5 Epiphany A + Keep it Simple + 2.5.23

M. Campbell-Langdell All Santos Oxnard (Isaiah 58:1–9a, (9b–12); Ps. 112:1–9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1–12, (13–16); Matthew 5:13–20) When I was a teenager, about twenty-five years ago now, I went with my church several times to do mission work alongside the people in a small town called Agua Verde in Sinaloa, Mexico. This was my first experience of cultural immersion in a completely different language (although the difference between British English and American English was an adjustment!) And I was a bit nervous about being away from family and friends for a week with some church members, including youth, I barely knew. Despite the fact that I was nervous, I thought of a friend of mine who was always easy-going and I decided that for the whole week I was going to act like her. Be easy-going, and just adjust to whatever happened as it happened, and in general be a bit less nervous. Although I was in an unfamiliar context and I had to be flexible to different schedules, foods