by Coracle | Dec 8, 2022 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
In this “Space for God: Advent,” Susan Ward guides us through a time combining the practices of lectio divina and visio divina to draw us into the story of the Annunciation to Mary in Luke 1. Through repeated scripture readings accompanied by beautiful...
by Coracle | Dec 1, 2022 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
In this “Space for God,” Debra Donnelly-Barton (Coracle Spiritual Director) guides us through the Ignatian Spiritual Exercise of Imaginative Gospel Reading. She helps us encounter with all of our senses the story of Jesus with Mary and Martha from Luke 10 as a way...
by Coracle | Dec 21, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
In this “Space for God: Advent,” Rev. Skip Ryan draws us into the life-changing, creation-blessing mystery of the Incarnation. He highlights the unique and even scandalous claim that God became flesh in Jesus and shows how that reality invites us...
by Ken Wettig | Dec 21, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
“It was not a silent night.” I still remember the moment I first heard those words. I was at a fundraising concert for a local non-profit and a young female singer-songwriter with a voice like glass opened her set with those words from Andrew Peterson’s song “Labor...
by Bill Haley | Dec 15, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
In this “Space for God: Advent,” Bill Haley (Coracle Executive Director) guides us through an encounter with the beauty of Advent music. Specifically, he focuses our attention on the expressive power and range of the cello as we journey through familiar...
by Danny Nasry | Dec 14, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
“Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” –Simone Weil I’ve been sitting with the above quotation in this Advent season. “Waiting patiently in expectation.” It’s so simple and accessible, and yet what could be more difficult...
by Coracle | Dec 9, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
In this “Space for God: BIBLE” study, Dr. Vincent Bacote (Professor and Director of the Center for Applied Christian Ethics at Wheaton College) invites us into a close look at Hebrews 1 during the Advent season. Dr. Bacote unpacks how this chapter exalts...
by Scott Buresh | Dec 7, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
I carry many magical childhood memories of anticipating Christmas. As I’ve grown older, married, had children of my own, and now grandchildren, my wonder has only increased. I resonate with Mary’s pondering what is impossible for her to comprehend, that she would be...
by Coracle | Dec 2, 2021 | Contemplative Life
This special Advent offering features music, reflections, and storytelling from Seth Crissman of The Walking Roots Band. He sets Scripture to music, repurposes old hymns, and shares some of his own compositions from The Soil and The Seed Project in this sweet time of...
by Danny Nasry | Dec 2, 2021 | Contemplative Life
In this “Space for God: Advent” reflection, Danny Nasry (Coracle Community Minister) guides us through the spiritual practice of “Welcoming Prayer” with an angle towards the highs and lows that can accompany the Advent season. Whatever...
by Danny Nasry | Nov 26, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.—Zephaniah 3:17“We must understand that God does not ‘love’ us without...
by Coracle | Jan 5, 2021 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
by Bill Simmons, President & CEO of American Leprosy Missions What is that nagging feeling I have? Why do I feel a heaviness in my heart? Something is clawing at my mind, clouding my eyes, preventing me from seeing the road ahead. As this year draws to a close,...
by Ken Wettig | Dec 24, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
Most Christians in America have experienced some variation of the following scene during a recent Christmas Eve. You just left a Christmas Eve service, having sung “O Holy Night” with all of your might, tears streaming down your face astounded by the...
by Coracle | Dec 21, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
In this Advent Offering– recorded on December 17, 2020– Bill Haley guides us through a worshipful experience of Advent and Christmas carols new and old, to help us encounter anew the gift of Christ’s birth and to whet our appetites for His second Advent. If...
by Bill Haley | Dec 17, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
It’s not a question of “If?” but rather “When?” and “Where?” Is it going to be in Safeway, or the Starbucks, or while wandering the hall of some shopping mall, past pilgrims lugging their gifts of Godiva, fragrances, and merino wool? It’ll probably happen after the...
by Coracle | Dec 11, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
On Dec 9th, Drew Masterson (Coracle Dir. of Communications & Development) and Rick Mastroianni (Coracle Spiritual Director) discussed the role of the imagination and creativity in the Christian life. They share Rick’s poem “Joseph Speaks” as an...
by Drew Masterson | Dec 2, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
The Advent Season presents us with the invitation to slow down, to shear away the clutter and noise of our lives enough to dwell on some of the richest themes in human existence. We can observe how these themes play out in the grand drama of Scripture, as well as in...
by Drew Masterson | Nov 16, 2020 | Coracle News
The challenge is to wait well. Over the past nine months, we have grown familiar with (and probably quite tired of) longing, hoping, and anticipating a promised restoration of life, peace, and community that remains on the unreachable horizon. As we relinquish...
by Kate Harris | Dec 20, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son.” Luke 2:6 (NIV) In an unknown town, a week’s distance from the womanly wisdom of mother, sisters, aunts, it began. Plodding heavily beside...
by Rick Mastroianni | Dec 16, 2019 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
She insisted on seeing me face-to-face, unveiled, defying all custom for the betrothed to remain apart until the wedding feast. I watched her eyes rain when she saw doubt and pain in mine. They said it was a good match: me from David’s royal line, she connected to...
