by Karla Petty | Jun 4, 2019 | Contemplative Life
In February of 2018, we held a retreat at Corhaven in which Virginia Watson, a then-94 year old woman sat with us for a day and shared some of her wisdom, gained through a lifetime of walking closely with Jesus. On May 24, 2019, she joined Jesus in Heaven. For the...
by Coracle | May 28, 2019 | Contemplative Life
by Kurt Bodling Near the end of John’s Gospel, on the evening of the very first Easter, Jesus said to His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And He breathed on them and said “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John...
by Scott Buresh | Apr 2, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Creation
“Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars! Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens. Let...
by Coracle | Apr 1, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Creation
By Ann Bodling, Coracle Spiritual Director Some time ago, a spiritual director spoke the words to my husband…”Own who you are!” But what to do when we don’t remember very clearly, when forces beyond our control cause us to forget? The little...
by Coracle | Mar 26, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Creation, Vocation
by Carla Mueller, Coracle Associate Last fall, I felt the Lord inviting me into an extended season of rest. 30+ years of performance orientation and a career of fulfilling that drive for achievement working in a Los Angeles public school had left me exhausted. Dry....
by Bill Haley | Mar 22, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Justice and Mercy
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a lot to do! Most people I know really want to make a difference in the world and make it a better place for more people. Many of us struggle to pray more and be with God more deeply as the deepest way we respond to the...
by Wade Ballou | Mar 20, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
Friends, we are well into our season of Lent. I have come to see this season as an invitation by Christ to lean in to be in him and with him in union with the Father, through the strength of the Holy Spirit. The idea of Lent and its practices have developed over many...
by Karla Petty | Mar 13, 2019 | Contemplative Life
Bedtime stories. Epic ballads. Campfire tales. They are the stories that never grow old, that fade in one form only to emerge again arrayed with different adjectives, a different detail or two, but recognizable to anyone. When we were very young, my older brother and...
by Bill Haley | Mar 8, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Creation
I love Lent. Somehow it gives me the opportunity again to honestly own what I deeply know––I am a sinner, and sin. In the words of the confession from the 1559 Book of Common Prayer (see below) which we sometimes still say, “There is no health in us”. Lent reminds...
by Scott Buresh | Mar 6, 2019 | Contemplative Life
By: Scott Buresh, Coracle Spiritual Director Lent is a sweet anticipated season for me. Each year, I remember the image of coming home to the warm embrace of the Prodigal Father, eagerly awaiting my return. Dallas Willard describes repentance, central to the season...
by Bill Haley | Feb 15, 2019 | Contemplative Life
When you arrive, you’ll see a small plaque on our front porch that reads, “Bidden or not bidden, God is present”. God will be present to you here. God has given us this space so that others can find him, and he likes to be found, and he likes to find us! Your retreat...
by Bill Haley | Feb 15, 2019 | Contemplative Life
On the desktop of my computer I keep a document called “Current Quotes”, easily found to be opened quickly (the app Evernote works just as well). It’s for brief thoughts and quotes, from deeply trusted sources that reveal deep truths and that speak to me in the...
by Bill Haley | Feb 7, 2019 | Contemplative Life, For the World
When I was growing up, there was a funny little toy called Stretch Armstrong. Made of soft rubber and dressed only in tiny blue wrestler’s shorts with blond hair painted on, there was really only one thing you could do with him: stretch his arms as far apart as they...
by Bill Haley | Jan 24, 2019 | Contemplative Life
We wrestle with God for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes, we want to wrestle because of what we see “out there”– a culture moving in the wrong direction, the moral failings of trusted leaders, the disunity and strife amongst God’s people, etc. ...
by Bill Haley | Jan 18, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Justice and Mercy
As we approach the national holiday honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, it’s easy (and right) to contemplate his activism and commit to carrying on that legacy of justice for all and especially for those who have the hardest time finding it. It...
by Bill Haley | Jan 4, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Creation, Liturgical Seasons
Almost 10 years ago, we moved from the inner-city of Washington to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. There are at least two things I haven’t gotten used to yet, and hope I never will be. Both are arresting. Both can stop you in your tracks with a sense of awe,...
by Coracle | Dec 26, 2018 | Contemplative Life
By: John Gardner Many people know the story of how Franz Gruber, an organist in Oberndorf, Austria, whose organ was broken, hurriedly composed the melody for “Silent Night” for guitar on Christmas Eve, 1818 – two hundred years ago today. The bicentennial has gone...
by Bill Haley | Dec 14, 2018 | Contemplative Life
Earlier this week Michael Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal acts committed while in service to Donald Trump. Until this week I’ve not given much thought to Michael Cohen and bear him no ill will, but I do think his story warrants attention as a...
by Bill Haley | Dec 5, 2018 | Contemplative Life
“Oh Lord, please light the fire / That once burned bright and clear. Replace the lamp of my first love / That burns with holy fear.” -Keith Green I’m really excited about a new retreat we’re offering at Corhaven on Saturday, February 23. Jesus is so great that...
by Bill Haley | Nov 30, 2018 | Contemplative Life
I’m not a big birthday guy. Most years I’m content to quietly let the day pass without a lot of notice and a simple dinner with loved ones, with some time to reflect and pray in gratitude. But this year I tip over some sort of edge into my 50s, and as I’ve done on...
