Fully Alive in God

  M. Campbell-Langdell+ All Santos, Oxnard (Is. 58:1-9a [9b-12]; Ps. 112: 1-9 [10]; 2 Cor. 2:1-12 [13-16]; Mat. 5:13-20)   Jesus said, "You are the salt of the earth.” (Matthew 5:13a) On a fateful day in March 1930, in the Indian city of Dandi, Mohandas K. Gandhi and a group began what became the Salt March, a twenty-four-day, 240-mile march down the coast of India. The idea of the march was to protest the fact that the British government levied a tax on salt production and, therefore, on salt, an element basic to human life. Gandhi and his followers nonviolently protested the tax they saw as unjust, not just to better the lives of a small group of people, but because this was crippling the poor of India. This march drew international attention not only to the cause of Indian independence but also set the bar high for future nonviolent actions against perceived injustices. Gandhi would be a mentor for many, including our own Martin Luther King, Jr. [1] Zoom back ...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Miqueas/Micah 6:1–8; Ps/Salmo 15; 1 Cor. 1:18–31; Matthew/San Mateo 5:1–12) “Escucha con misericordia las súplicas de tu pueblo, y en nuestro tiempo concédenos tu paz.” “Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace.” This we ask in our collect today, but we haven’t been feeling entirely peaceful recently, have we? So much has been going on in our world, so many things that make us sad and angry. As I mentioned last week, there are helpers too, those who are trying to show a better way. But we are right to feel broken-hearted about the damage being done to our communities. Pedimos la paz hoy, pero no he sentido mucha paz recientemente. No sé de ustedes. Hay tanto que está sucediendo en el mundo, y estos eventos nos hacen enojados y tristes. Como mencioné la semana pasada, hay quienes están ayudando y tratando de mostrar un camino mejor. Pero también es cierto que somos tristes y reconoce...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Isaías 9:1–4 ; Salmo 27:1, 5–13; 1 Corintios 1:10–18; San Mateo 4:12–23) ¡Buenos días y bienvenidos! Las famosas "instrucciones para vivir la vida" de Mary Oliver, extraídas de su poema "Sometimes", dicen lo siguiente: Instrucciones para vivir la vida: Presta atención. Asómbrate. Cuéntalo. [1] Las lecturas de hoy parecen tratar sobre prestar atención, asombrarse y contar de su experiencia. Hoy, mientras continuamos en el tiempo de Epifanía, tenemos otra historia del llamado de los discípulos de Jesús. Jesús dice: "Vuélvanse a Dios, porque el reino de los cielos está cerca". Estas son las mismas palabras que usó Juan el Bautista, y algunos se preguntan qué quiso decir Jesús con "vuélvanse". Hay quienes señalan que la palabra "vuélvanse" no solo puede ser un llamado a reconciliarse con Dios, sino también una especie de "¡Atención!", "Presten atención" o alg...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Isaiah 9:1–4 ; Ps. 27:1, 5–13; 1 Corinthians 1:10–18; Matthew 4:12–23)   Good morning and welcome! Mary Oliver’s famous “instructions for living a life” from her poem, “Sometimes,” go like this: Instructions for living a life: Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. [1] Today’s readings seem to be about paying attention, being astonished, and telling about it. Today, as we continue in Epiphany season, we have another call story of the disciples of Jesus. Jesus says, “Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven has come near.” These are the same words that John the Baptist used, and some wonder at what Jesus meant by repent. There are those who point out that the word “repent” may not just be a call to get right with God, but also a sort of “Heads Up!” “Pay Attention” or something like that. When I was at a rally at a park in Ventura last Saturday, one of the speakers told us to “Wake the Heck up,” although in less polit...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Is. 49:1–7; Ps. 40:1–11; 1 Cor. 1:1–9; Jn. 1:29–42) Ev’ry time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart, I will pray… When have you felt the Spirit lately? Last week, my heart was heavy. Renee Nicole Good and other good people had been killed. It seemed our world was filled with danger and sorrow. And just being a person of goodwill wasn’t enough to protect you. Amid these feelings, I attended an event organized by a group of African-American churches in the area. It was to honor local folks doing good work in the community. But more than that, it was an expression of unity. The pastors said one by one how important it was to work together despite their differences. Theologically, I know they run the gamut. However, they were willing to come together for the sake of their community. And through it all, there was a thread. Of gospel music. Music that raised the spirits and invited the Spirit in. Music that reminded us that, as many tri...

  M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard (Is. 49:1–7; S. 40:1–11; 1 Cor. 1:1–9; Jn. 1:29–42)   Envía tu espíritu y será renovada la faz de la tierra…. ¿Cuándo has sentido la presencia del Espíritu últimamente? La semana pasada, sentía una gran tristeza. Renee Nicole Good y otras personas buenas habían sido asesinadas. Parecía que nuestro mundo estaba lleno de peligro y dolor. Y ser una persona de buena voluntad no era suficiente para protegerte. En medio de estos sentimientos, asistí a un evento organizado por un grupo de iglesias afroamericanas de la zona. Era para honrar a las personas de la comunidad que desempeñan una labor admirable. Pero más allá de eso, fue una expresión de unidad. Los pastores, uno por uno, expresaron lo importante que era trabajar juntos pese a sus diferencias. Sé que, en cuanto a la teología, sus creencias son muy diversas. Sin embargo, estaban dispuestos a unirse por el bien de su comunidad. Y a lo largo de todo esto, había un hilo cond...