Fully Alive in God

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Psalm 104:25-35, 37 ; Acts 2:1-21 ;   John 7:37-39 ) “ Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.” Days like Pentecost Sunday are really good for the heart during a pandemic. Because they remind us that we are not alone doing this. That we have the Holy Spirit with us, accompanying us and urging us toward success and thriving. Toward healing and wholeness. On Thursday the clergy of the diocese of Los Angeles heard from a representative of Episcopal Relief and Development, Lura Steele. She told us of the life cycle of a disaster. A disaster begins with a dip and a scare, and then we see people respond (hopefully) heroically, and we feel community cohesion. And then we gradually sink lower as the reality sets in that there is a lot of work to do (and frankly staying at home is less of a novelty after a ...

(My Lord Jesus, Jesus Mafa) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Acts 1:6–14; Psalm 68:1–10, 33–36; St John 17:1–11) “I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one (John 17:9-11).” These words of Jesus seem so sweet here, so full of love for the disciples and all his beloved followers. And they make me think of the personal relationship Jesus has with each of us.   At the moment of anointing during baptism, we proclaim the baptized “marked as Christ’s own forever” and we welcome them into the family of God. The disciples would have definitely felt like family with Jesus, having left homes and employment to follow hi...

("Mi  Señor  Jesus", Jesus Mafa) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Hechos 1:6–14; Salmo 68:1–10, 33–36 LOC; San Juan 17:1–11) »Yo te ruego por ellos; no ruego por los que son del mundo, sino por los que me diste, porque son tuyos. Todo lo que es mío es tuyo, y lo que es tuyo es mío; y mi gloria se hace visible en ellos. »Yo no voy a seguir en el mundo, pero ellos sí van a seguir en el mundo, mientras que yo me voy para estar contigo. Padre santo, cuídalos con el poder de tu nombre, el nombre que me has dado, para que estén completamente unidos, como tú y yo.»     (Juan 17:9-11) Las palabras de Jesús son tan dulces aquí, tan llenos de amor para los discípulos y para todos sus amados seguidores. Me hacen pensar en la relación personal que Jesús tiene con cada uno de nosotros. En el bautismo, cuando se unge a la persona bautizada, decimos que esta persona esta “marcada como propiedad de Cristo para siempre” y los invitamos a la familia de Dios....

M. Campbell-Langdell All Saints, Oxnard (Ps. 66:7-18; 1 Peter 3:13-22; St. John 14:15-21) ”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you.” In addition to more edifying content, almost everyone I know has been finding some brain candy for this quarantine time. For Genesis, this means playing Fortnite with friends, and for Alene and me, that has meant watching the show “Merlin” from the mid to late 2000s. We have enjoyed the portrayal of the young magician as he grows into a man and builds a working relationship with Prince Arthur, who becomes a young King Arthur. Although Merlin is often the humble, quiet foil to Arthur’s brazen, arrogant warrior personality, time and time again in the series we begin to see why Arthur is so well respected in myth. Because time and again he will not abandon his people –be it a single knight or even his servant Merlin. Although he seems to think he is a different level of person as royalty (as is fitting with ancient concepts of the anoin...

M. Campbell-Langdell Todos los Santos, Oxnard (S. 66:7-18; 1 San Pedro 3:13-22; San Juan 14:15-21) “No los voy a dejar huérfanos; volveré para estar con ustedes.” En adición a leer libros más académicos, casi todos hemos encontrado una diversión para pasar este tiempo de cuarentena. Para Génesis, es jugar Fortnite con amigos. Y para Alene y yo esto ha sido mirar el programa televisor “Merlin” de los 2000s. Hemos disfrutado ver el joven mago mientras él se convierte en un hombre y establece una relación de amistad con el joven príncipe y luego rey Arthur. Aunque Merlin parece muy humilde y Arthur parece muy arrogante, muchas veces se ve la razón por que la gente empieza a amar a Arthur. Porque una y otra vez, él se meta a sí mismo en peligro para salvar a su gente. Aunque el piensa mucho de sí mismo, también cree en la igualdad y el respeto mutuo. Cuando Obispo Primado Curry habl ó con la conferencia Nuevo Amanecer esta semana en línea, el sugiri ó que él piensa que el ...

(St. Stephen's, Jerusalem) M. Campbell-Langdell All Saints, Oxnard (Acts 7:55–60; Psalm 31:1–5, 15–16; St John 14:1–14) I remember the moment Alene and I walked into the shadowy space under St. Stephen’s church and monastery in Jerusalem, just outside the old city gates and across the way. The animated caretakers had pointed us there. We thought they were shooing us away from the church with its exquisite icons. But no, they were sending us down the short path to the place where Stephen died. And there it was: a rocky ground with what almost looked like a blood stain. But no, it had to have been water, and all round the walls, icons of Stephen and his sacrifice. And up in the sky, Jesus beholding Stephen as he gave his life. It seems strange, this pair of passages today – that is – the gospel reading and the reading from the Acts of the Apostles. Jesus appears to comfort his disciples and Stephen loses his life. What to make of the contrast? But I think between them ...

(St. Stephen's, Jerusalem) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Hechos 7:55–60; Salmo 31:1–5, 15–16; San Juan 14:1–14) Yo recuerdo el momento cuando Alene y yo entramos el espacio oscuro debajo de la iglesia y monasterio ortodoxo de San Esteban en Jerusalén, justo afuera de las viejas puertas de la ciudad y cruzando la calle. Los cuidadores animados del lugar nos habían dirigido allí. Pensábamos que ellos nos querían botar de la iglesia, con sus suntuosos í conos. Pero no fue así. Ellos nos habían mandado por un pequeño camino hasta el lugar donde San Esteban murió. Y allí estaba: un terreno lleno de piedras con lo que casi pareció una mancha de sangre. Pero tenía que ser una mancha de agua. Pero todos los muros estaban llenos de iconos del sacrificio de San Esteban. Y en el cielo, se vio a Jesús mirando a Esteban mientras que se ofreció a su vida. Parece raro, la combinación de pasajes hoy- es decir, la lectura del evangelio de San Juan y la lectura de los Hech...

(Trinity by Rublev) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Acts 2:42–47; Psalm 23; St. John 10:1–10) “Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people (Acts 2:46-47a).”  As I read this passages this week, I was struck by the impact of the changes that must have been happening in the early church as the believers were living out their new faith and how that must have changed everything for them. They gained so much as they lived in community but they also lost things – those who chose to share wealth literally lost some of their wealth in order to be wealthy in other ways. And those who chose to be Christians at odds with family wishes may have broken relationships. These new believers were not necessarily all poor. They were likely from different backgrounds and while they found the same salvation in Jesus I am sure their e...

(Trinidad por Rublev) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Hechos 2:42–47; Salmo 23; San Juan 10:1–10) “Todos los días se reunían en el templo, y en las casas partían el pan y comían juntos con alegría y sencillez de corazón (Hechos 2:46).” Leyendo los pasajes esta semana, me sorprendí por el impacto de los cambios que debe haber pasando mientras que los feligreses vivían su nueva fe y como todo estaba cambiando para ellos. Ganaron tanto mientras vivían en comunidad pero también perdieron otras cosas. Los que tenían riquezas para compartir literalmente perdieron finanzas para ganar otro tipo de riqueza espiritual y comunitaria. Y los que decidieron ser cristianos en contra de los deseos de sus familias perdieron relaciones con sus familiares. Estos nuevos creyentes no necesariamente fueron pobres. Ellos probablemente fueron de diferentes trasfondos socioeconómicos y mientras todos encontraron salvación en Jesús sus experiencias de este tiempo probablemente fueron...