Fully Alive in God

 I went on a morning walk, before it gets hot here on Maui, and my goal was to enter a meditative state. Not to walk quickly, but in tune with the earth. I smelled the scent of flowers in the air and greeted those who walked past. Many were in a hurry, rushing to get their morning workout in. But I went slow. I prayed for the many workers already out helping this place be paradise for others. As I walked, I held a Hau Flower, a symbol of impermanence. In the morning it is bright yellow but when it falls off the plant at day's end it is a deep orange, like the one I held. All this beauty is passing. Let us give thanks to God for it. Many folks on my same path were headed to a resort. I was not. I was headed to a burial ground. I go there just about every trip because this is a way of connecting with old Hawaii, and of giving thanks for those who have gone before. When I was very young they were building this hotel and the workers gave a luau. I was invited up to the party. My mo...

Sabbatical Journal 2 Expect Adversity on the Pilgrim Path Alene and I have been on pilgrimage before. Several years ago we walked about 100km of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela in Spain. And we see this sabbatical time as a pilgrimage too. On pilgrimage you must expect adversity. We began our sabbatical time with a lovely visit with family and friends in the Bay Area. It was a truly blessed time, with a dinner with family on Saturday followed by church on Sunday morning and a chance to see two of our seminary professors and visit with friends. On Sunday night we went to our daughter G's friend's house for a dinner graciously hosted by her friend's family. It was a well-lit street and we thought we had brought all of our valuables into the house with the exception of G's case which was in the trunk as she was going to stay over. Not having seen this friend in months, she ran out of the car and into the house, not realizing she left her small backpack visible ...

Alene y yo hemos estado de peregrinaje antes. Hace varios a ñ os caminamos alrededor de 100 km del Camino de Santiago de Compostela. Y veremos este tiempo sab á tico como un peregrinaje también. Y en tiempos de peregrinaje uno tiene que anticipar la adversidad. Empezamos este tiempo de una manera muy linda, con una visita con familiares y amigos en la área de la bah í a. Tuvimos una cena con familiares el s á bado y luego el domingo fuimos a una misa donde vimos a dos profesores de nuestro tiempo en seminario. Luego visitamos con unos amigos. Y el domingo por la noche fuimos a cenar con la familia de una amiga de nuestra hija G. Fue una calle bien iluminada y estacionamos cerca de la casa, pensando que llevamos a todo adentro con la excepci ó n de su maleta de G que estaba en la parte atrás del auto. G estaba tan emocionada que corri ó adentro de la casa sin darse cuenta de que dej ó a su peque ñ a mochila adentro. Comimos nuestra cena y disfrutamos y finalmente fue tiempo de sa...

How do you prepare for a journey?  For me, I have been spending this week researching, finalizing bookings for our summer adventures, connecting with family and preparing in many other ways. Here are some fun ways I have been preparing: 1. I have created a "bullet journal" for my sabbatical time. (For more info:  https://doodadshunter.com/blogs/blog/bullet-journal-setup .)  This can be a very labor-intensive process but for me this has allowed me to creatively "design" my time. What will be my areas of focus as I have this gift of time to travel? Shedding my huge planner, I am down-sizing to a traveler's version and making art as I go. 2. I am spending time in gratitude for the congregation, All Santos Oxnard, who have helped me set aside this time with careful planning and helped fund it. I am so grateful for almost eight years of ministry together and the chance to save up continuing education funds to have a true adventure this summer.  3....

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Hechos 2:1–21; Salmo 104:25–35, 37 loc; Romanos 8:14–17; San Juan 14:8–17, (25–27)) »Les estoy diciendo todo esto mientras estoy con ustedes; pero el Defensor, el Espíritu Santo que el Padre va a enviar en mi nombre, les enseñará todas las cosas y les recordará todo lo que yo les he dicho. »Les dejo la paz. Les doy mi paz, pero no se la doy como la dan los que son del mundo. No se angustien ni tengan miedo.(San Juan 14:25-27) "I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid (John 14:25-27).” En nuestro grupo de miércoles, recién completamos nuestra lectura del libro de los Hechos de los Apóstoles, el libro de que l...

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Acts 16:16-34 ; Ps. 97; Revelation 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 ; John 17:20-26 ) Genesis finished school this week, so I took the opportunity at her last school bus drop-off at the marina to take a very brief run. I ran around and saw the calm waters and a couple of gulls and just enjoyed the morning near the water. One driveway I passed had a car and its license plate said “Thx Jim” and I thought that was interesting. Did Jim buy the owner the car? Or was Jim the person who allowed the owner to buy the car by helping him earn the money to buy the car, or perhaps even the nice house on the marina? And then, in my corny way, I thought, why not “Thx God?” perhaps the license plate was taken. Because isn’t it true that every blessing comes down from our God? In my experience, those who have “worked hard” for what they have attained lose track of that pretty quickly. Today’s gospel is a beautiful and poignant one. Here we meet not the resurrec...

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Hechos 16:16-34 ; S. 97; Revelacion 22:12-14,16-17,20-21 ; Juan 17:20-26 ) Su a ñ o escolar de Génesis acab ó esta semana, así que aproveché la oportunidad en su última entrega de autobús escolar a correr muy brevemente en la marina. Corrí y vi las tranquilas aguas y un par de gaviotas y solo disfrut é de la mañana cerca del agua. Pas é un coche y su matrícula dijo "Thx Jim" o “Gracias Jim” y pensé que era interesante. ¿Jim compr ó al propietario el coche? ¿O fue Jim quien ayudó el propietario comprar el coche por ayudarlo a ganar el dinero para comprar el coche, o incluso la casa en la marina? Y entonces, en mi manera cursi, pensé, ¿por qué no "Thx Dios?" - tal vez la placa fue tomada. ¿Porque no es verdad que toda bendición viene de nuestro Dios? En mi experiencia, aquellos que han "trabajado arduamente" por lo que han logrado pierdan la pista de eso muy rápidamente. El evangelio de hoy es hermo...