Blog

from the Soul
You are here:HomeBlog

She Brought Western Mysticism to the Modern World:Evelyn Underhill

January 19, 2012 by nlundgren , , No Responses.
She Brought Western Mysticism to the Modern World:Evelyn Underhill
Thomas Merton’s book Seven Story Mountain greatly influenced my decision to leave a successful career in music to become a Christian monk, launching my intense search for God through the contemplative life. However, during the first months of m
READ MORE

Within the Lonesome Heart of America: Greg Brown

January 14, 2012 by nlundgren , , 1 Comment
Within the Lonesome Heart of America: Greg Brown
There are at least two kinds of souls on the path of authenticity. First, there are those that traipse up the mountain path and shed coat after coat and layer after layer of masks and shields. This feat is accomplished more by the world’s scars
READ MORE

That Songbird Has Flown Over the Rainbow:Eva Cassidy

January 11, 2012 by nlundgren , , 1 Comment
That Songbird Has Flown Over the Rainbow:Eva Cassidy
The life of a songbird is brief. Perhaps that is why each one must sing, sing as they pass swiftly through this world of wind, whistle and woe, circling through the heavens, lighting on trees, nesting, then moving once again in constant migration jus
READ MORE

His Voice Gently Rains Upon the Desert:Hamza El Din

January 7, 2012 by nlundgren , , No Responses.
His Voice Gently Rains Upon the Desert:Hamza El Din
During my tenure as a Benedictine monk, I had traveled abroad for studies in Israel, Greece, and Egypt. My experiences there had spawned an album of mystical songs I recorded in 1982 called Time of the Harvest. Years later, after a pilgrimage to Indi
READ MORE

The Queen of the Blues Sang “At Last”: Etta James

January 4, 2012 by nlundgren , 5 Comments
The Queen of the Blues Sang “At Last”: Etta James
Although it is doubtful that Etta James ever penned a song herself, she didn’t have to. She gave every song its ultimate expression, whether it was the down and dirty “Tell Mama,” or “At Last,” the sublime song of praise
READ MORE

Mystic From Whom God Hid Nothing:Meister Eckhart

December 28, 2011 by nlundgren , , 1 Comment
Mystic From Whom God Hid Nothing:Meister Eckhart
I recall reading his words by candlelight in a tent on a river bank in northern Germany, near the church where the 14th century Meister Eckhart preached his mystical sermons. It was the late winter of 1974, and a companion and I had mapped out a hitc
READ MORE