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Are you seeking a path to peace, or a deeper connection with God? This podcast shares teachings from our Christian meditation gatherings that happen online twice a week. Each episode features a short reflection from Chris Whittington. Chris draws from the rich stream of Christian contemplative wisdom across the centuries — from Jesus and the Desert Mothers and Fathers to Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich, the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, and more recent voices such as Thomas Merton, Rowan Williams, Martin Laird, Ruth Burrows and Maggie Ross as well as wisdom from other faiths/traditions. Chris is the Founder of The School of Contemplative Life. He was introduced to meditation at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey, England, where he spent time living and studying as part of several years of formation. Following an introduction from the Abbot at Prinknash Abbey, Chris spent time studying at the Dalai Lama’s monastery in Dharamsala, India, deepening his understanding of meditation practice across contemplative traditions. You may also like to know: We warmly invite you to join our online meditation community. Practising with others provides the support and rhythm that helps a meditation practice take root and grow. People join us from many different backgrounds and traditions. Our free online gatherings take place every Saturday morning and Wednesday evening (UK time). Each session includes a live teaching, 20 minutes of silent meditation and some shared reflection. Sign up here: https://schoolofcontemplativelife.com/online-meditation/ To send a question to Chris, or share your thoughts, please email: [email protected] Episode transcripts are available here: https://schoolofcontemplativelife.com/teachings-from-contemplative-christianity This podcast is made possible through the generosity of our donors. If this teaching becomes meaningful to you, you’re invited to support the work of The School of Contemplative Life so that it can remain freely available to others. Please click here to donate: https://schoolofcontemplativelife.com/donate/ Thank you!

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Check latest episodes from Christian Meditation: Weekly Teachings Podcast podcast

Blessed are the Poor in Spirit - a Contemplative Perspective

2026/05/23

St. John Cassian, who was largely responsible for bringing our tradition of meditation to the West in the fifth century, linked Jesus' teaching on "poverty of spirit" to simplest form of prayer, repeating a prayer word and letting go of "the abundant riches of thought".

More from the Cloud of Unknowing - A gentle way of prayer

2026/05/17

The great fourteenth-century work The Cloud of Unknowing was written as a practical guide for a young student and is a text of great importance for the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition, what the anonymous author calls the ‘work’ of contemplation. I’d like to share some of the author’s teaching from Chapters 45 and 46 of The Cloud. What he shares is very important. But how he shares it is equally important. As I read his words, he speaks to me in a way I have valued greatly in my own teachers, a blend of no-nonsense directness, tenderness and humour.

The Prodigal Son - a contemplative perspective

2026/05/17

In Jesus' story of the Prodigal Son, the younger son squandered his inheritance. However, the word commonly translated as ‘squandered’ (διεσκόρπισεν) can also mean ‘scattered’ or ‘dispersed.’ With this deeper meaning in mind, we might hear the beginning of this Parable as a rich teaching for the practice of meditation and the cultivation of attention.

Overlooking the flower - the beauty we fail to see

2026/05/17

A beautiful story of a young monk so eager to do his tasks correctly that he was oblivious to what was hiding in plain sight. In meditation we find our sense of wonder deepens.

Jesus, Gandhi and the Work of Peace

2026/04/14

Along with the Bhagavad Gita, Gandhi considered the Sermon on the Mount the greatest writing on nonviolence in history. He read the Sermon nearly every morning and evening for over forty years. Though not a Christian, he said its words went ‘straight to my heart.’ ‘The gentle figure of Christ – so patient, so kind, so loving, so full of forgiveness… I thought this was a beautiful example of the perfect human being.’

Wisdom from the Cloud of Unknowing

2026/04/10

A reflection on "The Cloud of Unknowing" and the power of contemplative prayer - how an ancient tradition leads us beyond thought into love, healing separation and restoring our oneness.

Silence and Resurrection: an Easter reflection

2026/04/07

A contemplative Easter reflection on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and the resurrection. Discover how silence, surrender, and the practice of meditation open us to God’s presence—where letting go becomes the doorway to love, healing, and new life.

The Marriage of East and West: a vision of global, spiritual friendship

2026/03/25

A reflection on Benedictine Monk, Bede Griffiths, and the meeting of Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, exploring how the journey into silence and the return to the centre reveals a deeper unity beneath all religions and offers a foundation for peace.

Wholehearted Living: Discovering the Sacred in Each Task

2024/10/28

In this episode, we explore how the sacred can be found not only in spiritual practices but in the everyday tasks that fill our lives. Drawing on Zen and Benedictine wisdom, we reflect on the idea that enlightenment is not separate from the routines we often overlook, such as cooking or cleaning. Stories of Zen masters and Christian monks reveal how approaching each moment with mindful attention allows us to cultivate a life of wholeness, where prayer and compassion infuse every act. Listeners will be guided to see life as a continuous, sacred practice—one that invites a deep sense of stability, peace, and presence in each task. Join us as we explore how the practice of meditation can transform even the simplest of acts into a profound encounter with the divine.

Finding God in Meditation: from duality to oneness

2024/10/21

In this episode, we explore the transformative power of meditation and the understanding that God is not a separate entity to be grasped but is our very essence. Reflecting on biblical insights, particularly Jesus’ response to Philip at the Last Supper, we uncover how a dualistic mindset can obscure our awareness of oneness with the divine. Listeners are invited to let go of preconceived notions of God and simply rest in open awareness where we discover that true understanding comes not from seeking but from experiencing God as ever-present in our lives. This journey encourages a release from judgment and comparison, leading us to a profound sense of unity. Join us as we navigate this mystical journey and embrace the boundless love that connects us all.

Embracing the Wisdom of Monasticism: Transforming our Relationship with Time

2023/12/18

Many of us have a difficult relationship with time. We might wish we had more of it to finish that home project which never quite gets done. We might wish we were more efficient at using the time we do have, having chased our tail all day, before we fall into bed. We might regret the time we have spent on certain things in the past, or worry about what is likely to consume our time in the future. It’s all too easy to feel like we are the victim of time. In this podcast, we explore how we can transform our relationship with time through the wisdom of monasticism.

Travelling lightly, living fully

2023/11/19

In meditation, we set out on a journey like no other. Saying our prayer word, following our breath, we learn to travel light. Instead of packing, we unpack. Instead of trying to grasp hold of what cannot grasped, we allow ourselves to be held. Instead of worrying about finding God, or experiencing God, we allow ourselves to rest in God’s ever-present Presence.

Solitude, compassion and community - walking in the footsteps of Jesus

2023/10/31

The contemplative practice of Christian meditation has its foundation in the teachings and prayer life of Jesus. Jesus frequently withdrew to solitary or deserted places to pray. The Gospel writers skillfully record a pattern of solitary prayer, engaged compassion, and the creation of community. We don't need to find any special way of getting in touch with God. God wants to simplify us through the simplicity of silent prayer.

Trusting in the simplicity of prayer

2023/10/29

It takes trust to life attention off ourselves, to believe God has everything in hand. We have a tendency to want to complicate what is simple. All God wants to do, through the simplicity of prayer is simplify us, to lead us back from distractedness to wholeness.

Blessed are the peacemakers: religion and oneness.

2023/10/25

Religion means 'a way of getting back in touch', something that 'reconnects' and 'binds together.' It is especially important to remember some of the deepest meanings of this word at moments when some may wish to use it as a way of dividing people. Meditation helps us open up to the gift of contemplation, the gift of seeing clearly, and coming to awareness of our essential oneness with each other and all of creation.