Fully Alive in God

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (Jruchi Gospels II MSS, Georgia, 12th cent.) (commons.wikimedia.org) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Exodus 17:1-7, Ps. 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:4-42) It is high noon in the dusty city of Sychar, and the man is plum tuckered out from walking the righteous road. He rests against a well that Jacob built, one of the ancestors, long ago. God’s son leans on a well built by the sturdy hands of God’s faithful people. It is, as I said, noon, the time of highest illumination, and though his body is weary this God-man radiates internal light and understanding. He stretches and sighs, and… look! Over the horizon, a woman, traipsing down the path on an errand, an errand to meet Jesus. Only maybe she doesn’t know it yet. She has been called a seer by her people, able to discern and tell the truth, but she never knew what her life was meant for until this moment. So, you may say, “Is that all you’re getting at? The old man meets woman at the w...

Jesus y la mujer samaritana (Evangelios Jruchi II MSS, Georgia, 12th cent.) (commons.wikimedia.org) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Éxodo 17:1-7, S. 95, Romanos 5:1-11, Juan 4:4-42) Es ahora mediodía en la ciudad de Sicar, y el hombre es bien cansado de caminar el camino largo de los justos. Él se suporta en del pozo de Jacob, hecho por los ancianos hace tantos, tantos años. El hijo de Dios se apoya en un pozo hecho por las manos firmes de la gente fiel de Dios. Es, como dije, mediodía, “high noon,” el tiempo de mayor iluminación, y aunque su cuerpo está agotado, su mente está claro con una profunda luz interna. Él se estira y suspira.  Y, ¡hallo! Por el horizonte viene una mujer. Ella vaga por el camino en un mandado, un mandado de conocer a Jesús. Aunque posiblemente no lo conoce todavía. Ella ha sido llamada una vidente por su gente, con la habilidad de discernir y decir la verdad,  pero hasta este momento, ella nunca entendió el propósito para s...

blog.beafranciscan.org M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Gen. 2:15–17; 3:1–7, Ps. 32, Rom. 5:12–19, Mat. 4:1–11) Then I acknowledged my sin to you, * and did not conceal my guilt (Ps. 32:5). A couple of weeks ago the youth group was playing a game called the “blame game. We each had our workbooks out, standing in a circle, and we were trying to toss hacky sacks to the left simultaneously without dropping them. Of course, some uncoordinated folk like me inevitably dropped the hacky sacks and at the end Jade, our youth minister, pointed out the times that folks blamed others or if they kept silent, or if they took responsibility for their mistakes. This was a way of talking about the story of Adam and Eve, and particularly what happens after this moment that we visit in the Genesis reading today. We see Adam blame Eve. We see Eve blame the serpent. The blame game is actively in play.  And in this moment we also see one of the first moments that humans drew away...

blog.beafranciscan.org M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Gén. 2:15–17; 3:1–7, S. 32, Rom. 5:12–19, Mat. 4:1–11) Mi pecado entonces te declaré, *              y no encubrí mi culpa. (S. 32:5) Hace un par de semanas nuestros jóvenes estaban reuniendo y ellos estaban jugando algo que se llamaba el “blame game.” Cada uno de nosotros tuvimos nuestros libros y un hacky sack y estábamos tratando de simultáneamente mover el hacky sack sin dejarlo caer. Por supuesto, casi todos dejaron caer el hacky sack en algún momento. Y después Jade dijo—mira—alguien estaba culpando a otra persona, o tú no estabas culpando a los demás etc. The youth will remember that a couple of weeks back you played the blame game while talking about the story of Adam and Eve, and how we need to be careful of pointing the finger at others. Esto fue una manera de hablar sobre la historia de Adán y Eva, y especialmente sobre la parte que si...