by Bill Haley | Feb 5, 2021 | Contemplative Life
“These times are riven with anxiety and uncertainty, given the current global crisis… At first, it sounds completely naive to suggest that now might be time to invoke and awaken beauty. Yet this is exactly [my] claim…” John O’Donohue, 2004“Every good gift and every...
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 Bill Haley | Nov 12, 2020 | Church Unity, Contemplative Life, Justice and Mercy, Vocation
In May 2014, I had the opportunity to preach on this question, and I did something I’d never done before and haven’t done since. I wrote the sermon first as a long essay, writing it as completely as possible so I could get it all out on the page, and unsurprisingly...
by Bill Haley | Oct 29, 2020 | Contemplative Life
If your life is going great right now and all is well and you feel like you’re up for anything and can do most anything, stop reading and file this away for when that season ends and life feels quite a bit more overwhelming, or maybe read on and remember it for later...
by Bill Haley | Oct 1, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Justice and Mercy
[Author’s Note 10/5/20: I was saddened by the news of President Trump’s and the First Lady’s positive coronavirus results, and am praying for their health, safety, and a swift recovery. Let us all be in prayer for these things. This reflection has been...
by Bill Haley | Sep 16, 2020 | Contemplative Life
DOWNLOAD THIS REFLECTION >> And when Jesus got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we...
by Bill Haley | Sep 1, 2020 | Contemplative Life
Several years ago I had occasion to write a spiritual autobiography. I wouldn’t naturally have done that, but the assignment opened up a surprising opportunity to trace God’s fingerprints in my life and led to deep worship then and now. Something I had to do turned...
by Bill Haley | Jun 12, 2020 | Church Unity, Contemplative Life, Justice and Mercy, Peacemaking
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I’m writing to you in the wake of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd and in the context of ongoing protests across the United States and the world calling for racial justice. I’m a Christian, and also...
by Bill Haley | May 15, 2020 | Contemplative Life
Video Transcript Below: St. Paul offers this testimony. He bears this witness: “I have learned in whatever situation to be content. I know how to be brought low and how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and...
by Bill Haley | Apr 23, 2020 | Contemplative Life
The opportunity for a father and son to go fly fishing for a trout is always a good thing, but in this case, it was for so much more. My own dad had died not even five days before, in the season of COVID-19. While his death was not caused by this particular...
by Bill Haley | Mar 18, 2020 | Church Unity, Contemplative Life
This most recent coronavirus is not the first humankind has had to contend with, and it won’t be the last. This pandemic serves as a not-so-subtle reminder that indeed all things are fallen and frail including our bodies, our planet, and our systems and structures. ...
by Bill Haley | Mar 6, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Spiritual Direction
It’s been almost two weeks since the news broke about the founder of L’Arche, Jean Vanier, and it hit many of us very hard, myself very much included. Sadly It’s become a bit ordinary for revelations to come out about the deep misdoings of Christian leaders, but...
by Bill Haley | Feb 14, 2020 | Contemplative Life
It feels a crazy time. For me at the moment, it’s all too easy to be often distracted, perhaps even a bit disoriented. There are always the challenges of work and family, and yet right now there is the particularly disappointing and even depressing state of our...
by Bill Haley | Jan 17, 2020 | Contemplative Life, Justice and Mercy
This coming Sunday is “Sanctity of Human Life Sunday”, or “Pro-Life Sunday”, kicking off a week of events, rallies, and protests (and counter-protests) for Christians and churches around the country and particularly in Washington, DC. I’m grateful for these...
by Bill Haley | Dec 5, 2019 | Church Unity, Liturgical Seasons
I love my parents, they did a great job with us four kids. They didn’t do it perfectly of course (what parent does?), but they loved us as best they knew how, and loved Jesus as best they knew how, and those two things cover a multitude of, well, things I’m sure they...
by Bill Haley | Nov 8, 2019 | Church Unity, For the World, Justice and Mercy, Pilgrimage
Coracle’s first pilgrimage to understand immigration issues and the forces that are driving tens of thousands of people northwards from Central America is now done. We flew from Washington DC to Guatemala, and then on through Mexico to Juarez and then El Paso,...
by Bill Haley | Oct 18, 2019 | Church Unity, Contemplative Life
For a long time my life has been formed and fed by the monastic tradition. It began by reading Henri Nouwen’s Genesee Diary in college, and it was that book that introduced me to monasteries, the Trappists, and spiritual direction. Since that time and over time God...
by Bill Haley | Sep 20, 2019 | Creation
It was surely a surprise 10 years ago when God invited us to move from the inner-city of DC to rural Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. It was unexpected, and unexpectedly good, a grace. It was as if the Lord was saying to us, “Thank you for your heart and service...
by Bill Haley | Aug 30, 2019 | Vocation
Happy Labor Day weekend, friends! Some years ago, I wrote this for the Washington Post, and I hope that in reading it for the first time or re-reading it, you’ll be reminded deeply and again that your work is one of the main ways God does his work in the world. Take...
by Bill Haley | Jul 18, 2019 | Contemplative Life
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of speaking to about 20 college students from The Falls Church Anglican who were back for the summer or getting ready to enter freshman year. I was basically told ‘talk about whatever you’d like,’ so I chose to reflect back...
