Journal

Category: Contemplative Life

Waiting on the Lord

Waiting on the Lord

(to be read slowly, with much silence between the thoughts)   In John 21:3 Simon Peter said, “I am going fishing.” They said, “We’ll go with you.” Although they fished all night, they caught nothing. After being directed by Jesus,...
What Our Bibles Say About Us

What Our Bibles Say About Us

Jolts of inspiration don’t arrive in the mail every day. But a while ago, my uncle called. He told me that in cleaning out his basement, he’d come across my great-grandmother’s Bible. He’d be happy to pass it on to me. Nanny — as we affectionately knew her — fled...
The Importance of Retreat

The Importance of Retreat

What is retreat, and why do we do it?  Retreat is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, study, or instruction under a director.”  A Christian retreat is often referred to as a definite time spent away from...

“Where Do We Go From Here”

Soren Johnson is one of Coracle’s board members, and recently he gave this address to over 800 (mostly) Catholic men on retreat in Herndon, VA.  His words apply to all men who long to follow God while living in these times.  “Where do we go from here?” Annual...

Communion

At this point in a conference like this on justice, it’s already overwhelming.  It’s quick and easy to feel like there’s so much to do, and so much I’m not doing, even when I’m already trying to do as much as I know to do.  What to do with these longings, these...

Christ, the load-bearing wall

Soren Johnson is on the board of Coracle, and in this short blog, he truthfully hits on the structure of a family. Soren shares how his ‘house’ is made, and nudges us to be mindful of what matters.  This entry was originally posted here, or you can...

A Report on a Retreat

So what goes on at a retreat at Corhaven? Christine Lee Buchholz tells us in a great article for The Washington Institute. Better than that though, she invites us to experience the richness of silence, which is not the absence of noise, but rather space for God.  You...
Thanksgiving: Another Way of Living

Thanksgiving: Another Way of Living

Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorite holidays because it is not over-saturated with commercialism (like most other holidays) and it seems like a day set aside for pure family time. I use this holiday to count my blessings, and reflect on the way I live. On a...

Let Your Heart Speak

By: Chrissy Koach I’ve been watching a lot of tv lately.  My favorite chore is laundry because I can justify watching another episode.  🙂 Last week, I finished Herman Wouk’s Winds of War.  While the acting was really bad, the storytelling was fantastic. ...

Web Resources for Spiritual Formation

Can the web help us grow spiritually? Yes!  It is true, of course, that in any number of ways websites and blogs can quickly and easily de-form us spiritually, but there are some wonderful sites and web resources that can help “form Christ in us”, the essence of...

Braving the Formidable Quiet

Right at the end of last year, the New York Times published an opinion article entitled “The Joy of Quiet”, by the well-known author Pico Iyer.  He reflected on one of the deep ironies of our 3G, wi-fi, smart-phone, text-messaging, uber-connected age.   The irony is...
What is a ‘Coracle’?

What is a ‘Coracle’?

“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.” John O’Donohue Among the many stories of the adventures of the old Celtic Christian pilgrims is this one, from the 9th century.  Landing on an English beach in a boat made of...