Journal

Category: Contemplative Life

Remembering Bill Scherer

On December 31, 2013, Bill Scherer, father to Tara and father-in-law to me, entered the larger Life.  He was a founding board member of Coracle, and instrumental in enabling Corhaven to come into reality, among so many other things.  Below is the homily that I...

God Came

This Advent season, when I pause to reflect on the meaning of it and prepare for that feast day and celebration that is Christmas, my heart is filled with gratitude.   It may seem rather simple to say, but I’m really grateful that God came. God came. It’s that simple,...

What leads you to wonder?

My first invitation to wonder about Jesus’ coming came when I was a boy, stealing away to my childhood living room and sitting alone among all the bright trimmings of the season. Without really knowing it was happening, the mystery of the season seeped into my soul....

The Gift of Contemplation

On my journey with Christ I have considered myself many things:  a redeemed, rescued, forgiven, beloved child of God; Jesus’s friend; Jesus’s co-laborer in the world; God’s handiwork created in His image.  But rarely have I identified with being a “contemplative,” one...

Maintaining a Margin of Faith

Margin. That’s what I like to call it. A margin of faith. For me, one of the great challenges and opportunities we have in following Jesus is in maintaining a margin of faith in our lives. Where in our lives are we required to exercise faith? Where in our lives are we...

On November the 9th

REGARDLESS of the outcome of the election, I expected this to be a day of mentally disciplining myself to focus on King Jesus, joyfully focusing on the Kingdom of God that is here, near, and coming, celebrating that the Christian’s (and my) primary citizenship...

My Aslan

Story and Photos by: Dean Luckenbaugh   On a cool, cloudy Monday morning, I finished breakfast with a friend and headed from the DC suburbs to a quiet country retreat for a day set aside to hear from God. Against my will, the radio stayed off and I prayed through...

Birth of a Nation: A Review

Coracle recently made its first foray into Coracle: Culture, and a group of us gathered to watch the much-talked-about film, Birth of a Nation.  The film has drawn less attention for its content  and Sundance Festival accolades than for the director and star Nate...

Into the Wild

The imagery can be as gentle as “a feather on the breath of God” (Hildegard) or as shocking as “immolate me” (Margaret Mary Alacoque), but the essence is the same. This is where the Christian life will ultimately lead if we want it and are willing to go there.   This...

Living in the Kingdom of God

One of the questions I’ve been considering lately is, what does it mean to live in the kingdom of God? As I’ve talked with God about this, he continues to lead me back to the image of the garden. From the beginning of the Bible to the very end, the garden...

Transcendence

TRANSCENDENCE.  That’s what these live performances are for me.  They take me to a different place, lift me up from the low places, take me again to the High Place of God’s presence, and Glory, and Truth.  They feed my spirit, nourish my convictions, keep me wanting...