Journal

Tag: Church Year/Liturgical Seasons

Advent in a Divided Season

By: Todd Deatherage As 2016 moves to its end, many wish it had all been just an unpleasant dream. Our experiences this year, as in most, teach us that things are not right in the world, not as they should be. An ugly American election season has exposed deep fault...

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...

Waiting for Jesus – First week of Advent

Every year as Advent begins our family takes out its Christmas library – the loosely curated stash of books acquired over many years conveying the Christmas story and spirit in poetry, images, songs, and stories from across centuries and around the world.  At the...

Online Resources We ♥

Check out this list of resources we love and avail yourself of some of them! We have found their help significant in making the word of God, its wisdom, and its application more accessible in our lives.  We hope you will enjoy them too! Printable PDF accessible here,...

Blizzard Preparations and a Celtic Lent

With the storm coming, it’s natural to think about seasonal preparation.  The news is crowded with images of hardware stores sold out of shovels and salt, and empty grocery store shelves where milk and bread used to be. No one wants to be caught in a storm unprepared....

Orienting Towards Advent

Soon, well already actually, you’re going to get slammed with the commercialization that surrounds the Advent and Christmas season.   Very little in the holiday season is going to be calling you to engage the deep meaning of it, the Person, the Baby, the One Who Came,...

He is risen indeed!

Hallelujah! The Lord is risen!  He is risen indeed! With great joy and relief and gladness and hope and thanksgiving we celebrate today the resurrection of our Jesus Christ from the dead!   It changed, and changes everything.   Glory be to you, Lord Christ! “The good...

He Didn’t Have To Do It

These past couple of years I’ve had the chance to go a couple of times to the Holy Land.  Every place where Jesus was has deep meaning.  A couple of places meet me with a special power each time.  One of them is the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem.   It is a place...

A Hymn for Ash Wednesday

“Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliot 1. Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, and that thou bidst me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come. 2. Just as I am, and waiting not to rid my soul of one dark blot, to thee whose...

A Prayer for Epiphany

Dear Jesus, help us to spread your presence everywhere we go. Flood our souls with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly, that our lives may be only a radiance of yours. Shine through us, and be so in us, that every person we come in...

On Mary

Soon on Christmas Day we’ll celebrate the climax of the season of Advent.    Waiting turns into rejoicing! And yet in these last couple of days of Advent, there is still time to be blessed by one who has a special prominence in the Nativity story, Mary, the mother of...

“Mary of Nazareth – The First Disciple”

by Mona Lindeman Mona is a dear friend of Coracle and active at The Falls Church Anglican.   She gave this reflection recently to a women’s Bible Study. Consider Mary of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph the carpenter, the mother of Jesus our Savior.  What do we think when...

Dad’s Christmas ilemma

This blog was originally posted by a Coracle board member, Soren Johnson. “What’s your favorite time of the year?” I asked my 7-year-old son the other day. Without a pause, he nearly shouted, “Christmas Eve.” Fellow dads, listen up. We can read our kids’ excitement in...

A Poem at the Start of Advent

“At the Beginning of Advent”  by Bill Haley Father, now comes Advent again, Our response is to pause, and recall, That you sent Jesus, for us and for the world, Your glory unfurled vulnerably sweet, that we might see who You are, and be your body to this suffering...

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