Fully Alive in God

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Saints, Oxnard (2 Samuel 23:1–7; Ps. 132:1–13, (14–19); Revelation 1:4b–8; St John 18:33–37) Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.” Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.” Anyone remember what Pilate says next? (PAUSE) He says “What is truth?” Because that is the crux of the matter, isn’t it? All throughout the gospels, Jesus uses the language of the people he is with in order to connect with them. With fishermen, he uses the imagery of fishing. With farmers we hear about sowing seeds and yielding a harvest. Jesus uses the language of the world each person inhabits in order to widen their understandin...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (2 Samuel 23:1–7; Salmo 132:1–13, (14–19); Revelación 1:4b–8; San Juan 18:33–37) Jesús le contestó: —Mi reino no es de este mundo. Si lo fuera, tendría gente a mi servicio que pelearía para que yo no fuera entregado a los judíos. Pero mi reino no es de aquí. Le preguntó entonces Pilato: —¿Así que tú eres rey? Jesús le contestó: —Tú lo has dicho: soy rey. Yo nací y vine al mundo para decir lo que es la verdad. Y todos los que pertenecen a la verdad, me escuchan. ¿Algunos recuerden lo que dice Pilato próximo? (PAUSA) El dice “¿Y qué es la verdad?” Y esto es un tema muy importante, ¿no es cierto? A lo largo de los evangelios, Jesús usa el lenguaje de las personas con las que está para conectarse con ellos. Con los pescadores, utiliza la imaginería de la pesca. Con los agricultores escuchamos sobre sembrar semillas y producir una cosecha. Jesús usa el lenguaje del mundo en el que habita cada persona para ampliar su comprensión del mun...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (1 Samuel 1:4–20; 1 Samuel 2:1–10; Hebrews 10:11–14, (15–18), 19–25; St Mark 13:1–8)   Today we hear the story of Hannah in our passage from First Samuel. This is the story of a woman who is yearning for something so badly, and many of the people around her are insensitive or do not understand her pain. Who can relate to this mother who as yet is without children? Perhaps the mother who wishes to be who endures in vitro fertilization and hormone injections and all sorts of tests just to get a chance to hold her own baby. Perhaps the mother who had a baby but had to give the baby up due to life circumstances. Perhaps the foster parent who cares for a child, draws them tight into their hearts, and then has to give them up. Perhaps another parent to be who suffers a miscarriage knows of Hannahs’ grief and yearning. Elkanah simply could not understand Hannah’s grief- am I am not more to you than ten sons? This is said from his pe...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (1 Samuel 1:4–20; 1 Samuel 2:1–10; Hebreos 10:11–14, (15–18), 19–25; San Marcos 13:1–8)   Hoy escuchamos la historia de Ana en nuestro pasaje del Primer libro de Samuel. Esta es la historia de una mujer que anhela tanto algo, y muchas de las personas que la rodean son insensibles o no comprenden su dolor. ¿Quién puede relacionarse con esta madre que todavía no tiene hijos? Quizás la mujer que tanto desea ser madre que soporta la fertilización in vitro, las inyecciones de hormonas y todo tipo de pruebas solo para tener la oportunidad de sostener a su propio bebé. Quizás la madre que tuvo un bebé pero tuvo que entregarlo por circunstancias de la vida. Quizás un padre de crianza que cuida a un niño, lo atrae con fuerza a su corazón y luego tiene que entregar a él al padre biológico. Quizás una madre que sufre un aborto espontáneo sepa del dolor y el anhelo de Ana la madre de Samuel. Elcan á simplemente no podía entender el dolo...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Wisdom/Sabidur í a 3:1-9; Salmo/Ps 24; Revelaci ó n/Revelation 21:1-6ª; John/Juan 11:32-44)   In the paper the other day, a lady shared the same words mentioned in the movie “Coco” about why we honor our faithful departed, in the case of many Mexicans and others of the Latin American Diaspora in the Day of the Dead celebrations. Esta Señora, hablando del Dia de los Muertos, dijo, hay tres muertes: cuando uno fallece, cuando se esta enterrado, y cuando olvidan de uno. Y por esto recordamos a los santos difuntos, para no ser olvidados. They say there are three deaths- when you die, when you are buried, and when you are forgotten out of memory. And the reason why cultures celebrate the Day of the Dead, or in the Episcopal Church tradition All Saints and All Souls, is so that we can keep memories alive. But I would say that as Christians the answer is a bit more complex than that. Because we, who believe in the Alp...