Becoming an Ordinary Mystic: Spirituality for the Rest of Us

by Albert Haase

I should be further along on the spiritual journey.
Why don't I see any progress?
What am I doing wrong?
Do you ever feel like you are walking in spiritual circles? While we might think it would be different for a Franciscan priest, Father Albert Haase shares the same struggles. And yet he also affirms that we are all called to be ordinary mystics, who, in the words of his own spiritual director, are "ordinary Christians who do what we are all called to do: respond to grace."
Learning to be a mystic is about cultivating a life with God in which we draw close, listen, and respond moment to moment. We know we will fail at times, but we can also be certain that we follow a God who never stops reaching out to us. This book offers a daily path to making the connection.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Christian

170 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 27, 2019

Reviews

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Haase attempts to show us that we are all just ordinary mystics. 

As I said in my last post, I read Becoming an Ordinary Mystic intentionally in conversation with Finding God in All Things. Both are focused on spiritual formation by experienced Catholic spiritual directors. Both are written as mini-retreats for readers to receive some of the wisdom and spiritual learning that comes from the spiritual disciplines. Both are elders that write after a lifetime of Christian service.

Becoming an Ordinary Mystic was published just a couple of weeks ago. It is very clearly designed for readers to take seriously spiritual formation. Each chapter has questions and exercises to reflect on the content of the chapter. It was rare that I read more than one chapter at a time because I needed the time to process, and even then, I do not think I spend enough time processing before moving on.

The spiritual life is not to be taken lightly, but also Haase is here to assure us that we should not be taking ourselves too seriously as we seek God. Haase frequently takes a real-life person as an example in most chapters to think about how we need to re-orient ourselves toward God. Whether it be a misunderstanding of God’s affection toward us, or our assumption that God loves us for what we do for God, or distortions in how we understand spiritual disciplines, Haase gently prods us toward greater reliance on God and less reliance on our own strength, while at the same time prodding us toward taking seriously our role.

In general, I am not a fan of call outs, the little sections of quotations, often from another place on the page for emphasis. But in Becoming an Ordinary Mystic, Haase is using those as they should be used, to bring in other voices, not already in the text, emphasizing his point. They are well-chosen quotes, without being distracting, which brings another view to the discussion. I highlighted many of them because they so clearly distilled the points being made into a few sentences, while not distracting from the more detailed analysis around the quotes.

Again, in Becoming an Ordinary Mystic, I am confronted with the Catholic understanding of discernment. Ignatius is referenced in much of the discussion here, and again, I do not disagree with what is being taught, but I am not comfortable with my ability to relay that content to others in a way that would be understood to Protestants that prioritize scripture over the Holy Spirit. Even the phrasing of that is unfair because the Protestants that I reference would say that we best know what the Holy Spirit would be saying because of scripture.

The emphasis that I most appreciate in Becoming an Ordinary Mystic is grace. Haase is very gentle in leading us toward seeking after God. He is teaching principles of prayer and discernment and an understanding of God that relies on God’s grace as the primary mover. Protestants often mischaracterize Catholicism as a form of ‘works righteousness.’ I find that it is hard to read about a Catholic understanding of spiritual formation without long discussions of God’s grace in even our ability to seek after God.

Even in his discussion of the spiritual disciplines, which is what underlies the whole book, there is remolding of the concept of spiritual disciplines not as a type of gym equipment that we use to strengthen ourself to do the work of God, but instead he likes the image of spiritual disciples as an alarm clock that wakes us up to how God is working around us. The spiritual disciples are not work that we do ourselves. Instead, "The transformation occurs as we open ourselves and respond to God’s longing and invitation. Spiritual practices facilitate this opening and surrender of the will."

Toward the end of the book, he suggests that the reader seek out a spiritual director of their own. As part of the discussion around that, he has one of the best short descriptions of Spiritual Direction I have seen:

“Your life belongs to God, not to me. So many people wrongly presume that a spiritual director directs your life like a conductor directing different parts of an orchestra. But that’s not my role as a spiritual director—nor would I presume to tell you how to live your life. I’m a spiritual director in another sense. My role is to direct your attention to the many ways the Spirit might be moving in your life. By asking you open-ended questions such as ‘What is God saying to you in that feeling?,’ ‘Where do you experience the call to growth right now?,’ ‘When did you last experience God like that?,’ ‘What do you think God might be inviting you to do in this situation?,’ ‘How are you praying with this experience?,’ I try to clarify and heighten your awareness of God’s longing in the nitty-gritty of your daily schedule. And then we discuss how best you can respond to that grace.”

[Rich Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me share my 6 takeaways from this wonderful book.


Ordinary Mystic

“Ordinary mystics are always watching for the myriad ways God invites them to a deeper relationship.”

“Mystics are waitresses, welders, writers, and web designers who heartily respond to the direct and enthusiastic invitation of Jesus, “Come, follow me.””

“A personal, mysterious, and incomprehensible God of unconditional love ardently longs for us and enthusiastically invites us to a deeper relationship.”

Who is a mystic? We are all mystics! God seeks each one of us. We each pick up the voice of God and go deeper into our relationship with this God in the way that works best for us. We might write, draw, paint, walk, meditate, read, sing, dance, chant and find the God who seeks us there. We also find the God who seeks us in our everyday tasks we perform as workers, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends. I ask again who is a mystic. The answer is YOU. You are a mystic.



Present Moment

“Fully experience this utterly unique and unrepeatable moment. It will never, ever happen again.”

“To live with attention to the present moment is to be open to a divine visitation.”

““Do what you are doing and do it well.” That’s living in the sacrament of the present moment and responding to the will of God.”

“Jesus’s cardiac spirituality includes being mindful of this present moment’s unmet need or required duty and responding to it with a loving, merciful, humble, and compassionate heart.”

“Our daily pilgrimage is to the first-class cabin called the present moment.”

To be fully present is to be here. Not in the past. And not in the future. It means we enjoy this moment. It will never happen again. I watch the sun rise or set. I look at the beautiful assortment of autumn leaf colors before they gently drop to the ground.

I watch my 11 year old son spontaneously play as he giggles, hops and jumps around. I sip my coffee at the local Starbucks and watch the customers come in and out. Some are hurried. Others sit. Read. Talk. Take a break from their hectic lives.

It also means we listen to a stranger. Feed someone who is hungry. Give a coat to someone who is cold. We meet the need of the present moment!


Are You Here?

“Some of us are here and yet we live in the past, beating ourselves up with guilt for something we did days, months, or even years ago.”

“Jesus insisted we unlearn a lot. He did not want us to be imprisoned in the past with guilt and regret. So much of his ministry was focused on forgiving and freeing sinners from their past (Matthew 9:6; Luke 7:47; 23:34).”

Where do you live? Do you live in the past? Angry at yourself for how you acted with your spouse the previous day. Embarrassed by a comment you made at your staff meeting at work. Upset with yourself for not applying for the new position because you lacked the confidence to go for it.

Or. Are you worried about the future? Will my job be outsourced? What will happen to my health? Will I have enough money to retire and pay my bills?



Dark Night

“Second, besides calling us to disregard and distrust our feelings, the dark night challenges us to let go of our beloved, trusted, and time-tested images of God.”

“Just because we feel that God has withdrawn and abandoned us, does not mean God, in fact, has.”

“For a multitude of reasons—typically (but not always) due to an overload of certain negative feelings such as grief, guilt, shame, or regret—our senses sometimes are incapable of picking up or registering the divine presence.”

The dark night is an invitation to let go of our past images of God and open to a new God. The dark night challenges us to go deeper into God. The dark night challenges us to pick up signals and nudges that we might have missed from God. The dark night challenges us to trust God. Be patient. And wait.


Forgiveness

“Anger, resentment, and grudges are heavy loads to carry under the desert sun. They drain us of much needed energy as we struggle to keep them balanced on our backs. We grow weary.”

“We often forget that the people who wronged us have gone on with their journeys—and are enjoying life! Forgiveness is a gift we give, not to the betrayer, but to ourselves, that unburdens and refreshes our spirits. Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision.”

“Forgiveness is not a feeling but a decision.”

Do you hold in anger, resentment, grudges? I do. Sometimes I hold them too long. Other times I immediately let them go. They really do not serve any purpose. They hinder me from living in the present moment. They stop me from enjoying the present and all it has to offer. I am not really here for the people around me. And they notice it too.

When I hold in anger, resentment, and grudges it makes me tired. When you release these strong feelings don’t you feel better? I do. I feel relaxed. I have more energy. The heaviness is gone. I am present and enjoy life.



Next Steps

“One challenge on the spiritual journey is to find what prayer techniques are nourishing and helpful in responding to God’s ardent longing and enthusiastic invitation to a deeper relationship.”

“Unlike using gym equipment that strengthens our muscles, spiritual disciplines are not transforming in themselves. The transformation occurs as we open ourselves and respond to God’s longing and invitation.”

“The spiritual journey challenges us not to feel guilty about the past or anxious about the future; our task is to surrender the past to the mercy of God and to offer the future in trust to God.”

“Many people don’t practice an examination of conscience. Instead, they live on autopilot with no self-reflection.”

Here are some next steps you can take:

Choose a contemplative practice that will nourish your soul. I have chosen centering prayer.
Dig deep in this contemplative practice well!
Trust God.
Journal your thoughts and feelings to God. Write your name. Under your name journal your feelings. Then write God. Under God jot down what do you think God will say to you regarding these feelings and thoughts.

I encourage you to check out The Ordinary Mystic. Discover that you can be a mystic too!

Rich Lewis
www.SilenceTeaches.com

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A friendly, straightforward book on contemplative spirituality for evangelicals (and others) by a Franciscan monk. In years past that never would have worked but these days, thanks to various changes and the light touch of the author, it makes for a helpful read. For those who have read other books in the genre this might not be seen as challenging enough but the author repeatedly puts his finger on issues significant to formation.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review – Becoming an Ordinary Mystic: Spirituality for the Rest of Us

The word “mystic” is about as useful as “monk” or “monastic” in many of our lives as believers. We may have an idea of what that word entails, but to become a “mystic” (or “monk” or “monastic”)? No thanks.

There are those who have gone before considered to be mystics who wrote of their experiences, or their experiences were given as accounts by someone else. In the Christian sense, when reading their writings, such as St. John of the Cross, we read those deep words and think, “Good for him. Not a calling for me!”

Albert Haase knew from early childhood he had a hunger to be a mystic. When he asked his mother the definition of a mystic, she replied, “A special friend of God.” She also told him it was a calling.

But Haase makes a bold assertion in this book: We’re all called to be a mystic. As he learned from a spiritual director, “Mystics are ordinary Christians who do what we are called to do, respond to grace.”

What needs to be developed in our lives in a sensitivity to the divine presence along with the willingness to respond to his invitation to us. The key to a mystic is the ability to celebrate all that Jesus offers us in the present… right now.

Mystics battle distraction, past history, past hurts, current sin, hurt feelings… sound familiar? The truth can be this: we can all be ordinary mystics. The journey is to take those distractions and feelings and surrender them so we can understand Christ in this moment.

Haase leads the reader chapter by chapter to deal with gaining a life of mindfulness. He doesn’t deny distractions, hurts, and sin, along with painful pasts. He invites the reader to recognize those things as gifts and understand Christ IN these situations. Each chapter ends with helpful exercises to lead the reader in “practice,” then “reflection”, and then leaving the subject with something to “ponder.”

The beauty I found in this book is twofold: 1. I can learn to live in the present and be present with God and with others, and 2. I must keep embracing this as a lifelong journey and I have never “arrived.” I can, however, grow in maturity and ability to embrace the present.

I found one method early on that can be practiced and I believe would help believers truly gain freedom from a lot of anxiety.

In the first chapter (“Right Here, Right Now”) he presents what looks to be a “simple” four-step method that is incredibly intricate, time consuming, grueling… and then freeing.

The simple words are this: Stop. Look. Listen. Go. He dives into some detail on each word, of course, but the exercise has an amazing ability to help free an anxious spirit.

This is simple… and not simple… all at the same time. This is a life of practice.

I found another practice that I will be trying more because as I read it I honestly thought, “This can’t be possible at all.” In the chapter, “An Invitation to Transparency” he discusses the “Welcoming Prayer.” It is a way of dealing with negative emotions.

The first step I understood: Become mindful of the emotion…

But the next step threw me (and I’m still wrestling with it): Offer the emotion “hospitality.”

Then, after acknowledging the emotion and letting that experience sit there… bid it farewell.

This is a process I have to explore. I am unsure of how this works out practically.

The challenges each of us with our past, our emotions, our egos, etc., bind us up. Haase lays out the invitation to deal with these things our lives by becoming mystics. As ordinary mystics we will have the opportunity to see these problems fade and we will become far more mindful of Christ in the present.

Haase tells story after story to illustrate his concepts and they are marvelous journeys.

This book provides the possibility of utilizing these lessons in a small group as well as walking through these chapters slowly on an individual basis.

I received a review copy of this book from Intervarsity Press and am under no obligation to provide a positive review.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Explores what it means to be a friend of God, to walk in an awareness of God's grace, in the ordinary of life.

From the time the author's mother defined a mystic as "a friend of God," Albert Haase wanted to be one of those friends. Years later he found himself frustrated, feeling he was walking in circles, wondering:

I should be further along on the spiritual journey.
Why don't I see any progress?
What am I doing wrong?

His spiritual director observed that many of the great mystics felt like this, and that the fact that he felt like this signaled that he was a mystic as well, an ordinary mystic. Instead of striving, he began to learn what it means to be open to God's grace. In this book, he shares some of the practices by which he learned that awareness of God and God's grace through his days.

It begins with a mindfulness of the present of stopping to recollect, looking to attend, listening to reflect, and then going in response. In the first of the exercises that conclude each chapter, he urges this practice several times a day. He then moves on to the examination of conscience, a ruthless review of our sins and the ego obsessions that underlie them, opening us even more to the grace of God. He explores how meditation on the Sermon on the Mount can re-wire our thinking and ego obsessions. He invites us into the cardiac spirituality of love that is at the heart of the law. He teaches us to be transparent through the Welcoming Prayer, a prayer in which we welcome the unseemly emotions.

He moves into our experiences of the absence of God, the times of doubt and darkness, where all we can do is to surrender to we know not what. There is the struggle of forgiveness--of God, of ourselves, and others. He commends the practice of CPR: Confession, Pressing the "stop" button on our memories when they arise, and Relaxation that acknowledges what frail creatures we are and trusts God's transformative work on his timetable. He draws us into exploring our inadequate images of God and the images of God we see in the life of Jesus.

He tackles the challenges we have with prayer and suggests we begin with the "Come as you are" prayer. He helps us to recognize prayer both as words and the silences between them, much like the notes and rests in music. He proposes that our life experiences are God's megaphone and the question is not whether God's speaking, or even whether can we hear him, but what is he saying so loudly in our experiences?

Perhaps some of the best counsel in the book are the principles he outlines regarding various spiritual practices:

1. They are our response to God's ardent longing for us, inviting us to go deeper with him.
2. Whatever the discipline, it should foster a heightened awareness of God's grace.
3. This, in turn ought lead to our surrender to the will of God.
4. One size does not fit all. Traditional practices are not helpful for every person.
5. Any practice that makes us mindful of God's ardent longing is acceptable.

He concludes with describing the practice of spiritual direction and how such a person can be a help in becoming aware of God and gives practical recommendations for finding direction.

I found much to commend in this encouraging little book. I found myself identifying again and again with Haase--the glimpses of grace, the profound awareness of sin's depths in my life, the moments of perplexity, the times where God seems distant, and dealing with and welcoming into God's presence my unseemly emotions. This is a book that may be taken on retreat, or read and used as a group. And it just may be that we will discuss that God ardently desires us, that we may also be "friends of God," ordinary mystics.

________________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Dayna · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many things I loved about this book and it is well set up to be used in group settings. There are helpful practices that I already use and will implement. I can’t give it a 5th star, though, because there are anecdotes that feel insensitive towards women. While I’m sure some of these are accurate portrayals of the experiences of the individuals he counseled, they reinforce ideas that women should be meek, quiet and submissive in ways that I don’t agree with. (See bottom of pg 41). I would have been interested to see “Beth’s” anecdote written from a male perspective and what the interpretation would have been from that vantage point.

[Daniel Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Staying awake and living mindfully are two fundamental challenges and tasks of becoming an ordinary mystic." This little book is one of the most meaningful I've read in a good while. Could experiencing God's grace and walking in His love really be as simple as slowing down in the midst of a busy world, listening for his voice, and following where he leads? I think so. In a world of busy, fast, and distraction, Fr. Albert Haase invites us to untangle, slow, and listen. I need that invitation and reminder every day.

[Marcia Otting · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book for those of us seeking renewal and refreshment in our relationship with Christ. Not every spiritual practice is helpful for everyone in every season of life, and Haase walks the reader through many exercises that guide us to look with fresh eyes at Scripture and prayer. If you find your devotional practices tiresome, perhaps it's time for a change and this book gives a place to start.

[rumbledethumps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially this is mindfulness for Christians. Haase takes many concepts that people who have studied mindfulness will be familiar with (forgiveness, acknowledging emotions, living in the present moment, etc), and shows how these same concepts are present in Christianity.

A little too personal-God focused for me (which should not be surprising, as Haase is a Franciscan priest), but overall an interesting read.

[Paul Jellinek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this for a faith formation group that I'm involved with at our church. Haase is well-meaning and has some interesting and important things to say about the power of being "in the present moment," something that is surprisingly hard to do in today's world, but I find much of the jargon that he comes up with off-putting and hard to get past.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Becoming an Ordinary Mystic is a wonderful dip into some spiritual practices and insights that move most of us into new places of presence and connection with God. Father Albert has a winsome voice and he uses his own stories to help guide us along the journey.

[Charlotte Donlon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a 3.5 is a more accurate rating? This book is pretty decent. It's more legalistic than I prefer.

[Larry Bailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical guidance without being fund mentalist, high church or preachy.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re looking to go deeper with your personal Spiritual journey, this book offers Spiritual practices and anecdotes to encourage you on your journey.

[Gail Leroy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ordinary Mystic, Saint, Ordinary Christian 3 in 1!

The book was helpful, and it even got me into doing the end of chapter assignments. Spiritual Director very much like coaching, which wanting to or not God has led me to people to help them in their journey. This book is very helpful for this ministry. I’m always up for a new adventure but I also know that my adventure right now is right where I am with the community around me. This book puts into words what I have thought and how I process, but never could put into words that made sense, or at least I didn’t think I could. Now I don’t have to. 👏🏻👏🏻🤗 Albert did it for me. And if you read this brother Albert, thank you for your obedience to God.

[Penny Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Becoming an Ordinary Mystic

It's a fantastic book and was perfect for me at the crossroads that I was facing in my life this book has assisted me and helped me overcome. I highly recommend this book

[Anne Geddert · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would. Thought-provoking, practical, God focused and grounded, and a book I will be re-reading yearly.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent content. The author covers a plethora of topics and has a wealth of experience. I really with he had spent much more time on a few topics rather than skimming over a large number of topics. As it is, this book would be best for new Christians or seekers.