Journal

Tag: Retreats

Grace: God’s Love Language

“Don’t the Bible say we must love everybody?” “O, the Bible! To be sure, it says a great many things; but then, nobody ever thinks of doing them.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin Whether you are a new follower of Jesus, or have been one for many...

The Tangible Love of Christ in Lent

Fifteen years ago my wife Peggy and I had the incredible opportunity of spending two weeks with Dallas Willard and a community of brothers and sisters at the Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, California.  As that week progressed we were given...

My Aslan

Story and Photos by: Dean Luckenbaugh   On a cool, cloudy Monday morning, I finished breakfast with a friend and headed from the DC suburbs to a quiet country retreat for a day set aside to hear from God. Against my will, the radio stayed off and I prayed through...

Into the Wild

The imagery can be as gentle as “a feather on the breath of God” (Hildegard) or as shocking as “immolate me” (Margaret Mary Alacoque), but the essence is the same. This is where the Christian life will ultimately lead if we want it and are willing to go there.   This...

Living in the Kingdom of God

One of the questions I’ve been considering lately is, what does it mean to live in the kingdom of God? As I’ve talked with God about this, he continues to lead me back to the image of the garden. From the beginning of the Bible to the very end, the garden...

Getting in Shape for the Fall!

So I’ve picked up exercising again.  It’s been awhile, it’s overdue, and I pretty much feel like this guy when I’m done with a still-pretty-short jog or bike ride.  Along with that, I’ve been paying attention to what I put in my mouth, in the attempt to lose some...

The Trouble with Silence

In kindergarten music class, I remember my teacher running an experiment with us.  She had us sit in silence for a full minute. No talking, no moving. Then immediately after she gave us another full minute where we could talk or be silly. Guess which minute seemed...

Tend to your Soul

Last week I had the privilege of being one of the spiritual directors for the Sojourners Summit, their annual gathering in DC of leaders from around the country and the world who are working to bring more of God’s kingdom to this country and this world. Among many...

God Sightings at Corhaven

 It wasn’t too long after Bill and Tara Haley moved to Corhaven in the Shenandoah Valley and began hosting spiritual retreats that they realized that when you create the space for God to show up, he shows up!  It makes sense.  When one of his beloved sons or daughters...
Loving the Body God Gave You

Loving the Body God Gave You

Join us on April 16th for a retreat led by Margot Eyring, Spiritual Director with Coracle, and Faith Evans, a pastor in Harrisonburg, VA.  See the details about the retreat and more information about the leaders in the flyer below and click anywhere on it for a link...

Deepening Prayer Retreat – April 2

The word “contemplative” can seem incongruous in our lightning-fast world, sounding painstakingly slow, or even archaic. For many, life is about results, and the results that count are tangible, quantifiable ones. Prayer doesn’t always produce those,...

Take, Eat, Be : Living the Eucharist

Mother Teresa said once “If I can give you any advice, I beg you to get closer to the Eucharist.” JRR Tolkien wrote in a letter to his son Christopher, “Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the...

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,...