Fully Alive in God

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31 ) Money is not the root of all evil. So said a commentator I read on this passage, affirming that this scripture from the first letter of Timothy is often taken out of context. [1] In fact, the passage says: “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” and we know that to be true, because just as we know that money is a powerful tool that can be used for great good in our world –think of the efforts that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have made to eradicating poverty and dealing with disease and other issues that affect the poorest of the poor—if one loves it too much, it becomes one’s God. And that is when the evil begins. Because placing your absolute adoration in anything that is not God can lead to evil and harm. Harm to other people, and injustice. Harm to God’s creation. All of this wounds the heart of Jesus. One of the most powerful r...

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard ( Jeremias 32:1-3a, 6-15; S almo 91:1-6, 14-16; 1 Timoteo 6:6-19; Lucas 16:19-31 ) El dinero no es la raíz de todos los males. Así lo dijo un comentarista que leí en este pasaje, afirmando que esta escritura de la primera carta de Timoteo usualmente se saca de contexto. [1]   De hecho, el pasaje dice: " Porque el amor al dinero es (una) raíz de toda clase de males ", y sabemos que eso es cierto, porque así como sabemos que el dinero es una herramienta poderosa que puede usarse para un gran bien en nuestro mundo: piense en los esfuerzos que la Fundación Bill y Melinda Gates ha hecho para erradicar la pobreza y tratar las enfermedades y otros problemas que afectan a los más pobres de los pobres. Pero si uno lo ama demasiado, se convierte en el Dios de uno. If we love money too much, it becomes our God, and that can lead to evil. Y ahí es cuando comienza el mal. Porque colocar tu adoración absoluta en cualquier cosa que no sea ...

(De Diana Glyer, Clay in the Potter's Hands) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Jer 18:1-11; S. 139; Fil 1-21; Lucas 14:25-33) “Now the steel bars between me and a promise Suddenly bend with ease The closer I'm bound in love to you The closer I am to free” En español: “Ahora las barros de acero que me separan de la promesa Repentinamente se curvan fácilmente Mientras más cercana me siento en amor de ti Lo más cerca estoy a la libertad.” [1] Estas son algunas líneas de la canción de Indigo Girls "The Power of Two" de su álbum Swamp Ophelia (1994) que siempre me parece compartir una verdad sobre el matrimonio y el compromiso. Ayer, Ana y David se casaron aquí en All Santos y pudimos ver a dos personas prometiéndose el uno al otro. Jurar su fidelidad a alguien es un concepto antiguo para compromiso. Prometieron poner a Dios y uno al otro por encima de la salud, el dinero o cualquier otro vínculo que los pudiera separar. Y creo que e...

(From Diana Glyer, Clay in the Potter's Hands) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Jer 18:1-11; Ps. 139; Phil 1-21; Luke 14:25-33) “ Now we're talking about a difficult thing And your eyes are getting wet I took us for better and I took us for worse Don't you ever forget it Now the steel bars between me and a promise Suddenly bend with ease The closer I'm bound in love to you The closer I am to free ” [1] These are some lines from the Indigo Girls’ song “The Power of Two” from their Swamp Ophelia album (1994) that always feel true for me about marriage and commitment. Yesterday Ana and David tied the knot here at All Santos and we got to see two people pledging their troth to each other. “Troth” is an old fashioned word for pledge or commitment. It is literally saying that they promised to put God and each other above health, money or any other tie that might pull them apart. And I think this is a bit of what the song lyrics above mean. Wh...

(An image of the Annunciation in Nazareth, given by the church of the Philippines) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Jeremiah 2:4-13; Ps. 81:1, 10-16; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14) Play song: “Children, I’m gonna do what the Spirit say do, Children, do … I’m gonna do what the Spirit say do, Children, do … I’m gonna do what the Spirit say, do my Lord, And Oh May the Spirit of the Lord Do what the Spirit say!...” Sweet Honey in the Rock, “Do What the Spirit Say Do” It is good to be home! I thank this congregation for the gift you gave my family and me in our time of sabbatical. I missed you all and it was a time of spiritual and personal growth for which I will be ever grateful. If you followed my blog while I was gone, you know that I was blessed to travel to many locales in a pilgrimage time this summer. And there is nothing like traveling. It opens up your horizons, especially religious travel. You feel as if your relationship with God is s...

(Una imagen de la Anunciacion en Nazaret, dado por las Filipinas) M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Jeremias 2:4-13; S. 81:1, 10-16; Hebreos 13:1-8, 15-16; Lucas 14:1, 7-14) (Toca un poco de “Do What the Spirit Say Do” por Sweet Honey in the Rock) ¡Es bueno estar en casa! Agradezco a esta congregación por el regalo que nos dieron a mi familia y a mí en nuestro tiempo sabático. Los extrañé a todos y fue un momento de crecimiento espiritual y personal por el cual estaré siempre agradecido. Si siguieron mi blog mientras estaba fuera, saben que tuve la suerte de viajar a muchos lugares en un tiempo de peregrinación este verano. Y no hay nada como viajar. Abre tus horizontes, especialmente los viajes religiosos. Sientes que tu relación con Dios se fortalece al aprender literalmente a caminar con Dios nuevamente. Porque así es como se sintió este viaje. Tuve que volver a aprender a confiar en Dios en cada paso del camino. Porque al igual que Alene y yo planeamos este...

( https://arizonaoddities.com/2014/06/ how-often-does-a-century-plant-bloom/ ) Re-entry I close this sabbatical time with so much gratitude in my heart for this time spent in travel and reflection. This past week I was blessed with a six day retreat at Mount Calvary Monastery in Santa Barbara. It is a bittersweet time there because the Order of the Holy Cross has deemed that they cannot continue ministry in that spot past Mid 2021 (so we still have time to visit). However I took inspiration from the century plant that was blooming outside the dining room. You see, they bloom at the end of their life, and this plant was covered in bees. Bees that were pollinating all around the area, spreading life. In every ending there is a new beginning. And in this small ending of my sabbatical time, I am seeing so much promise of new life. I spent part of the retreat time planning for the next three months of ministry using Margaret Marcuson's "Breathing Room" program (check her...