, on The Divine Dance: The Trinity and Your Transformation, as well as the founder of Wisdom Camp, and a founding organizer of the Wild Goose Festival. Mike curates contemplative and community experiences via relational skills, taking joy in holding space for the extraordinary transformation that can take place at the intersection of anticipation, imagination, and radical acceptance.

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