by Bill Haley | Nov 19, 2013 | For the World
“They tried to put me in solitary confinement but that is actually impossible as God is everywhere.” James Mawdsley What would you go to jail for in Burma? Burma itself, in the case of James Mawdsley. Mawdsley is a Brit who, in the late 1990s, got...
by Wade Ballou | Nov 3, 2013 | Contemplative Life
Several weeks ago we celebrated with our son Daniel his marriage to Brittany and I was able to share the following blessing: Daniel, you have our blessing to leave our home and to make a new home with Brittany and to take with you the best that we could give you....
by Gabriel Dodd | Oct 17, 2013 | Justice and Mercy
“No more hurting people. Peace.” These are the words of 8-year-old Martin Richard, of Dorchester, Massachusets. They are from a poster he created in school, after the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. When Martin Richard was killed in the bomb blast at...
by Coracle | Sep 25, 2013 | Contemplative Life
Recently a man in his mid-30s (professional, deep Christian, father of four young children) came out to Corhaven from Arlington for a retreat, and met God. He was kind enough to put it into words. He had an experience that was uniquely his, but one that I’ve heard...
by Wade Ballou | May 9, 2013 | Contemplative Life
(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,...
by Bill Haley | Apr 25, 2013 | Contemplative Life, Vocation
Recently with World Relief in Philadelphia, mention was made in a room of about a hundred people that I had met (very briefly) Mother Teresa some years ago. A few minutes later, a man found me across the crowded room, because he wanted to share his own experience. ...
by Gabriel Dodd | Mar 21, 2013 | Contemplative Life
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...
by Soren Johnson | Mar 6, 2013 | Church Unity, Contemplative Life
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...
by Bill Haley | Feb 23, 2013 | Justice and Mercy
The long, tedious work of love in the ordinary is what the work of justice most needs. So said another old friend, Gary Haugen, who spoke this morning. His talk opened by reflecting on the problem that remains: 27 million people in slavery…more than New York,...
by Bill Haley | Feb 14, 2013 | Liturgical Seasons
I love Lent…I love Lent. It’s like a long, hot shower for the soul, spring cleaning for our spirits. There’s such value in observing the church year, such pastoral help. Lent helps us come clean through self-examination, confession, repentance, and amendment...
by Bill Haley | Jan 3, 2013 | Contemplative Life, Liturgical Seasons
I’ve often mentioned that I’ve come to discover the deepest truths about life, God, and the spiritual life from the lives and insights of those who have suffered much, and those who have chosen the religious, viz the monastic, life. Perhaps one could add to those...
by Bill Haley | Nov 21, 2012 | Contemplative Life
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...
by Coracle | Oct 18, 2012 | Contemplative Life
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. ...
by Bill Haley | Oct 5, 2012 | For the World, Justice and Mercy
In the northeast corner of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), The Bishop of the diocese of Aru was the first to say what we’ve heard several times since in the last two days since we arrived, “When you visit us, we know we are in your hearts, when you visit Congo...
by Bill Haley | Sep 27, 2012 | For the World
Congo, South Sudan, and Rwanda…in 10 days. Why there, why this trip, what are you doing, how can we pray? These are all the right questions, and Canon Nancy Norton of the Anglican Relief and Development Fund (ARDF) answers the first three very well: “On...
by Bill Haley | Sep 21, 2012 | Contemplative Life
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...
by Bill Haley | Sep 21, 2012 | Contemplative Life
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...
