by Coracle’s Community Ministers

“For, indeed, everything about is marvelous, and wherever a man turns his gaze he sees the Godhead of the Word and is smitten with awe.”
Athanasius of Alexandria

In less than 4 weeks, Advent begins, as does a new Liturgical Year.  Following the lectionary during the Sundays and weeks of Ordinary Time, the season that precedes Advent, takes us through the life of Christ.  The readings help us live the life that Christ lived alongside him.  Then we start the year over again and remember Jesus’s incarnation, fully God and fully man.  There are so many ways to do this, and at Coracle we want to focus this year on the nearness of God in the incarnation – on God meeting us where we’ve been and where we are, to give us a hope and a future.

A few weeks ago we invited you to join us for “Art as Adoration for Advent” on November 28th either online or in-person at Corhaven, for a special evening of music with Seth Crissman of the Walking Roots Band.  We are now excited to tell you about all the other ways you can remember Advent with Coracle this year.

On December 4th we have our 5th annual Advent Retreat in Baltimore.  Through guided reflections on Scripture, art, music, and poetry in a beautiful setting we will reflect on how Jesus, Immanuel, chooses to draw close to each one of us.  We will take time to ponder the various ways Biblical characters experienced His advent and how that speaks to how we may encounter Him too.  Register here!

On December 11th in Northern Virginia, we have a half-day retreat entitled “Picturing (Past), Tasting (Today), Yearning (Yet).”  Come join us for an afternoon of poetry, storytelling, music, and quiet to help us enter into Advent centered in Immanuel, our God who is with us.  We will have times of picturing God becoming small and weak for us 2000 years ago; tasting the reality that Jesus is still with us in the Spirit today;  and yearning yet for more of Jesus, who will come again.  Register here!

On December 12th from 1:30 to 3:30 PM in Washington DC, Rev. Mary Gardner will be leading “Contemplative Encounters with God: Enjoying the Beauty of Art” at the National Gallery of Art.  As part of our “Beauty for Ballast” initiative, this will provide a way for participants to look closely at beautiful works of art in the Advent season and be guided in how to apply contemplative practices like visio divina to art viewing to make it a devotional experience. 
Register here!

Advent is an invitation to remember that God became one of us; to taste and see anew the reality that God is with us and will never leave us; and to remember not only his coming millennia ago, but the reality and awe of his continued presence with us, and to strengthen our hope of when he will come again in glory and with joy.  We hope to see you either in-person or online at one of these upcoming happenings!

On the Journey,
Danny (Northern Virginia)
Ken (Shenandoah Valley)
Scott (Baltimore)
Karla (Program Development)