Fully Alive in God

(appropriation earlier in blog) M. Campbell-Langdell All Saints, Oxnard ( Hosea 11:1–11; Ps. 107:1–9, 43; Col. 3:1–11; Luke 12:13–21) [The rich man said:] “’I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, `Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, `You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God ( Luke 12:18b-21)." For a moment, in the heat of the summer, don’t you sort of relate to this man? He has worked hard, and stored a bunch of grain, and so he wants to relax. To live the good life. In these warm days, we sometimes want to take some time to rest and just enjoy this Southern California life, too. And in a way there is nothing wrong with a bit of rest. But let us l...

(appropriacion mas temprano en el blog) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Oseas 11:1–11; Salmo 107:1–9, 43; Colosenses 3:1–11; San Lucas 12:13–21) “Con lazos de ternura, con cuerdas de amor, los atraje hacia mí; los acerqué a mis mejillas como si fueran niños de pecho; me incliné a ellos para darles de comer, pero ellos no quisieron volverse a mí” (Oseas 11:4-5ª). Este pasaje en Oseas que habla de cómo Dios es un padre a nosotros es tan tierno. Y un poco triste porque habla de cómo a veces nos alejamos de Dios. Habla de cómo Efraín, quien simboliza al pueblo de Israel, o la gente de Dios, es como un niño a Dios. [1] Dios lo ha mostrado como caminar. Como madre lo ha acercado a sus mejillas. This sweet statement from Hosea talks about how God is like a father or a mother to us. Pues yo creo que en esta época queremos escuchar la voz de un Dios que nos quiere como un niño. Yo anhelo escuchar la voz de Dios. Pienso en una canción de Marcos Vidal, algunos lo conoc...

(image from: http://storiesoftheking.typepad.com/ thewatchmanscall/2011/08/a-basket-of-summer-fruit.html) M. Campbell-Langdell+ All Santos, Oxnard ( Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42 ) The lushness of a basket of summer fruit, all the full heady promise of summer’s delights. All of a sudden, this image is replaced by the bodies of the fallen. It is rather jarring to have this scripture from Amos this week in the lectionary, a series of pre-set readings for several churches including ours, in light of the jarring events in Nice this Thursday. Bastille Day, what many refer to as France’s July 4 th , is a gathering with fireworks and a celebration of freedom, democracy or equality and fraternity. In the fullness of summer, people gather to delight in the fruits of the season and in their country. So to have that moment violated by such a heinous act is almost unimaginably jarring. Like summer fruit representing the end. Because the Hebrew word fo...

(image from: http://storiesoftheking.typepad.com/ thewatchmanscall/2011/08/a-basket-of-summer-fruit.html) M. Campbell-Langdell+ All Santos, Oxnard ( Amos 8:1-12; S 52; Colosenses 1:15-28; Lucas 10:38-42 ) La lozanía de una cesta de fruta madura, sus colores y sabores llenos de los deleites del verano. Y de repente cambia la imagen, y vemos a los cuerpos de los caídos. En verdad es algo chocante tener esta escritura en el leccionario fijo que tenemos este domingo, en luz de los eventos en Niza, Francia este jueves pasado. El Día de la Bastilla es como el Día de Independencia de Francia, y muchas veces se celebra con fuegos artificiales y una celebración de la libertad, la igualdad, y la fraternidad. In the fullness of summer, people gather to delight in the fruits of the season and in their country. En pleno verano, la gente se acerca uno al otro en lugares públicos para celebrar los frutos de la estación y de su país. Así que tener una violación tan violenta así de...

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/ wp/2016/06/16/physics-test-suggests-cafe-cats-understand- gravity-japanese-researchers-say/) M. Campbell-Langdell+ St. Stephen’s, Sebastopol Wilbur’s Baptism on July 10, 2016 (Proper 10C: Amos 7:7-17; Ps. 82; Col 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37) “This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, ‘See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel’ (Amos 7:7-8).” What exactly is a plumb line? Looking it up, I found that according to Merriam-Webster, it is a line with a heavy weight on it, which is used for finding the depth of water or determining a vertical on a surface that is upright. But the second definition called to me more: “a line directed to the center of gravity of the earth: a vertical line.” [1] The center of g...

(http://cctv-africa.com/2016/02/22/ despite-the-drought-grape-harvest-is-bountiful-in-south-africa/) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard Proper 9 (C) + 7.3.16 (2 Kings 5:1–14; Ps. 30; Galatians 6:(1–6), 7–16; Luke 10:1–11, 16–20) The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. How true this is today. And it is not easy. We are sent as lambs among wolves. There are forces in this world that simply do not want the truth to out. But we are called to be wise and brave, even in environments in which we feel like the lamb among the wolves. This is not meant to make us feel enmity to our fellow human beings. Note that Jesus says that even as these seventy go out unprepared, they are to proclaim Peace and the Nearness of the Kingdom of God, no matter whether they are accepted or not. It is very interesting here that they go out before Jesus. Jesus, who in the cosmic sense has been with us from the beginning, sometime...

(http://cctv-africa.com/2016/02/22/ despite-the-drought-grape-harvest-is-bountiful-in-south-africa/) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard Propio 9 (C) + 7.3.16 (2 Reyes 5:1–14; S. 30; Galatas 6:(1–6), 7–16; S. Lucas 10:1–11, 16–20) Ciertamente la cosecha es mucha, pero los trabajadores son pocos. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Que verdadero es esto hoy en día. Y no es simple. Estamos mandados, dice Jesús, como corderos en medio de lobos. Hay fuerzas en este mundo que no quieren que salga la verdad de Cristo. Pero nosotros estamos llamados a estar sabios y audaces, aun en situaciones en que sentimos como un cordero en medio de lobos. Y en decir esto Jesús no quiere que tengamos enemistdad con otros seres humanos. Even when we feel like a lamb among wolves we cannot act as if we are enemies with other people. Noten que Jesús dice que aun cuando estos setenta y dos van sin preparación, ellos están llamados a proclamar la paz y la venida del Reino...