In this video, Brian McLaren responds to questions submitted by attendees to the CAC’s virtual event “How Can We Reclaim Jesus from Empire?” This teaching, the fourth in a series, addresses questions raised by members of our community.

• How do I preach a Jesus to a group of people whose vision of him is through the lens of American exceptionalism? (from Debra)

• When it comes to engaging others who rant about Jesus as the leader of their hate, when does compassion for them become complicity? (From DeeDee)

• How can we speak with people who support empire, dictators, and kings to help them to see the harm the empire is doing and change their views? (From Johannes)

Although emerging from a recent gathering, these questions resonate with many of us; touching on the challenges of preaching, the tension between compassion and complicity, and difficulty of shifting perspectives. Brian responds to these questions with straightforward responses that invite further study and application in your own context.

If this type of conversation is in your wheelhouse, subscribe to the podcast Learning How To See with Brian McLaren as this theme will surface in season ten (available mid-September 2026)

Do you have a question you’ve been sitting on that you want to see explored publicly here? We’d love to hear from you! You can send your question to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space.

A question to consider or (kindly) reflect upon in the comments; when met with resistance to how you see the teachings of Jesus, how do you respond?

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Carmen Acevedo Butcher is rooted in gratitude and curiosity. Her teachings branch out and bend to the touch of any student who seeks wisdom in the walk of everyday life. Using an armful of contemplative tools at her disposal, Carmen here explores etymology, mystical poetry, and metaphors from the kitchen alongside wisdom from contemplative elders who have provided spiritual succor and deepened her attention. Charged by curiosity, Carmen spreads attentive seeds of love. The aftereffect of this teaching had me humming a gentle tune in the timbre of love.

“On a quiet Sunday morning, we’re invited into the space of steeping together in words as delicious morsels of wisdom inseparable from our living. We walk with the mystics Mary Oliver, Catherine of Siena, and Elizabeth of the Trinity, who help us live with, out, and from this word: “‘I am sought, I am loved.’ This is what is true, all the rest is not.””

— Carmen Acevedo Butcher

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In this video, Brian McLaren responds to questions submitted by attendees to the CAC’s virtual event “How Can We Reclaim Jesus from Empire?” This teaching—the third in a series—responds to questions raised by members of our community.

• How can Indigenous wisdom help free the loving God from traditional Christianity? (from Bill)

• How might I reconcile this contradiction I feel in myself? I agree with the idea of Christ’s universality in that Christ is truly for everyone, but I disagree with the idea that everyone on earth could or should be Christian, since I believe other religions have different ways of accessing the same divine truths and should be respected as such. (from Phil)

• How do we live out Indigenous wisdom in the city? (from Jesse)

Although these questions emerged from a recent gathering, they raise matters that many folks carry about the importance of respecting and learning from traditions other than their home tradition. Brian responds to these questions in this letter from outside the camp (with more to come!). He also offers several suggested resources that have helped him look beyond the Western worldview.

If this type of conversation is in your wheelhouse, subscribe to the podcast Learning How To See with Brian McLaren as this theme will surface in season ten (available mid-September 2026)

Do you have a question you’ve been sitting on that you want to see explored publicly here? We’d love to hear from you! You can send your question to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space.

A question to consider or (kindly) reflect upon in the comments; who has been a resource or wisdom figure that has invigorated your path from outside your home tradition?

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In this video, Brian McLaren responds to questions submitted by attendees to the CAC’s virtual event on “How Can We Reclaim Jesus from Empire?” This is the second in a series of teachings responding to questions raised by members of our community.

• Should we abandon the term Christian since it implies Christian nationalism? (from Suzanne)

• How can present day followers of “the Way” escape from aligning with imperialism? How can we stop thinking that we are embracing the teachings of Jesus when we are actually following the teachings of imperial Rome? (from Jeff)

• I’ve recently been learning about the words of Jesus in the original Aramaic. So far I’m finding Jesus’s teachings in Aramaic to be so much closer to a unifying mystical Christianity than traditional Christian orthodoxy. What are your thoughts on the Aramaic Jesus? (from Sharon)

Although these questions emerged from a recent gathering, they speak to the heart of matters that many of us are carrying about the importance of language and aligning to Jesus’s alternative plan over empire. Brian responds to these questions in this letter from outside the camp (with more to come!).

If this type of conversation is in your wheelhouse, subscribe to the podcast Learning How To See with Brian McLaren as this theme will surface in season ten (available mid-September 2026)

Do you have a question you’ve been sitting on that you want to see explored publicly here? We’d love to hear from you! You can send your question to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space.

A question to consider or (kindly) reflect upon in the comments; how do you wrestle with language in service to the embodiment of your faith?

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In this video, Brian McLaren responds to questions from participants in the CAC’s virtual event on How Can We Reclaim Jesus from Empire? This is the first in a series of teachings responding to questions raised by members of our community. These questions speak to concerns many of us are carrying about white nationalism, the weaponization of Jesus’s teachings, and our current times. Brian shares his thoughts on a few of those questions in this letter from outside the camp (with more to come!).

If this type of conversation is in your wheelhouse, subscribe to the podcast Learning How To See with Brian McLaren as this theme will surface in season ten (available mid-September 2026)

Do you have a question you’ve been sitting on that you want to see explored publicly here? We’d love to hear from you! You can send your question to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space.

A question to consider or (kindly) reflect upon in the comments; how has my life been shaped by empire (consciously and unconsciously)?

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Carmen, Jim, and Brian recently met on Zoom to connect with CAC staff on various projects. The team set aside time for Carmen, Jim, and Brian to share about the current writing projects that are animating their days. It is a joy to witness how curious and interested they are in one another’s work, how they encourage each other, and how they share feedback that sharpens their work and friendships. In this conversation, they discuss the projects that are lighting them up at various stages of completion:

— James Finley discusses writing a book on the Enneagram with Kirsten Oates and the mystical dimensions of the writing process.

— Brian describes his work writing a science fiction trilogy (the thrill of using imagination to face reality), and a project on the search for a meaningful life.

— Carmen shares about writing a new translation on the Gospel of Thomas, reflecting on how the text likewise translates her with a mystical sensitivity.

Enjoy this wide-ranging conversation and don’t miss the delightful reference to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Do you have a question you’ve been sitting on that you want to see explored publicly here? We’d love to hear from you! You can send your question to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space.

“I want to share with you a way to pray that deepens our longings for God, that have been placed in us by God, as an echo of God’s longing for us.” — James Finley

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This “letter” arrives from a conversation that Carmen had with Jim, captured on her phone. Jim pulls out his well-worn book on the sermons of Meister Eckhart and immediately dives into his insights on the divinity of the present moment within the ordinariness of life. Carmen and Jim follow this thread, weaving in stories and takeaways from The Cloud of Unknowing, the Gospel of Thomas, Zen Master Dōgen, and Julian of Norwich, among others, to help these mystical insights sink into the everyday experiences of our lives.

Immerse yourself with these friends as they share the woven nature of practice on the path.

“You can find moments of clarity in sitting with words, like ‘Be still and know that I am God’ (Psalm 46:10), and it eventually stabilizes itself where you think – Ah! I see, no matter my circumstances, this is always happening.”

— Carmen Acevedo Butcher

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As mentioned in the previous post, here in the United States, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding is being celebrated, reflected upon, and raising moments of consideration of the current state of the American experiment. In this teaching, Brian McLaren shares his reflections on the original, concrete meaning of “We the People” and the aspirational potential seeded within that “We.” Brian weaves together contemplative practice and systems critique, and draws upon Isaiah 40 as conversation with the nation and God. There is so much stitched between these themes, you might find yourself watching this a time or two again.

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In the United States, the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding is being celebrated and reflected upon, providing moments of consideration of the current state of the American experiment. In this teaching, Brian McLaren shares his reflections on the upcoming Fourth of July, the country’s history of division and unity, the patterns of scapegoating and connection, and the Lord’s Prayer—offering a steady, contemplative glance at what might be possible.

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Letters from Outside the Camp has received its first question from Lee, who asks Brian McLaren:

Watch Brian’s wise and multidimensional response to this thoughtful question below.

(If you have a question for Letters from Outside the Camp, we would love to hear from you. Follow the instructions to submit here.)

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As May drew to a close, Carmen Acevedo Butcher reflected on Pope Leo’s latest encyclical. In the backyard of the CAC—with the hum of our neighbors driving by and the squawks of peacocks—Carmen offered wise and salient reflections on this moment. No further words are needed from me; enjoy this deep breath of fresh air.

“At the CAC’s Tepeyac House, on a weathered wooden bench under the graceful Trinity Tree whose richly gray, deeply textured, interconnected furrows frame the halcyon blue sky in a very alive stillness, Carmen sits, embraced by one of the oldest grandmother cottonwoods in the South Valley, and she invites us to reflect with her and the Trinity Tree in asking: “What does it mean to be human?” especially musing with Pope Leo’s recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which asks this same question in light of our living in an age of AI, escalating inequities, and increasing danger for mother earth.”

— Carmen Acevedo Butcher

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Carmen Acevedo Butcher invites us into the love of language that she learned from her mother. Carmen shares how this love blossomed through early memorization of Scripture and poetry, and how she unknowingly practiced lectio divina in environments such as empty classrooms and nature. Carmen shares how she has journeyed with dyslexia, and speaks to both its hardships and unexpected gifts. We can hear birds in the background cheering on this heartfelt meditation on language and silence.

My whole life I’ve been in love with the mystery of words and how language can return us to healing, eloquent, loving Silence, which is primordial, ubiquitous, and as down-to-earth as the nearest tree with a wind blowing through its symphony of leaves. Together we explore befriending words as delicious food for our hungry souls.

—Carmen

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James Finley shares with us his recent reflections on the descending and ascending patterns of love. In Jim’s mystical incantation, Jim encircles the cave of the listener’s heart. He encourages us to bear witness to the sustaining and precious love dimensions that are always present. I was left with the self-reflective question: What might I do today to cooperate in the depth dimension of love?

“In the rise and the fall, the more we can stabilize in the depths of love that sustain in the rhythm of ascending and descending, there is the richness of the deepest ascent, which is the primacy of love.”

—James Finley

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Carmen Acevedo Butcher invites us into the marsh with her. We hear birds chirping, soft train rumbles, and the crunch of steps on the footpath. Through the gate of Old English, Carmen elevates the richness of language and presence available to us all.

I spend a lot of time in the marsh near our home. You’re invited to come with me, and we can sit together there for ten minutes with “Be still and know that I am God” from Psalm 46.

—Carmen

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Carmen, Jim, and Brian recently met up to talk about the foundations of transformation. In this conversation, they cover expansive ground that evokes lessons from mystics past and present, imperative and indicative modes of speech in Meister Eckhart, letting go, and the contemplative call to upset power games. You will hear musings on:

— How does mystical quickening spill over into action in the world?

— What is the spiritual nutrition needed to sustain you on the path?

— How can responding to email be thought of as a practice?

There is no shortage of vitality and good humor when these three get together. Enjoy this wide-ranging conversation on the foundations of transformation.

Do you have a question you’ve been sitting on that you want to see explored publicly here? We’d love to hear from you! You can send your question to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space.

“What is it that never passes away that transcends and permeates everything passing away? And how can we bear witness to that? ” — James Finley

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CAC Core Faculty James Finley shares his first Letter from Outside the Camp today. Jim is a clinical psychologist, author, and teacher with a long-standing relationship with the CAC. From his home in California, you can hear the ocean waves applaud his reflections on the immensity of God in the present moment.

In this video, Jim offers a reflection on life becoming practice. With beauty and brevity, he invites us into the rhythms of contemplative life.

“Find your contemplative practice and practice it. Find your contemplative community and enter it. Find your contemplative teaching and follow it.”

—Jim

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CAC Core Faculty Brian McLaren shares his first Letter from Outside the Camp today. You may know Brian as an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian, but you are just as likely to find him in a backcountry fishing hole as you are on a public stage teaching from the edge of the Christian imagination. Whether he has a fly rod in hand or is on a public stage, Brian reflects on the grace and challenges of this world.

In this video, Brian shares one of his poems, “Culture Grief.” I did not know Brian wrote poetry—he never ceases to surprise me.

Peace and every good!

Paul

I spent a few days recently with two poets: first with the wonderful poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, and then with CAC’s poet in residence, Drew Jackson. It made me remember a poem I wrote back in 2008, “Culture Grief.” I want to share it with you here.

—Brian

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Letters From Outside the Camp begins in earnest with a teaching from CAC’s dean of core faculty, Carmen Acevedo Butcher. A gifted author, translator, and teacher, Carmen is also known to exercise her contemplative practices in whatever context she finds herself in (though she will be the first to tell you that a nearby marsh holds a special place in her heart).

In this voice memo, “How Should I Practice?,” Carmen leans into the groundedness of the everyday as the ripest condition for practice. With her signature wit and wisdom, Carmen invites listeners to settle into their current surroundings as the most opportune locale for sacred connection.

I recorded this reflection after a faculty retreat spent with Father Richard Rohr, Jim Finley, Brian McLaren, and so many CAC friends. During our conversations, “How should I practice?” came up as a deeply sincere question asked by many, which sparked this recording.

—Carmen

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Welcome to Letters From Outside the Camp.

Letters From Outside the Camp is an outlet for the Core Faculty of the Center for Action and Contemplation to share musings, practices, and teachings in the public square. It will find its shape through experimentation with the dialogical nature of reality. Ebbs and flows from the top of the mystical minds and contemplative hearts of Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Brian McLaren, and James Finley.

The stakes are not set in the ground yet, a sense of direction will be found with each discovery. We will aim to deliver Letters From Outside the Camp at least once a month, more often if time and inspiration allow.

The writing, audio, and video you will find here are intended to be unpolished ruminations. Demo tapes rather than finished albums. Conversations in fleeting moments rather than curated big stage presentations. A gaze upon Mystery in the commonplace. We hope you will join us for what unfolds.

If you have a question you’d be open to seeing explored publicly here, we’d love to hear from you. You can send it to lfoc@cac.org (and we recommend reviewing the question guidelines here so you know what to expect if your question is selected). While we can’t promise a response to every submission, each one will be thoughtfully considered and will help shape the unfolding conversation in this space

Your comments and reflections are welcome on every post. The baseline ask is kind communication. Nastiness will get your comment escorted out of here (kindly, of course). You can be critical or contradictory with kindness, but anything deemed nasty will not be tolerated. So jump in with your comments as you feel inspired!

Subscribe below to Letters From Outside the Camp to receive each post whenever it is published.

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Yours in rain or snow,

Paul Swanson
Manager of Faculty Relations & Development
Center for Action and Contemplation

P.S. I won’t be chiming in much here—consider me more of the mailman delivering the posts to the public commons from outside the camp.

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